Carlos Bocanegra may have played his last professional match, announcing via Twitter that he would be retiring following the current season.
Former USMNT captain Carlos Bocanegra to retire after MLS season
Bocanegra hasn’t been able to play since July 20 while dealing with a concussion.
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
I will be retiring at the conclusion of the 2014 MLS season.
— Carlos Bocanegra (@BocaBoca3) September 4, 2014 Although there are eight matches remaining in Chivas USA's season, Bocanegra has not played in their past seven and it's unclear if he'll ever return. Bocanegra has not played since July 20 when he apparently suffered a concussion.
If Bocanegra is unable to get back onto the field, it would be an unfortunate end to a decorated career. After being the No. 4 overall SuperDraft pick in 2000, Bocanegra won MLS Rookie of the Year and helped lead the Chicago Fire to the MLS Cup final and to a U.S. Open Cup title. He would win MLS Defender of the Year twice (2002 and 2003) before spending parts of nine seasons in Europe -- with stops in England, France, Scotland and Spain -- and establishing himself as a fixture on the United States' back line.
Bocanegra would end up with more than 100 international caps and was the team's primary captain from 2007-2012, a stretch that included the United States' win over then No. 1-ranked Spain in the 2009 Confederations Cup and the 2010 World Cup.
But Bocanegra started to fall out of favor with USMNT manager Jurgen Klinsmann during the 2014 World Cup qualifying cycle while his club status was in limbo. Bocanegra's last international appearance was during the USMNT's 2-1 loss in Honduras.
Unable to find a club in Europe, Bocanegra returned to MLS last season and was allocated to Chivas USA. Bocanegra was able to remain mostly healthy and productive until his recent concussion.
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