Emotional time as McBride prepares for life after soccer

Late Thursday night Brian McBride sent a text to "as many people as I could" saying he was announcing his retirement.

When he woke up Friday and prepared for training with the Fire and his retirement press conference at Toyota Park, he started to look through one of the reply texts, began to get "choked up" and decided he couldn't look at any more just yet.

It was that kind of day for the tightknit McBride family.

Saying "It was time for a new segment of my life and a different career," McBride, one of the best soccer players in American history, said he will end his professional playing career after the Fire's season ends in October or November.

"There were just a bunch of things that weren't flowing the way that I would feel," the Arlington Heights native said after making the announcement, which started with him reading from a three-page text that took more than 11 minutes to finish. In it he thanked family, fans, teammates, coaches and the owners of the several clubs he played for.

"That, along with knowing I have to start another career sometime, there's no better time than now."

McBride, 38, was joined at the press conference by his wife, Dina, and brother Matthew, who also serves as his agent. Both had tears in their eyes, as did McBride.

"The decision wasn't hard," he said, noting the timing was important to him. "I didn't want it to be something where it was sort of held over or clouded what we're trying to do as a team, because the most important thing is the team. That's always how it should be."

McBride did not say what career he will take up after his playing days end, but his wife said she expects him to remain involved in soccer in some capacity.

McBride said he reached the decision with Dina without needing input from teammates or coaches, past or present.

McBride has suffered many injuries over the years, requiring countless surgeries. That played a small part in his decision.

"When I first started contemplating (retirement), health was a concern," he said, adding he first thought about retirement when he had shoulder surgery last season.

"I'm banged up. I probably have a few things right now that I could have taken care of, but I'll probably wait until after the season to have that done. Wear and tear is always something that you look at, but there's not one thing that made my decision."

He also said he wanted to spend more time with his three children, especially on weekends.

McBride, a Buffalo Grove High School and St. Louis University graduate, was the first draft pick in MLS history, by the Columbus Crew, leaving German club VfL Wolfsburg in 1996.

McBride left Columbus in 2004 to play briefly for Everton and then for four seasons at Fulham in the English Premier League, eventually becoming the club's captain and most popular player. The pub at Craven Cottage is named for McBride, and the club put "Brian McBride is god" on its Facebook page upon hearing of his retirement. He scored 40 goals in 153 appearances for the London club.

He left Fulham after the 2008 season and joined the Fire after playing in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, saying he wanted to finish his career in his hometown.

He appeared in the 1998, 2002 and 2006 World Cups, leading the United States to its best finish ever in 2002 when it reached the quarterfinals. He scored 30 goals in 95 games for the national team, third behind Landon Donovan and Eric Wynalda.

Asked to reflect on his career, McBride said, "I'm proud of the way things have been and how things have gone."

Brian McBride's soccer timeline1988-89: Wins a state soccer title as a Buffalo Grove High School junior. Finishes his high school career with 80 goals (33 as a senior).1990-93: Over four seasons at St. Louis University, McBride starts 89 games and scores 72 goals and 40 assists while earning All-American honors twice, and MVP conference honors three times.1994-1995: Plays for the Milwaukee Rampage and VfL Wolfsburg, a professional club in Germany.1996: Becomes the first overall draft pick of the inaugural and signs a contract with Nike that provides equipment for his former high school1998: Appears in first World Cup for USA and scores a goal.1993-2006: Plays 95 games for U.S. Men's National Team, scoring 30 goals.2002: Scores game-winning goals against Portugal and Mexico in World Cup, becoming first American to score at two World Cups ('98 '02). Also helps USA win COMCACAF Gold Cup and is maned tournament MVP.2004: Finishes eight-year career with Columbus Crew, leading them to one U.S. Cup title while compiling 62 goals and 45 assists in 161 league games. Picked for eight MLS All-Star Games with the Crew. Was loaned out twice by MLS to play in England for Preston North End (2000) and Everton (2002).2005: Named all-time Best XI team by MLS2004-08: Joins Fulham in English Premier League after MLS sells his rights for $1.5 million. Starts 111 games, and ends career with 153 appearance and 40 goals. Named a captain and wins two Player of Year honors for the club, which later renames a pub in his honor.2008: Returns to his hometown of Arlington Heights to play for Chicago Fire and scores his first goal in the playoffs against his former team, the Columbus Crew.Sept. 3, 2010: Announces his retirement at the end of the season. To date, he has scored 16 goals in 49 games with the Fire.False15842000Brian McBride, 38, Friday said he will retire at the end of the season, his third with his hometown Chicago Fire. McBride has 78 goals and 51 assists in 11 years with Chicago and Columbus, where he still shares the Crew record for goals scored.Associated PressFalse <div class="infoBox"><h1>More Coverage</h1><div class="infoBoxContent"><div class="infoArea"><h2>Photo Galleries</h2><ul class="gallery"><li><a href="/story/?id=405736">Images of Brian McBride </a></li></ul></div></div></div>