Its Jay DeMerit! (Photo via Vancouver Whitecaps)

The Vancouver Whitecaps are set to sign their first MLS player. They’ve teased it all day on Twitter but really, we all know who it is. Their recent article on their website says its a 2010 USA World Cup star, which basically gives it all away.

Vancouver will likely announce tomorrow morning the signing of defender Jay DeMerit, a move that has been in the works for a while now. And apparently it won’t be a DP slot either, which is good news for the Caps as they’ll get DeMerit at a fairly discounted rate from the sound of things.

Its a good move, no other way around it even though he hasn’t had work since June. I may touch base on this again tomorrow after the announcement.

After earning the number one spot in a number of drafts a few weeks back, the Vancouver Whitecaps were able to not only get the top pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft but also in the allocation order to sign returning US National team stars.

It looks as though they may be pulling a Seattle and signing a guy early using that allocation order position. Reports last night out of Canada say the Whitecaps are in discussions to sign US National team defender Jay DeMerit.

DeMerit was unable to get a contract in Europe this summer after his previous contract with English side Watford ran out. The 30-year old defender and MLS are now trying to find some common ground for the price tag that DeMerit would like to have, likely a Designated Player slot. Thankfully if he does come to MLS it will be on a free transfer, something MLS loves to get.

So is a guy like DeMerit worth a DP slot? Typically those aren’t reserved for defenders nor are they really reserved for Americans. I know Landon Donovan got one but we all know what Donovan brings to the table. DeMerit is a solid defender don’t get me wrong but as a DP I’m not so sure he’s really worth placing that tag on. The pressure that a DP tag puts on a player can do a number on the club if that player doesn’t live up to the expectations. I mean just see where using it got clubs like Houston, Kansas City and Dallas in the past.

I do think DeMerit coming back to MLS (remember he once was in the Chicago Fire system, playing for their development team back in 2001 before going un-drafted out of college) is a good thing. I said it all summer long that a team in the league needed to pony up some extra cash to get him. Looks like Vancouver wants to make sure their defense is secure going into their inaugural MLS season.

If you compare it to past USMNT defender moves like Danny Califf this one makes loads more sense for the club involved. The only thing I’d be worried about if I were a Whitecap fan is his fitness going into the new year. If he does sign with them it will be a long layoff for him seeing how he hasn’t played since the World Cup. Sometimes layoffs help guys and other times it does nothing but hurt them.

What do you make of this news? Think DeMerit is worth a DP tag in Vancouver? Think Tom Soehn is making the right call before his expansion club starts up next year?

Bob Bradley has a lot of thinkin' to do right now. (Getty Images)

I realized I’ve slacked on my World Cup hype duties these last couple months and now that the big event is a month and a half away I need to pick it up here. Today just seems like a good day to talk about the USMNT and who Bob Bradley will call into camp next month.

We know Bradley will be calling in more than what will ultimately become the final 23-man roster for the World Cup. He’s gotta do this to evaluate the final few roster spots that aren’t finalized just yet. Most would agree that a good chunk of the roster is probably already set in Bradley’s mind. He knows his keepers and likely most of his defense and midfield. But up top things get dicy with the slew of injuries and lack of quality form out of some guys in the pool.

Bradley has a lot to consider in the form of guys coming off of injuries too at this point, which in a way is a good thing. Sure their form could be off but having a few main guys back will go a long way in getting out of the group stages in June.

You’ve probably seen plenty of these rosters guesses but this is my take at it. Feel free to agree or disagree below in the comments section. I’ll give you my 26-28 guys I think that could be called in next month (obviously not all will be called here).

Goalkeepers: Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann, Brad Guzan

There’s really no dancing around this one unless one of these guys goes down in the final weeks of the English season. Howard is the easy pick for starter and really if we had to go with the other two in any game I’d feel okay with that as well.

Defense: Jonathan Spector, Oguchi Onyewu, Jay Demerit, Carlos Bocanegra, Clarence Goodson, Jonathan Bornstein, Steve Cherundolo, Heath Pearce

This area is fairly set in my mind. Having Onyewu back in training at AC Milan is huge for him and the US. I’ve gone back and forth in my mind over Bornstein’s inclusion with the team but he’s a Bradley guy so he’s in no matter what really. I won’t go into who should start on the right or left back but with this group we should be ok. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Spector at left back at this point but Bocanegra could end up there as well based on his play in France this year.

