Dayne St. Clair: Can World Cup backup keep his starting job at Inter Miami? | OneFootball

Canada chooses Crépeau; grumbling fans want Ríos Novo

Dayne St. Clair, 29 and the reigning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, is at a career crossroads; how the Inter Miami star performs over the next six months could decide how his career is remembered. Can he anchor the Herons' defense? Or will he become a journeyman glove-for-hire?

“As a player you want to give yourself the best opportunity to win and when you surround yourself with the best players in the world, you give yourself an opportunity to test yourself on a daily basis," St. Clair said in a preseason interview. "Especially for me, going into a World Cup.”

St. Clair reportedly turned down a $1.2 million offer from Minnesota United to join high-profile stars like Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Rodrigo De Paul and Germán Berterame at Inter Miami, where he'll earn a base salary of $745,313. St. Clair made that decision, in part, to experience greater fan and media scrutiny to help him prepare for the World Cup spotlight.

“I’ve had smaller scale experiences [with crowds] being with the Canadian national team," he said, "but being able to see that life, in person, and see the fandom, people trying to get a quick picture or video…but for me, the eyes and attention of the fans in the stadium, on game day, was most important for me.”

On May 28, Canada coach Jesse Marsch announced Maxime Crépeau, 32, will be Les Rouges starter.

Marsch used words like "maturity” and “experience” when he announced his choice.

“That’s exactly what we need in the goal, along with all of his goalkeeping qualities...I think that security that we get with Max, along with his overall talent and intelligence, really makes us a better team right now,” Marsch said after announcing his decision.