All Saints Catholic High School grad has sights set on World Cup

Posted Feb 2, 2012 By Blair Edwards

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EMC Sports - Canada has a good chance of making the 2014 World Cup, said Odaine Demar, a defender with the Capital City Football Club, and the All Saints Catholic High School graduate is determined to put his name on the team's roster.

Demar, who was born in Port Antonio, Jamaica before moving to Europe and later Canada, said he's torn between the desire to play for Team Jamaica and Team Canada.

Making Team Canada is probably the best option, said the Morgan's Grant man, as the country has the best chance of entry into the next World Cup.

"I think I have a better chance of developing as a player (in Canada) and possibly making the World Cup," he said. "I hold Jamaica very dear to my heart, but I think Canada has a greater chance of making it."

Many of Canada's best soccer players develop by playing for professional clubs in Europe and the United States, said Demar.

"I believe Canada will have a strong chance of making it to the World Cup because of the development of their players," he said.

"I'm just waiting to hear back from Canada," said Demar. "I thought about making the switch, so I'm just waiting to hear from the coaching staff."

Demar made the Jamaican under-20 national soccer team last year, but was knocked off the roster by an injury.

He has attracted a lot of interest from clubs overseas, with contract offers from Bay Olympic of the Lotto Sport Italia Northern Region Football League in New Zealand and was offered trials with Toronto FC of Major League Soccer.

ALL SAINTS AVALANCHE

Demar first started kicking around a soccer ball at the age of six, but only started playing at a competitive level in 2005.

"I was just playing regular park soccer - when I moved to England, that's when I joined my first team," he said. "I was definitely late."

Physically, Demar was already an athlete, having grown up playing rugby, track and field and cricket in Jamaica.

But it was still a challenge to learn the technical skills of soccer.

"I think it was mostly definitely a disadvantage because I missed out on a lot of things technically," he said. "I had to work harder."

Demar was a quick study of the game, scoring the second highest number of goals all-time for All Saints Catholic High School, hitting the net 47 times during his four years with the Avalanche.

"I really learned a lot," said Demar. "Coming to North America was very different. I had to jump in and get used to it.

"I never expected training sessions with a high school team to be the same as a professional team."

The Avalanche maintained a professional attitude both on and off the field said Demar.

The team always advanced as far as the city finals of the city high school soccer championship.

"Unfortunately, we always lost to St. Pius - who made it to (the provincial championship)," Demar said.

In high school, Demar started off playing striker, but his position changed to mid-fielder, then defender as he started to put on weight.

After high school, Demar played for a few clubs in Europe, including FC Schweinfurt and SG Wattenschied - he was offered an extended trial with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC in 2010, but opted to remain in Germany.

Last May, Demar signed with the Capital City FC, during the club's first season, which saw the team make it to the final, losing 1-0 to Toronto Croatia in the Canadian Soccer League Cup final.

At the end of the season, Demar was called up to the Jamaican under-20 national team to play for the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football championship.

He was later called into the training camp for the national team, just before their game against Trinidad and Tobago on Oct. 18, but he couldn't play due to injury.

Demar is now resting up and preparing for another season with Capital City, with training camp scheduled to start in March.

It doesn't matter where in the world you play, just that you wear a competitive card, said Demar.

"It's just the hard work you put in," he said.




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