Midfield: Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Stuart Holden, Maurice Edu, Michael Bradley, Benny Feilhaber, Ricardo Clark, Alejandro Bedoya, Jose Francisco Torres, DaMarcus Beasley

Things get a little tougher here. In a way I consider both Deuce and Donovan more as strikers than as midfielders but I know they’ll be listed here when the roster comes out so I won’t even try arguing it. There is a thought too that Edu could slide into a centerback role as well which could free up another spot for another midfielder or take away from one defender.

Holden is getting healthy and that’s a real positive thing to see for this group of players. I think Bedoya has made some major strides in getting close to winning a roster spot, he’s one of my darkhorse picks here. Beasley is another guy that is on the fringe for me but I just got a gut feeling that he’ll make it.

Forwards: Jozy Altidore, Conor Casey, Edson Buddle, Herculez Gomez, Charlie Davies, Eddie Johnson, Brian Ching

This group is the hardest to figure out. Part of me thinks Brian Ching will make it if he returns from injury in time, the other part of me figures at this point its a long shot. With the way that Buddle and Gomez have played recently we know at least one of them should probably make it to South Africa.

I put Casey up there because I see him as another one of those Bradley guys. His form hasn’t been great this season but its been good enough. I don’t love the idea of Johnson here but he’s really finding his own way in Greece right now which should boost his confidence. He’s one of those guys that rides good confidence to the bank and if he is sailing high right now in Greece it will only make things tougher on Bradley, which isn’t a bad thing either.

Not a bad showing by the US against Holland. (Getty Images)

I won’t go too into the match just yet, I have a plan on re-watching some of it later on today but I did want to give my initial player ratings from this afternoon’s 2-1 loss to the Dutch in Amsterdam.

WVH USMNT Player Ratings:

Tim Howard – 7
Jonathan Spector – 5
Carlos Bocanegra – 7
Jay DeMerit – 5
Jonathan Bornstein – 2
Stuart Holden – 5
Michael Bradley – 5
Jose Francisco Torres – 5
Landon Donovan – 4
Jozy Altidore – 6
Robbie Findley – 4

Subs:
Maurice Edu – 4
DeMarcus Beasley – 7
Alejandro Bedoya – 6
Heath Pearce – 4
Eddie Johnson – 4
Clarence Goodson – 5

Top Three Players for US:

1. DeMarcus Beasley – Off the bench he was very good today, probably much better than he’s been in recent games that I’ve seen him in. I like the idea of him still coming off the bench though instead of starting for the US.
2. Tim Howard – He made his usual few big saves but got unlucky with the PK and the other goal. Still can’t blame this loss at all on Timmy, he worked his ass off as usual.
3. Carlos Bocanegra – Got the lone goal on a great free kick by Beasley. He was so freakin’ open on that play it was ridiculous. He also did well in the back today for the US.

Overall it wasn’t a terrible game by the US. I thought Donovan was a ghost most of the game but that could be due to poor service from out of the back for him. Early on the US was too predictable in the midfield and in the final third. Robbie Findley was okay but really showed he has no shot at a roster spot in South Africa after getting over powered in this game by the Dutch defense. He has the speed to beat them but never really took people on like we would have liked.

Bad day for Bornstein though. First the penalty late in the first half and then the deflection for the second Dutch goal in the second half. I thought Bob Bradley should have subbed him at half for someone like Pearce but he’s got too much of a love fest for Bornstein.

Again, I hope to have more later on this game.

Bob Bradley has some tough choices to make for tomorrow's friendly against Holland (Getty Images)

Honestly I need to amp up my USMNT cover on here. I’ll admit I don’t get to see every game like I would like and I honestly nearly forgot the El Salvador game last week. In fact I didn’t even get to watch all of it but what I did see what the final 20 minutes or so which were fun to view since it was a nice comeback for the US.

What we know is this Holland game tomorrow is a biggie. Its in Holland and the Dutch are easily one of the best squads in the World right now. But this is more than a high profile friendly for Bob Bradley it is a chance to really finish filling out his roster for June at the World Cup in South Africa.

