VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced today that defender/midfielder Kevin Harmse has been signed to the club’s Major League Soccer (MLS) roster. Per club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.
"Kevin is a physical player with MLS experience," said Whitecaps FC head coach Teitur Thordarson. "It is important to have local players on the team, and he's a Vancouver boy, who has played on the top level."
This will be Harmse's second stint in Vancouver after originally being drafted in the first tound (10th overall) by Whitecaps FC in the 2003 United Soccer Leagues First Division (USL-1) Draft. Prior to originally signing with Whitecaps FC, however, the product of Coquitlam, BC, played two matches with Norwegian Premier League club Tromsø Idrettslag.
Following his time in Norway, Harmse returned to Vancouver and made his Whitecaps FC USL-1 debut against Edmonton Aviators on April 30, 2004. The defender/midfielder finished the 2004 season with 12 appearances, one goal, and one assist. In 2005, Harmse appeared in 29 of Whitecaps FC's 32 games for 2,328 minutes of action, recording one assist in the process. Following his first spell in Vancouver, Harmse joined FC Nitra of the Slovakian Superliga, where he started 12 of his 13 appearances with the club.
“Being able to play where I grew up is very exciting,” said Harmse. “I never imagined professional soccer being like this in Vancouver. To be playing for the club in their first MLS year is a great opportunity for me.”
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, the 26-year-old also brings three seasons of MLS experience to Thordarson’s squad. The defender/midfielder began his MLS career with Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007 before moving on to play two seasons for Toronto FC. Midway through the 2009 campaign, Harmse was acquired by Chivas USA. Following the season, he was traded to Houston Dynamo but departed the club prior to the start of the 2010 season.
Internationally, Harmse has made nine appearances for Canada, including the country's run to the semifinals of the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The 6-foot-0, 180-pound defender/midfielder also spent time with Canada's U-23 Olympic team, making five appearance and scoring two goals. At the U-20 level, Harmse represented Canada at the 2003 FIFA U-20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, helping his country reach the quarterfinals before falling 2-1 in extra time to eventual champions Spain.
Harmse will join Thordarson’s squad in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Friday and will be available for selection for Whitecaps FC's first-ever away match in MLS, as the ‘Caps take on Eastern Conference side Philadelphia Union at PPL Park on Saturday, March 26. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. PT and is live on Rogers Sportsnet One, TEAM 1410 radio, and teamradio.ca. Fans can also watch Saturday's game, and all of Whitecaps FC's MLS matches this season, on their Bell mobile devices.
Kevin Harmse
Position: Defender/Midfielder
Height: 6-0
Weight: 180
Born: July 4, 1984, in Johannesburg, South Africa
Hometown: Coquitlam, British Columbia
Last Club: Houston Dynamo (MLS)
Citizenship: Canadian
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