Peter Vermes
Encyclopedia
Peter Joseph Vermes is an American
former professional soccer player. He is currently the head coach
of Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer
.
As a player, Vermes spent several seasons playing in Hungary, the Netherlands and Portugal, before establishing himself as one of the best defenders
in Major League Soccer
, enjoying successful stints with MetroStars
, Colorado Rapids
and the Kansas City Wizards
.
Vermes was also a regular member of the United States national team
throughout the 1990s, and represented his country at the 1988 Summer Olympics
, the 1990 FIFA World Cup
and the 1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup
.
, New Jersey. He graduated in 1984, having scored 109 goals. In 1999, he was named by The Star-Ledger
as one of the top ten New Jersey high school soccer players of the 1980s.
Vermes played his first year in college on the men's soccer team
at Loyola College in Maryland
under head coach Bill Sento. Vermes then transferred and played three years of college soccer
at Rutgers University
, from 1985 to 1987, where he elevated the status of the program to that of a national power. In his final season, Vermes scored 21 goals and 10 assists for the team, finishing a first team All-American
, as well as runner-up for the National Player of the Year Award. During that season, Vermes led Rutgers to their first victory in the NCAA Tournament in 26 years, scoring the winning goal in a contest against Seton Hall University
.
of Hungary in 1989, Volendam
of the Dutch Eredivisie
in 1990. In May 1991, Vermes returned to the United States and played three games, scoring a single goal against with the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the American Professional Soccer League
. He then moved to Spain where he played for Spanish
Second Division
club Figueres
from 1991-1995.
Like many of the best American players, Vermes returned to the United States to join the recently founded MLS
. In January 1995, he signed with the new league which would not begin league play until 1996. Therefore, MLS loaned Vermes to the New York Fever
of the USISL
where he played 25 games, scoring 16 goals in the 1995 season. In 1996, Vermes was drafted by the New York/New Jersey MetroStars
in the third round of the MLS Inaugural Draft (29th overall) and captained the team in its first season. Although he played the most minutes of any MetroStar that year, the MetroStars traded Vermes on February 3, 1997 to the Colorado Rapids
for Kerry Zavagnin
. Vermes would play three years for the Rapids before being traded again, this time to the Kansas City Wizards
with Matt McKeon
for Scott Vermillion and a player allocation
.
With the Wizards, Vermes had his best year in MLS in 2000, anchoring what may have been the best defense in MLS history. That Wizards team finished the season first in the league with a 16-7-9 record, having allowed only 29 goals in 32 games, and continued its defensive dominance in the playoffs, eventually winning the MLS Cup
. Vermes was recognized as the MLS Defender of the Year
, while his teammate Tony Meola
won both the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year and MLS MVP awards. Vermes played two more seasons with the Wizards, struggling with injuries but playing every game he was healthy for, before announcing his retirement at the end of the 2002 season.
, and would in all receive 67 caps for the team, playing in the 1988 Olympics
, the 1990 World Cup
and the 1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup
. In the 1990 World Cup, he nearly bagged a goal against Italy with a scorching shot which Italian goalkeeper Walter Zenga
barely stopped. A forward early in his career, his excellent performance in defense in MLS led to his comeback to the National team in that position after years of absence. He was the last player cut from the U.S. roster before the 1998 World Cup.
Vermes was named the 1988 U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year
and U.S. Olympic Player of the Year.
In 1989, he scored six goals for the U.S. Futsal
team, which took third place, at the FIFA Futsal World Championship
in Rotterdam, Holland. He ended his futsal career with 11 caps and 7 goals.
was fired by the team. The team was in sixth place in MLS' Eastern Conference with a 5–6–7 record and coming off a 6–0 road loss to FC Dallas
three nights earlier. Vermes would lead to the Wizards to a 3-7-2 record down the stretch.
On November 9, 2009, it was reported that the Wizards would announce that they were removing the interim tag from his title.
In additional to his work with the Wizards, Vermes worked as a broadcaster for the San Jose Earthquakes
, serves as the technical Director of Coaching for the Blue Valley Soccer Club in Overland Park, Kansas
, and was an assistant coach for the US Under-20 national team.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former professional soccer player. He is currently the head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
.
As a player, Vermes spent several seasons playing in Hungary, the Netherlands and Portugal, before establishing himself as one of the best defenders
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
in Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
, enjoying successful stints with MetroStars
Metrostars
Metrostar may refer to:*New York Red Bulls, formerly called the "MetroStars", a soccer team from New York*Manila Metro Rail Transit System, popularly called "The Metrostar Express", a part of the metropolitan rail system in Manila...
, Colorado Rapids
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league...
and the Kansas City Wizards
Kansas City Wizards
Sporting Kansas City is an American professional soccer club based in Kansas City, Kansas that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
.