A good chunk of the roster is probably set but for those bubble players this is a big test. The two friendlies so far this year were definitely for the MLS talent to show their stuff and while they did a decent job only a couple of that B or C bunch will make an sort of dent in this roster come June.

Bradley has a couple areas to hammer out before June. The nearly all his defense needs to be figured out, his defensive midfield spot, and a striker.

Left Back: It will either be Jonathan Bornstein or Heath Pearce come June in this spot. That I am certain of. Pearce had a nice game against El Salvador and really seems to be doing well in Dallas right now. Having quality playing time has certainly helped him out too. Depending how they look tomorrow will go a long way in determining who gets a roster spot in June. My money is on Pearce right now.

Center Back: I still have a guy feeling Oguchi Onyewu will be available come June but some how if he isn’t it will be between Jay DeMerit, Clarence Goodson and Carlos Bocanegra to pick up the slack. I think the bigger story will be if Goodson can continue to impress Bradley. I think should Onyewu return to full health and Goodson continue to impress it will make Bradley’s life tough but in a good way. I’m not saying that he’d take Goodson over Onyewu here but having an improving Goodson only helps our chances in the back.

Right back: I worry about the wings in the back but if Pearce can get up to speed on the left I think so can Jonathan Spector on the right. But let’s not sleep on Frank Simek here, this game could be his big chance to make it in June.

Defensive Mid: It will likely be a WVHooligan favorite Maurice Edu to go in the midfield along side Michael Bradley. I think at this point this is Edu’s spot to lose. With Ricardo Clark on the outside looking in for a roster spot at this point I think Edu is a good bet, which I am happy with here too.

Striker: Ok we know Jozy Altidore is set and if Charlie Davies doesn’t return in time it will come down to three guys: Jeff Cunningham, Robbie Findley or Eddie Johnson. If that is the case my money is on Findley here. I’m curious to see which gets the start tomorrow with Altidore though because both need a strong start to do well.

Again tomorrow is a big deal. We must find a way to stop the Dutch on the wings. I’m very worried that Arjen Robben and Rafael van der Vaart will eat our boys alive on the wings. If we find a way to stay in front of them and keep them honest we’ll be fine. If not it could be a very long night in Amsterdam.

The Dutch also like to shoot from range, so guys in the midfield and in the center part of the pitch must be on guard. One slip up will put Tim Howard in some jeopardy. Protecting the ball in the midfield will be key for the US.

I expect a high tempo to this game from both sides but the US will be wise to slow it down at some points to keep the pressure off the defense. Our forwards will need to work together to get quality looks on goal. The Dutch defense is a savvy one, but isolating one of them at a time can help work wonders. A big game from Landon Donovan also wouldn’t hurt!

This won’t be an easy game by any stretch for the US. Holland is damn good and they are very tough to beat in Holland. Forcing mistakes early will boost our confidence if we can get them but giving up silly passes in the midfield and on the wings will doom us. I hate going against the US but until we show up on the road, particularly in Europe I have to go against us. It should be fun to watch…key word is should.

WVH Prediction: Holland 2, US 0

Could this be the biggest win ever for the US? (Getty Images)

Boy what a thriller huh? If you called a 2-0 win over Spain for the US you should probably be well on your way to an island somewhere celebrating your winnings. No one honestly called that kind of a win for the US today. Sure some had hopes of that kind of result but truth be told you’d be kidding yourself if you thought it would actually happen.

But looking back on the game I can honestly say this was the best performance from the entire team as a whole in a long time. It’s been a very long while since I’ve seen the US national team play so well for 90 minutes and not give up anything too stupid or costly.

Consider this, the Spanish put their best squad out there today and gunned for the win. Its not like some past wins in this tournament where the world power didn’t care. Today they cared and the US were able to take it to them. While I don’t think this makes us a world power or anything just yet I do believe it will help get us to that next level that we as a country have been reaching for a while here.

A big thing today was the level of passion and intensity on the field from the US. I have to give credit all around the field because the defense stepped up like never before and the offense did just enough to annoy the Spanish defense to get the two goals. Maybe it had something to do with Carlos Bocaengra wearing the captians armband once again, or maybe it had something to do with the level of respect that US were not getting from the start.

I kind of believe the US just delievered the world a blueprint to beating Spain. Hold them tigh defensively and press the crap out of them when the chances are there.

