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Gibbs retires after 12-year career

Photo by ISIphotos.com

Chicago Fire centerback Cory Gibbs is calling it a career.

The Fire announced Monday that Gibbs is retiring after a 12-year professional career that saw him play in MLS, the German Bundesliga and Eredivisie. The 32-year-old Gibbs also represented the U.S. Men’s National Team, appearing in 19 games from 2003-2006.

Gibbs, a Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. native, was originally drafted by the Miami Fusion but he elected to play abroad before returning to MLS in 2008. He joined the Fire in 2011 and was voted the club’s Defender of the Year that season.

Injuries plagued Gibbs throughout his career, and cost him most of the 2012 season. He was also slated to be a member of the 2006 U.S. World Cup team before sustaining a knee injury in the run up to the World Cup.

How do you look back on Gibbs’ career? Surprised he retired given that he is only 32? Think The Fire will miss his veteran leadership next season?

Share your thoughts below.

 

Comments

  1. I’ll remember his goal saving (red card) hand ball in the 2003 Gold Cup 1/4 against Brazil. With Keller in goal and only minutes left in ET, it was a very smart play on Gibbs’ part (even though Diego converted the PK and Brazil advanced).

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  2. He had the potential to be one of our best Defenders ever. The sad thing is that in most ways he reached that “Potential”, but injuries cost him. I Always hoped he would find his pre-injury form from the beggening on 2006. In my opinion, he was much like John O’brien, in that he had an impact on the US team, but it was cut way too short. Would have been great if he could have stayed healthy through the 06 Cup. If we had Gibbs and O’Brien in 06, things could have been much different (let alone 2010). Thank you Gibbs for your service. I wish I could have seen you play for the Stars and Stripes many more times than you were able to.

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  3. The kind of player MLS has built its foundations on. Gibbs will be missed in Chicago!

    Hard worker every day, always classy on the field, and always fired up when it counted most.

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  4. He was a really promising player once: He would have been a starter in the 2006 World Cup and was also in the EPL for a short time, but injuries were always a problem for him.

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    • Ah yes, what could have been in 2006. Gibbs was projected to be our long sought answer to our left back woes. He got injured in the run up to the WC. Eddie Lewis got slotted in with limited experience in the back and got exposed early in the first game. I’m not sure if Gibbs ever made it back to the national team after that.

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    • Another “what-if” player. I never saw him play in Germany, but from the reports at the time, he had it in him to develop into a nice defensive-minded player.

      Due to our limited pool, it always hurts when such promising players get injured and never bounce back properly. Especially when they injured themselves playing for the US.

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    • +1 to all of you – each hit on an excellent point about a “what could of been” career that hopefully won’t (but is looking like it will) happen to Stu Holden

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