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Petke to retire at end of 2010

MikePetke (ISIphotos.com)

Photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIPhotos.com

After 13 seasons in Major League Soccer, veteran defender Mike Petke is ready to call it a career.

The New York Red Bulls centerback and former D.C. United and Colorado Rapids player announced on Wednesday that this will be his last season.

A New York native drafted by the New York/New Jersey MetroStars in 1998, Petke has put together a strong career in MLS as one of its steadiest defenders. He won an MLS Cup with D.C. United in 2004, and returned to his hometown New York team in 2009 to finish out his career where it began.

The club leader in career minutes, games and starts, Petke became a fan favorite as an uncompromising defender and outspoken personality. He also proved to be very durable, becoming just the 12th player in MLS history to play in 300 matches.

What do you think of this news? What was your favorite Petke moment?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Mike Petke is a great man and a great player. His entire stay in NY has been nothing but class. He stands out not because hes the most athletic or the best defender but because he cares about the shirt he is wearing, he gives 100% and hes extremely passionate.

    Petke is also a very nice and approachable person off the field. At the meet the team event this year after the lines were closed he ran around the concourse looking for a pen so he can sign a few autographs for some young kids who missed out earlier.

    METRO LEGEND!

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  2. Mike Petke was always brilliant for the MetroStars and the years that Mike was on the roster coinsided with the better years. He was on of the players that built the foundation for MLS. He will be missed.

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  3. Both him and Clint are legends for the organization. Had the league not scuttled his transfer to Kaiserslautern and kept him stuck in NY during tough years, he would have become a key contributor to the USMNT. In his prime years I would consider him to be an equal of Pope, Conrad, and Balboa. His athleticism was awe-inspiring and his leadership is still crucial to the organization’s improvement. Please bring back the blond hair for the farewell match!

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  4. Hope he gets the proper send-off he deserves. His greatest legacy just might be his contributions in his last season mentoring Tim Ream. He is a class guy and was a fan favorite in a each city he played in. The don’t make them like Petke anymore…

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  5. He signed my ACES scarf after he wrote that ESPN article about plastic fans in Seattle. Here’s a quote:

    “I wish there had been a microphone in my thought process to catch the split second that it took me to decide whether I should let this one go. Too much potential, so I got right into it. I asked them whether they knew who the Sounders were playing. (No, they didn’t.) I told them they were playing my team, Manchester United, at which point the nice man raised an eyebrow and said, “I thought they were from Europe or Asia somewhere.”

    I told him that we, Manchester United, are, but dominated Europe so easily that we decided to join the A-League for some real competition against the likes of the Sounders. This news apparently whipped up frenzy among the couple as they frantically searched for a pen for my autograph. As we reached their floor, they asked if I would sign their shirts and various papers from her pocket book. I signed them all “With Love and Respect, Drew Carey” and waved as the doors closed. I love the American soccer fan.”

    http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=4020187

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  6. He had one USMNT Cap versus Wales in San Jose. All but 2 MLS teams had games the same day so he got a game.

    I was yellin at him during warm-ups. Classic guy I know he was proud to wear the colors.

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  7. Always came off as a bright, well liked, very classy guy, social as heck the few times I’ve seen him off the field. Metro Legend for the Diallo stuff alone. I think he’s had a fine playing career. I see it followed up by a rippin’ broadcasting gig. Seem him as a very lively and insightful on air personality, gotta be better than Harkes and Waldo at least. Congrats Mike!

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  8. As a DC fan, living in DC when he played there, I appreciated his hard work, his professionalsim, and that he was a nice guy to talk to after games. Best of luck with future endeavors.

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  9. Wow, just mentioned to my dad that the Red Bulls have a few star players and a few real good prospects, so their doing well, and I said “and.. they’ve got Mike Petke”

    My mother and father had a great conversation with him at some banquet at Crew Stadium, they thought he was a real interesting and nice guy.

    Definitely one of those names the MLS fans from the first decade remember well.

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  10. Sad to see him go, though it’s nice he didn’t overstay his welcome. Hopefully they can bring in another guy just like him (or even better!)

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