Sounders faithful, get this: Our newest signing, Dejan Joveljić, has a straight-up soft spot for a legendary figure already wearing Rave Green: our veteran assistant coach, Preki. Joveljić told an interviewer just last year, during his time with Sporting Kansas City, that he actually liked playing against Seattle! Why? “Because I know that I’m going to talk to him before the game,” he said. “So always we talk a little bit; when I go to warm up, I see him.” It’s more than just a quick chat, too; this connection runs deep.
Deki’s Serbian Soul Connection
Joveljić, or Deki as his friends call him, clearly does his homework. He knew all about Preki’s legendary status in Kansas City, where he’s still the club’s all-time leader in both goals and assists, and even snagged two league MVP awards back in their Wizards days. Deki even said he would “give my best to be close to his numbers” after he joined SKC from the LA Galaxy back in the 2025 season. This dude pays attention, and he has high standards. That kind of drive, coupled with a respect for the game’s greats, is exactly what we want in the Emerald City.
From Backup to Champion: Deki’s Wild Ride
Joveljić spent three-and-a-half seasons with the LA Galaxy, much of it playing backup to Chicharito Hernandez. It was brutal, honestly, because Chicharito’s Designated Player contract meant Deki was on the bench regardless of his own form. He was frustrated, wanted a bigger role for Serbia’s national team during the 2026 World Cup cycle, but get this: He didn’t bail! Other MLS clubs were hitting him up, trying to trade or buy him, but his friend and former teammate Sacha Kljestan said Deki’s response was, “No, I want to be a Galaxy legend. This is the club that brought me here, and I want to do really well here.”
And he became one! In 2024, Joveljić bagged 15 goals and 6 assists in the regular season. Then he went absolutely off in their MLS Cup run, scoring six goals and two assists, including the game-winner in the final. He showed everyone it was him, not Chicharito, who was LA’s best attacker, spearheading that Riqui Puig-orchestrated offense that went down as one of the most explosive in MLS postseason history. But just weeks later, he was gone. He aged out of his U22 initiative status, and the Galaxy just didn’t have the DP slot to keep him. So, they moved him to Sporting Kansas City in the league’s first-ever cash-for-player trade. Seattle is Joveljić’s third team in as many years. Yet i
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Sounder at Heart.
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