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Former US defender Oguchi Onyewu retires at 36

American defender Oguchi Onyewu is retiring from soccer, a year after he was released by Major League Soccer's Philadelphia Union.

The 36-year-old center back had six goals in 69 international appearances from 2004-14.

A native of Olney, Maryland, he played for Metz, La Louviere, Standard Liege, Newcastle, AC Milan, Twente, Sporting Lisbon, Malaga, Sheffield Wednesday and Philadelphia.

Two weeks after making his Milan debut in a Champions League match on Sept. 30, 2009, he ruptured the patellar tendon in his left knee while playing for the U.S. in a World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica. He didn't play for Milan again. He got into a fight with Zlatan Ibrahimovic during training in November 2010 and was lent to Twente the following January.

Onyewu announced his retirement Monday on Twitter and Instagram .

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