
Jay DeMerit earned 25 caps for the USMNT and started all four matches for the United States at FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010™. The Green Bay, Wisconsin native forged one of the most unlikely careers in American soccer history, working his way from the lower tiers of English football to six seasons at Watford FC — serving as club captain and scoring the opening goal in the 2006 Championship playoff final that earned the club promotion to the Premier League. He later captained Vancouver Whitecaps FC during their inaugural MLS season before retiring in 2014. His journey inspired the feature documentary Rise and Shine: The Jay DeMerit Story.