Vermes was also a regular member of the United States national team
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
throughout the 1990s, and represented his country at the 1988 Summer Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
, the 1990 FIFA World Cup
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
and the 1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup
1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup
-Group B:---------------------Bracket:-Semifinals:-----Third place match:-Final:-Top scorers:4 goals Benjamin Galindo3 goals Dale Mitchell Eduardo Bennet Luis Cálix Carlos Hermosillo...
.
High school and college
Vermes played High School soccer at Delran High SchoolDelran High School
Delran High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Delran Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States, as part of the Delran Township School District....
, New Jersey. He graduated in 1984, having scored 109 goals. In 1999, he was named by The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
as one of the top ten New Jersey high school soccer players of the 1980s.
Vermes played his first year in college on the men's soccer team
Loyola Greyhounds men's soccer
The Loyola University Maryland Greyhounds are a men's soccer team representing Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore, Maryland. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference...
at Loyola College in Maryland
Loyola College in Maryland
Loyola University Maryland is a Roman Catholic, Jesuit private university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Established as Loyola College in Maryland by John Early and eight other members of the Society of Jesus in 1852, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges...
under head coach Bill Sento. Vermes then transferred and played three years of college soccer
College soccer
College soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
at Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
, from 1985 to 1987, where he elevated the status of the program to that of a national power. In his final season, Vermes scored 21 goals and 10 assists for the team, finishing a first team All-American
Division I First-Team All-American (soccer)
The Division I First-Team All-Americans are the best eleven U.S. college soccer players as selected by the NCAA.-1970–1983:From 1970 to 1983 the NCAA only named defenders and forwards in addition to one goalkeeper.-1983–present:...
, as well as runner-up for the National Player of the Year Award. During that season, Vermes led Rutgers to their first victory in the NCAA Tournament in 26 years, scoring the winning goal in a contest against Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University is a private Roman Catholic university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by Archbishop James Roosevelt Bayley, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan university in the United States. Seton Hall is also the oldest and largest Catholic university in the...
.
Professional
After graduating, Vermes would go to Europe, where he played with Rába ETO FCGyori ETO FC
Győri ETO FC , Győri Egyetértés Torna Osztály Football Club or just Győr, is a Hungarian sports club from Győr, a mid-size town in the north-west of the country. In 1904 the club was founded as Győri Vagongyár ETO and has undergone many name changes since...
of Hungary in 1989, Volendam
FC Volendam
Football Club Volendam is a Dutch football club based in Volendam, North Holland, Edam-Volendam. Founded on June 1, 1977, as a result of a split up with RKSV . It currently plays in the Eerste Divisie, holding home games at Kras Stadion, with a 6,260-seat capacity.-History:Football Club Volendam...
of the Dutch Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
in 1990. In May 1991, Vermes returned to the United States and played three games, scoring a single goal against with the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the American Professional Soccer League
American Professional Soccer League
The American Professional Soccer League is a former professional men's soccer league which featured teams from both the United States and Canada. It was the first outdoor soccer league to feature teams from throughout the United States since the demise of the original North American Soccer League...
. He then moved to Spain where he played for Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Second Division
Segunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
club Figueres
UE Figueres
Unió Esportiva Figueres is a Spanish football team based in Figueres, in the autonomous community of Catalonia. Founded in 1919 and refounded in 2007, it plays in Primera Catalana, holding home matches at Estadio Municipal de Vilatenim, with a seating capacity of 9,472.-History:Figueres was first...
from 1991-1995.
Like many of the best American players, Vermes returned to the United States to join the recently founded MLS
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
. In January 1995, he signed with the new league which would not begin league play until 1996. Therefore, MLS loaned Vermes to the New York Fever
New York Centaurs
The New York Centaurs were an A-League professional soccer club, based in New York City. The team played only one season in 1995. The New York Fever of the USISL Pro League, debuted in 1994, playing two seasons in the league before merging with the Centaurs organization in 1996...
of the USISL
USL Second Division
The United Soccer Leagues Second Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, part of the United Soccer Leagues league pyramid...
where he played 25 games, scoring 16 goals in the 1995 season. In 1996, Vermes was drafted by the New York/New Jersey MetroStars
Metrostars
Metrostar may refer to:*New York Red Bulls, formerly called the "MetroStars", a soccer team from New York*Manila Metro Rail Transit System, popularly called "The Metrostar Express", a part of the metropolitan rail system in Manila...
in the third round of the MLS Inaugural Draft (29th overall) and captained the team in its first season. Although he played the most minutes of any MetroStar that year, the MetroStars traded Vermes on February 3, 1997 to the Colorado Rapids
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league...
for Kerry Zavagnin
Kerry Zavagnin
Kerry Zavagnin is a former American soccer midfielder, who last played defensive midfielder for the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer, and sparingly for the US national team. Kerry Zavaginin also went to and played soccer for Detroit Catholic Central High School...
