It must be retirement season. After Brian McBride, Mike Petke and Clint Mathis, on Thursday it was the turn of former US National Team winger Eddie Lewis to call it quits.
The 36-year-old Galaxy veteran announced on LAGalaxy.com’s Cup of Joe that he would be retiring from professional soccer at the end of the 2010 MLS season.
“For me, this is it,” Lewis said. “This is going to be my last season, and it’s been great.”
WATCH: Thursday’s edition of Cup of Joe with Eddie Lewis
An MLS Cup ring has eluded Lewis in a 15-year pro career that started back in 1996 when he was a college draft pick of the San Jose Clash.
In his six previous seasons in MLS, Lewis came closest to an MLS title last year when the Galaxy fell to Real Salt Lake in MLS Cup 2009 on penalty kicks. He’s still holding hope that the seventh year in the League will bring him to a championship.
“I felt as if I needed one more year to personally fulfill some of the things I wanted to fulfill," Lewis said. "As well, as I wasn’t ready to give it up.
“I feel like this will be a great transition year. We have a lot of good young players coming through – the foundation is set in the team now.”
Lewis currently has 12 MLS career goals and 41 assists. He spent four seasons with the Clash, where he was named to the MLS Best XI in 1999.
The California native then made the jump to England, where he played for Fulham, Preston North End, Leeds United and Derby County before returning to join Bruce Arena and the Galaxy.
Lewis has also won 82 caps for the United States, including being selected for two World Cups in 2002 and 2006 by his current Galaxy coach.
He refused to reveal his post-retirement plans just yet but intimated they would likely involve soccer.
“I’m certainly very much still in love with the game,” he said. “I’m very interested in pursuing how to continue to make the game better in America. Hopefully, I’ll be head deep before too long.”
