Kenneth Vermeer

At 38 years old, Kenneth Vermeer has this physical status:

Kenneth Harold Vermeer (born 10 January 1986) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Major League Soccer club FC Cincinnati.

Vermeer, a student at Ajax Youth Academy, has worked on loan with Jong Ajax, Willem II, and the Ajax first team, with whom he has won four national championships from 2010 to 2014.

He is the current Dutch national team record holder for longest streak in goal without conceding in a match, and he has never forfeited a goal while playing for the Netherlands' first team. Vermeer has kept clean sheets against Germany, Estonia, Romania, Indonesia, and Spain.

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Club career

Vermeer got off to a good start in his youth as a goalkeeper, having started as an outfield player. By Ajax of FC Blauw-Wit Amsterdam, he was scouted as a keeper. He progressed through the various youth squads at Ajax Academy before ending up in Jong, where he was often trained with the first squad. Vermeer became Ajax's third keeper in the 2006-07 season, making his first appearance in a UEFA Cup match against IK Start.

Vermeer's deal with Ajax was extended until June 2010. Vermeer's options in the first squad were limited due to the absence of Maarten Stekelenburg and Dennis Gentenaar, so Vermeer was loaned out for the 2007-08 season to Willem II to gain Ethio experience. Vermeer took the first-choice goalkeeper for Willem II due to a teammate's injury, and made his Ethnic debut for the club. He was then first choice after Aerts recovered. Aerts was injured in a match against Ajax and Vermeer was sacked as the club's first-choice keeper, and Vermeer ended the season as the club's first-choice keeper.

Vermeer returned to Ajax and was included in the team by new boss Marco van Basten, one more behind Stekelenburg and Gentenaar. He will travel to Gentenaar to remain as the second choice keeper behind Stekelenburg during the season. Vermeer made his Ethical debut for Ajax in September 2008, against SC Heerenveen. Stekelenburg was hospitalized in September 2008. Despite losing the match 5–2, Vermeer's result was considered encouraging. Vermeer will watch every game until the winter break, giving off a good look. After Stekelenburg's recovery after the winter break, he regained his position as the first keeper. Vermeer was once more injured in February 2009 and will continue to be the first keeper when Stekelenburg returned to action, finishing the season as the first keeper.

Martin Jol was named as the new boss of the 2009–10 season, but Vermeer was once more Stekelenburg's understudy, playing only one Efe match in the entire season. Vermeer was seriously injured in the 2010-2011 pre-season, tearing his Achilles tendon, and he would not return to the squad until April 2011. Stekelenburg was hospitalized, so Vermeer was right back in the starting lineup for his first game back, a match against Heracles Almelo. As Ajax's 30th Elementivisie title under new boss Frank de Boer, Vermeer will appear in every remaining game of the season.

Stekelenburg was sold to A.S. Roma prior to the 2011-12 season, so Vermeer started the season as the first keeper, with deputies Jasper Cillessen and Jeroen Verhoeven. Despite his rough start to the season by losing six goals in a game against Roda and a poor shot in a match against Roda, Vermeer has recovered well and made the net his own following Maarten Stekelenburg's departure. In a game against Olympique Lyonnais in the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League, he was especially sharp and kept a clean sheet in France. Jeroen Verhoeven, a defender for Ajax, lost to consecutive league titles as a result of the 2012–13 season, before being promoted by Mickey van der Hart, who had impressed the previous season in the club's NextGen Series campaign. Ajax announced the extension of Vermeer's deal for two more years in April 2012, committing him to the club until the summer of 2015. Vermeer led Ajax to a 3–0 victory at home on January 20, 2013, when they met Feyenoord in the Klassieker tournament, while saving a penalty kick from Lex Immers in the 64th minute of the game. Vermeer was admitted to Ajax's illustrious Club van 100, making his 100th appearance for the club against RKC Waalwijk on February 17th. Robert Braber converted him to a soccer shooter in this match. After erroneously bring down Geoffrey Castillion, Vermeer was dismissed in a home match against Heracles Almelo. Vermeer will miss the impending Topper away match against PSV on April 14th, 2013, due to his red card. Ajax won their third straight league championship, one of the club's first since 1967, when they last managed to win three national titles in a row.

