It comes as no surprise, given his injury history of late, but it's a shame because I thought he was one of this country's most promising midfielders who should have had a long, productive career with the USMNT. Not unlike John O'Brien, another superb player who was done in early by injuries. I'm not starting a poll, but what other promising Americans were forced by injuries to retire early, too early, in their careers?
If I had ever learnt, I should have been a great proficient. Before having my career ended by a dodgy knee.
Well they didn't have to retire but Charlie Davies national team career was done after his accident, and Gooch never was the same after the knee injury he sustained in the WC Qualifier at RFK against Costa Rica.
and Holden was almost had the experience and injury history to be a DCU target. Yeah, Oguchi Onyewu had the shitty luck to have a career altering injury just when he moved to Milan. Would he have been able to break into the team if healthy? Tab Ramos, also, had just helped earn Real Betis promotion to La Liga, then Leonardo fractured his skull and he never got to play in Spain again. Alecko Eskandarian what if he had never run into the headhunter? Joe Gyau? Terence Boyd? This is a fun thread.
I guess you have to add Kyle Martino. Retired at 26 based on medical advice. Err, and maybe honorable mention for Santino Quaranta. Although he didn't retire due to injury, he had significant injury time in his early career at DC. Anyway, it probably didn't help.
Apparently the aforementioned Steve Snow was a douchebag, but he retired due to injuries before he could retire for being a douchebag.
I remember years ago Martino got sent off for hacking down Fred from behind. Was randomly watching the LA telecast the next week of LA v the Revs, and they had Martino in the box for commentary since he was suspended and alluded (i.e. pretty much straight up said) to the fact that Fred dove because he was Brazilian and it was soft.
That Osiander's opinion anyway. And Snow was essentially replaced by Wynalda as I recall. How'd that work out in terms net douchbaggery?