. Vermes would play three years for the Rapids before being traded again, this time to the Kansas City Wizards
Kansas City Wizards
Sporting Kansas City is an American professional soccer club based in Kansas City, Kansas that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
with Matt McKeon
Matt McKeon
Matthew John McKeon is a retired American soccer midfielder who played seven seasons in Major League Soccer. He earned two caps with the United States men's national soccer team and was a member of the 1996 U.S...
for Scott Vermillion and a player allocation
Allocation (MLS)
In Major League Soccer, an allocation represents an amount of money teams can use to sign players and/or allocate to their salaries to get under the salary cap. Allocations are given to teams that have missed the playoffs the previous seasons, given to expansion teams, or awarded as compensation...
.
With the Wizards, Vermes had his best year in MLS in 2000, anchoring what may have been the best defense in MLS history. That Wizards team finished the season first in the league with a 16-7-9 record, having allowed only 29 goals in 32 games, and continued its defensive dominance in the playoffs, eventually winning the MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
. Vermes was recognized as the MLS Defender of the Year
MLS Defender of the Year Award
In the United States, Major League Soccer has handed out a Defender of the Year award since its inception in 1996. Here is a list of the past winners:Past winners:...
, while his teammate Tony Meola
Tony Meola
Antonio Michael "Tony" Meola is an American former soccer goalkeeper who played for the United States national team at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, and from 1996 to 2006 played in Major League Soccer, the U.S. top soccer division, where he obtained multiple honors...
won both the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year and MLS MVP awards. Vermes played two more seasons with the Wizards, struggling with injuries but playing every game he was healthy for, before announcing his retirement at the end of the 2002 season.
International
Vermes was never a star for the US national team, but he was a significant contributor for an extended period of time. Vermes received his first cap May 14, 1988 against ColombiaColombia national football team
The Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
, and would in all receive 67 caps for the team, playing in the 1988 Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
, the 1990 World Cup
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
and the 1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup
1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup
-Group B:---------------------Bracket:-Semifinals:-----Third place match:-Final:-Top scorers:4 goals Benjamin Galindo3 goals Dale Mitchell Eduardo Bennet Luis Cálix Carlos Hermosillo...
. In the 1990 World Cup, he nearly bagged a goal against Italy with a scorching shot which Italian goalkeeper Walter Zenga
Walter Zenga
Walter Zenga is a retired Italian footballer and current manager. He is a long-time goalkeeper for the Italian national team and Internazionale. He also holds Romanian citizenship...
barely stopped. A forward early in his career, his excellent performance in defense in MLS led to his comeback to the National team in that position after years of absence. He was the last player cut from the U.S. roster before the 1998 World Cup.
Vermes was named the 1988 U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year
U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year
The U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year is given by the United States Soccer Federation to the American soccer players judged best in the calendar year. It is the longest running major American soccer award...
and U.S. Olympic Player of the Year.
In 1989, he scored six goals for the U.S. Futsal
Futsal
Futsal is a variant of association football that is played on a smaller pitch and mainly played indoors. Its name is a portmanteau of the Portuguese futebol de salão and the Spanish fútbol de salón , which can be translated as "hall football" or "indoor football"...
team, which took third place, at the FIFA Futsal World Championship
FIFA Futsal World Championship
The FIFA Futsal World Cup is the international championship for futsal, an indoor version of association football.The world championship tournament is held every four years, on the even year between two FIFA World Cups. The first event was held in 1989, the year FIFA became the world governing body...
in Rotterdam, Holland. He ended his futsal career with 11 caps and 7 goals.
Coaching career
Vermes was appointed as the technical Director for the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer on November 15, 2006. He was named interim manager of the Wizards on August 4, 2009, one day after predecessor Curt OnalfoCurt Onalfo
Curt Onalfo is an American former soccer player.As a player, he played two seasons in France, two in the USISL, one in Mexico and four in Major League Soccer, achieving his most success with Los Angeles Galaxy and D.C. United. He earned also earned one caps with the United States national team...
was fired by the team. The team was in sixth place in MLS' Eastern Conference with a 5–6–7 record and coming off a 6–0 road loss to FC Dallas
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
three nights earlier. Vermes would lead to the Wizards to a 3-7-2 record down the stretch.
On November 9, 2009, it was reported that the Wizards would announce that they were removing the interim tag from his title.
In additional to his work with the Wizards, Vermes worked as a broadcaster for the San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
, serves as the technical Director of Coaching for the Blue Valley Soccer Club in Overland Park, Kansas
Overland Park, Kansas
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 149,080 people, 59,703 households, and 39,702 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,627.0 people per square mile . There were 62,586 housing units at an average density of 1,102.9 per square mile...
, and was an assistant coach for the US Under-20 national team.