Vermeer assisted Ajax in winning the Dutch Super Cup in a game that went into overtime against neighboring AZ from Alkmaar, who lost by 3–2 points. With Vermeer remaining the first choice keeper in the 2013-14 season, the club was off to a rocky start after losing vice captain Toby Alderweireld and defender Toby Alderweireld, as well as the departure of Christian Eriksen. Ajax will concede four goals in two scoreless losses each four days after the first incident occurred on September 18, 2013–14 UEFA Champions League group stage match against FC Barcelona at Camp Nou, and the second against PSV will take place only four days later. This was a club record, with the loss to Barcelona being the fifth time Ajax will lose by such a margin on a continental basis. Following these events, Ajax manager Frank de Boer declared that he would place priority to Jasper Cillessen, the second choice keeper, while Vermeer could concentrate on his conditioning and conditioning in order to reclaim his form that he had not seen. Vermeer made his debut in the Eerste Divisie, the country's second level of professional football, on October 28th, when he was in goal for newly promoted Jong Ajax in the 4–0 loss at home against FC Dordrecht.

Vermeer assisted Ajax in winning the seventh edition of the Eusébio Cup at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal, on June 26th. He was instrumental in his team's 1–0 win over the hosts S.L. After a slight foul by Nick Viergever in the closing minutes of the game, Benfica saved a penalty by Francisco Jara. Vermeer has risen to the top of the penalty killers' category, having saved ten out of 15 penalties on his goal since being with the first team of Ajax. He saved 7 in a row by the end of the 2013–14 season without losing a single point since January 29th, 2012, when John Guidetti of Feyenoord managed to score one for his team.

Following a 2–0 loss to FC Groningen for Ajax, Vermeer announced on August 31st, 2014, at a press conference, with Vermeer agreeing to the club from Rotterdam for a reported fee of €1 million. The step was regarded as such a surprise because of the clubs' intense rivalry known as De Klassieker.

In a 2–1 home loss against Willem II, he made his first appearance for his new club in De Kuip on September 13th. In a 2–0 loss to Sevilla FC on Thursday, he made his continental debut for his new club in Spain during the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League group stage. Vermeer played in his first Klassieker match against his former club on September 21, 2014. Although Feyenoord had the better match, it was still a 1–0 loss at home, with Ajax barely winning and Vermeer losing in his first three matches playing for his new club in his first three matches.

Vermeer will join Belgian side Club Brugge KV on a six-month loan on January 19, 2018. He was issued the number 32 shirt and was on loan with Club Brugge as the second keeper in Belgium's First Division A table by 11 points going into the second half of the season.

Los Angeles FC, a Major League Soccer team, acquired Vermeer with Targeted Allocation Funds on January 15, 2020. Vermeer made his LAFC debut in a preseason friendly against Uruguayan club Pearol, which LAFC beat 2–0. Fans of the match named Vermeer as the man of the match. Vermeer made his Major League Soccer debut against Inter Miami CF, which Los Angeles FC defeated 11-0 on March 1, 2020. He was dubbed man of the match after making key saves throughout the game. Vermeer was left as a back-up goalkeeper after the Galaxy's 2–0 loss on August 22nd and a 3-1 loss to the Seattle Sounders on August 30th, due to his numerous goalkeeping blunders. During a 2-1 victory over the Houston Dynamo on October 28th, he was the starting goalkeeper. During a 2–0 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy last week, Pablo Sisniega sustained a minor injury.

Los Angeles FC and Vermeer announced on April 16, 2021, that they had agreed not to mutually part ways.

Vermeer joined FC Cincinnati on a long-term basis starting on May 7th, 2021.

