FC Cincinnati on Friday announced the signing of 35-year-old Dutch goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer, formerly of Los Angeles FC, to a guaranteed contract through 2022. Vermeer will occupy an international roster spot and a senior roster spot.
The move was reported last week by the Enquirer’s Pat Brennan.
“We are always looking for opportunities to improve our roster and believe Kenneth brings quality and leadership to our team,” said FC Cincinnati general manager Gerard Nijkamp in a club media release. “He has experienced success throughout his career and we feel this is a good addition to our roster. We are happy to have Kenneth in Cincinnati and look forward to him integrating within our team quickly.”
The move comes a day after the club announced goalkeeper Ben Lundt has been loaned out to Phoenix Rising FC for the 2021 USL Championship season, with an option to recall at any time.
To make room for Vermeer on the roster, FC Cincinnati had to create room for an international spot and a senior spot. The club has placed defender Maikel van der Werff on the injured list, according to the media release. Van der Werff will be eligible to return to the active roster for the July 3 match in Houston.
Vermeer mutually parted ways with LAFC earlier this month. He made 15 appearances across all competitions last year for LAFC, conceding 24 goals and keeping two clean sheets. He joins an FC Cincinnati goalkeeping corps that now includes Cody Cropper, Beckham Sunderland and Przemyslaw Tyton.
Before coming to MLS, Vermeer was a veteran of the Eredivisie, spending time with Ajax, Willem II and Feyenoord from 2005-2020, including time in UEFA Champions League with Feyenoord in the 2017-2018 season. In 218 Eredivisie matches, Vermeer conceded 265 goals and kept 69 clean sheets.
Vermeer is also a Dutch international team veteran, logging five clean sheets in five appearances for the senior Dutch squad, though he hasn’t seen minutes since 2015.
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