Vancouver Whitecaps sign Croatian midfielder Damir Kreilach

The Vancouver Whitecaps have added some talent and experience to their roster.

Croatian midfielder Damir Kreilach has signed a two-year contract with the Whitecaps in free agency, bringing the 34-year-old to Vancouver after six seasons with Real Salt Lake.

Kreilach, who captained his club the past two seasons, was an important member of Real Salt Lake’s squad, leading the team in scoring in 2018, 2019, and 2021. He was also named team MVP three times, in 2018, 2020, and 2021.

The 6-foot-1 attacking midfielder, who can also play forward, scored 19 of his 51 goals with Real Salt Lake in MLS play via headers.

“We are very pleased to welcome Damir and his family to our club and city,” said Whitecaps CEO and Sporting Director Axel Schuster in a press release. “Everybody in MLS knows what Damir brings to the table. He is an experienced player, a competitor, and a leader. In our conversations with Damir, we could feel his hunger for another opportunity where he can bring his best skills and compete for some big goals. He is driven to help bring success to Vancouver.”

The questions with Kreilach are his age and health. He appeared in just five games in 2022 due to a back injury and saw his playing time (1,316 minutes) cut in half last season from 2,875 minutes in 2021. Real Salt Lake announced two days ago that they were parting ways with the native of Vukovar, Croatia.

“I’m very happy and excited to take on this new challenge and be a part of Vancouver Whitecaps FC,” said Kreilach. “There is a lot of work ahead and I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity. I’m looking forward to meeting my new teammates, coaches, staff, and all the supporters. I can’t wait to get started!”

Prior to making the move to MLS, Kreilach played five seasons with Union Berlin in the German second division. He came through Croatian first-division club HNK Rijeka in his youth and went on to play 128 matches for them in six seasons.

Internationally, Kreilach played for the Croatian U-19 and U-21 national teams in 2008 and 2010, respectively.

It’s been a relatively quiet offseason for the Whitecaps, who have yet to make decisions on notable unsigned players like Richie Laryea, Junior Hoilett, and Russell Teibert. They have also been linked to Japanese wingback Ryoya Morishita.

Vancouver’s first match of significance in 2024 comes in the Concacaf Champions Cup against Mexican powerhouse club Tigres UANL on February 7. The MLS season begins March 2, while Lionel Messi visits BC Place May 25.

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