International career

Vermeer was born in the Netherlands to Surinamese parents. Players who obtain Dutch citizenship are no longer eligible to represent the Netherlands' former colony because of Suriname's laws against dual citizenship. He has played for the Netherlands, his country of birth, at various youth levels, making his international debut against Germany U-16 on October 25, 2001. He appeared in the 2002 Aegean Cup in Turkey for the under-16 team, making a total of four appearances while keeping a clean sheet once more. Vermeer made his debut and only appearance for the Netherlands U-17 team in a friendly match against Portugal U-17 on October 10, 2002. In a friendly match against Greece U-18, he made his first and only appearance for the Netherlands under-18 squad, keeping a clean sheet in the 1–0 triumph. Vermeer made his Netherlands U-19 debut in a friendly match against Greece U-19, which resulted in a 1–0 win, and he also appeared in three different qualifying rounds for the 2005 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification process. Despite failing to qualify, he was able to keep a clean sheet in three of his under-19 appearances.

Vermeer was a member of the Netherlands U-20 team at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, which was hosted in the Netherlands. He was the first choice keeper for the Dutch, but the team lost by penalties (9–10) against Nigeria U-20. During the tournament, Vemeer scored a penalty for the Dutch, while keeping a clean sheet against the Australian, Beninois, and Chilean under 20 teams. He was called up to participate for the Netherlands under-21 team on May 24, 2006, defeating Ukraine U-21 in the first match of the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship at the age 20. Despite losing the first two fixtures 2–1, the Dutch would win the tournament, marking the country's first U-21 European Championship victory after defeating Ukraine by a score of 3–0 in the final. Vermeer, who was still playing in the under-21 team the following year, helped his team win their second straight Under-21 Championship after losing to Serbia 4–1 in the final.

Vermeer was selected by Foppe de Haan for the Netherlands Olympic football team in Beijing in 2008. In a friendly match against the Ivory Coast in preparation for the Summer games, he made his Netherlands Olympic debut for the Dutch Olympic squad on August 2nd. Vermeer played in 5 games for the Olympic team, with four caps on Olympic appearances, when the Netherlands were defeated by Argentina 2–1 in the quarter-final by goals from Lionel Messi and ngel Di Mara.

Vermeer received his first call-up from head coach Louis van Gaal for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Andorra and Romania as a replacement for the injured Tim Krul. Vermeer, the Netherlands' second choice keeper, did not make his debut for the Netherlands first team until November 14, 2012, when he was named first choice keeper in a friendly match against Germany that ended in a 0–0 deadlock at the Amsterdam Arena, with Remaining on the bench for the duration of both games. He was called up again for a friendly match against Italy on February 6, 2013, where he stayed on the bench as the second choice goalkeeper behind Tim Krul. He was then called up to two FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Estonia and Romania. He was the first choice keeper in both games, while Maarten Stekelenburg stayed on the bench as second choice keeper, with Vermeer winning both games despite playing the full 90 minutes.

Vermeer became the first goalkeeper to score without losing a single goal on June 11, 2013. Vermeer cracked the record held by Ronald Waterreus in the 23rd minute during a friendly match against Indonesia. The Netherlands defeated the Netherlands 31-0, taking Vermeer's total number to four games in goal without conceding a single goal, despite not conceding a single goal since his debut in the Netherlands. Vermeer maintained his clean sheets against Germany, Estonia, Romania, and Indonesia during the four games.

Despite Dutch national team manager Louis van Gaal's repeated call for Vermeer's selection ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals, Vermeer will be replaced by Jasper Cillessen as the first choice keeper, with Vermeer relegated from the squad after the team's preparation camp in Portugal was cancelled from the squad. Louis van Gaal later claimed that Vermeer would have been a better match for his game plan, but that because Cillessen was in peak form, he went for the latter instead.

Vermeer played the full 90 minutes of the friendly match against Spain on March 31, 2015. The Netherlands defeated the Netherlands 21-0, with Vermeer extending his national team record of five matches without conceding a single goal.

Career statistics

UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and CONCACAF Champions League matches are included in the package.

2 includes the Johan Cruijf Shield and Elitis playoffs matches.

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