Also the possession was there more so for the US than expected. They weathered the storm of corner kicks and Tim Howard came up huge with needed. Oquchi Onyewu and Jay DeMeirt had one of their best games each in defense, they were constantly clearing everything that came in their way.

Just how good were the two US goals too? Jozy Altidore and his strong possesional play to score his first goal and Dempsey’s hammering home of the second game late in the second half. Landon Donovan really set up the second goal were as good play from Charlie Davis and Michael Bradley helped fuel the first.

I know a lot of folks hammered Bob Bradley last week but this lineup worked well for the US today. Some would have liked subs brought on earlier in the second half but he picked his moments right today when he did bring on fresh legs. Also speaking of those fresh legs I thought he did an excellent job of picking the right guys off the bench to come on for the game. Benny Feihaber came on first for US and I thought he was the best sub of the game. Conor Casey late for Altidore was a smart move as Casey is big, strong and able to hold possession well.

In all this will definitely go down as one of the biggest wins in US soccer history. Bigger than the Brazil win in the Gold Cup a decade ago, and bigger than the Portugal win in 2002.

Now on to the final on Sunday. Do you all think the US has any magic left for the final?

Gregg Berhalter could be a MLSer soon?

I found this article on the always interesting No Short Corners. Greg Seltzer looks through the potential players abroad and to the South that could see their way to Major League Soccer in a free transfer sense. You know the type of deals MLS loves to get.

Anyways, Seltzer gives us a top five (and plenty of others in the honorable mention side) that could see their way to MLS in the near future. He also throws in which clubs he sees getting those players.

I felt like looking at this and giving my own thoughts to the list because I really believe Seltzer is on to something here.

His top five were:

5. Ze Roberto
4. Gregg Berhalter
3. Christian Panucci
2. Fernando Morientes
1. Gerardo Torrado

I don’t have too many issues with this list to be honest. I’d be first to say that getting Torrado in the league would be awesome, especially to the likely destination of Chivas USA. Seltzer mentions Morientes to Dallas for the obvious reasons of Kenny Cooper leaving this summer. He could be a Juan Pablo Angel type of signing for Dallas and if that is the case I am all for it.

Berhalter is an easy choice to come home before he retires from the game. More than likely if he were to at this point I could see LA grab him with their top allocation spot. Dallas wouldn’t be too bad off if they were able to land him in the allocation order either. Both clubs need defensive help.

I still don’t believe the Ze Roberto to MLS talk so I really won’t go into that one. Though I do like the idea of him in Colorado. I still the Rapids going after an Asian to be really honest with you for a higher profile type of signing.

Other guys I think could make a splash over here on the transfer-free scale (via Seltzer’s list):

Steve Watson (Sheffield Wedneday) – This Englishman screams Toronto FC to me. A 34-year-old defensive midfield just seems like the typical early season Toronto FC signing. I don’t believe there are any rumors or mentions of his name but looking through this list of players his name jumped out to me the most for Toronto.

Gary Doherty (Norwich) – An Irishman that sounds like a decent MLS prospect. He’s has mentions of a possible move to MLS before with San Jose and it could still happen before long. Recent injuries have taken him away from seeing playing time and if it keeps up Norwich could wind up releasing him.

Marcus Hahnemann (Reading) – I don’t see him moving anytime within the next year or two. In a way I think it depends on where MLS could expand to next that could determine where he could go too. He was always mentioned to go to Seattle but once Kasey Keller signed up that notion went out the window. We could still see him return to Colorado or maybe Portland if they get a club (that is if he wants to return somewhat close to home).

Zheng Zhi (Charlton Atheltic) – I mentioned above that Colorado could possibly sign an Asian and I think the Chinese caption would be a good fit for the Rapid’s midfield. He’s known as the best player in China right now and would be a huge marketing splash for any MLS club in my opinion. Think Yao Ming only in a soccer sense.

Of course there are a few other Americans that will more than likely return by the end of next year:

DaMarcus Beasley (Rangers) – My money is still on him coming back to MLS this summer.

Jay DeMerit (Watford) – This one may actually be a couple more years away but I fully experct DeMerit to return to MLS, possibly to the Fire.

Got a player you think could cheaply come to MLS?