After playing 14 seasons with the MLS, eight of them played with the New England Revolution, American-born soccer star Steve Ralston will announce his retirement Tuesday evening.
Ralston will play in his final game for the Revolution on Tuesday night in SuperLiga action at Gillette Stadium. New England is set to take on Monarcas Morelia at 8 p.m. and then Ralston is expected to announce his retirement.
The game against Monarcas is the first competitive match Ralston has competed in since September, as he has undergone treatment for back-to-back injuries to his knee and elbow. Ralston is excited to get back on the pitch Tuesday night, even if it is his final game out there.
“I’m just hoping I walk off the field on my own two feet," Ralston told reporters yesterday, according to Boston.com. "I’m ready to go. I feel like all I’ve been doing is practicing for the last year and now it’s time to play in [a game]. It’s going to be fun.’’
The MLS record-holder in career assists, minutes, games and starts, Ralston closes out his 14-year tenure with 76 goals and 135 assists in 378 starts. He began his career with the Tampa Bay Mutiny — the team that drafted him 18th overall in the 1996 MLS draft — before coming to New England in 2002. He also appeared in two matches as a player/coach for the USSF's Division 2 team, AC St. Louis, before returning to the Revolution for his final 2010 match.
Also a key contributor for the United States on an international level, Ralston compiled 36 appearances for the U.S. National Team, and has scored four goals in international play. The midfielder's most notable international contribution came when he scored the game-winning goal in the 2006 World Cup qualifying match against Mexico in Columbus, Ohio.
Ralston will look to continue his MLS career as an Assistant Coach with the Houston Dynamo, a team that is headed by his former Tampa Bay teammate Dominic Kinnear.
