Former 2016 MLS Superdraft first round pick Brandon Vincent is hanging up his boots.

The 24-year-old defender took to Twitter to make the surprise announcement on Tuesday morning.

https://twitter.com/BrandonVincent/status/1057298802871320576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1057298802871320576&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mlssoccer.com%2Fpost%2F2018%2F10%2F30%2Fchicago-fires-brandon-vincent-24-announces-retirement

“This may come as a surprise to many, but I’m at a time in my life where it is best for me to move on from the game,” Vincent wrote.

“Chicago will always be a special place to me and I am forever grateful for the privilege I had of wearing the jersey and representing the city,” Vincent said. “I wish the club the best of luck and future success. Thanks for the incredible memories, Chicago! I can’t wait to see what life brings next.”

Vincent was a regular starter for all three of his MLS seasons. He made 32 appearances for Chicago last season and 85 overall with the club. He scored once and notched four assists in the 2018 season.

Nashville hires Mike Jacobs as first GM

Nashville’s MLS expansion team has their first ever general manager and it’s Mike Jacobs.

Jacobs has been the technical director and vice president of soccer operations at Nashville SC of the USL. He’s also served as assistant technical director at Sporting Kansas City and also as a coach at the University of Evansville in the past.

“I really like the broad mix of experience that Mike has, being a coach at a certain level, being an assistant GM at another level, being the GM at a different level,” said Ian Ayre, the CEO of Nashville MLS. “That broad mix of skills is a great complement to my own experience and is really at the forefront of why I chose Mike.”

Jacobs will continue to work with the USL side into next season as he transitions to the new role throughout 2019. It’s expected that Nashville will join MLS for the 2020 season.

Dynamo signs Erik McCue to Homegrown contract

The Houston Dynamo began their offseason with the signing of academy midfielder Erik McCue to a Homegrown contract on Tuesday.

McCue, 17, will be eligible to join the first team roster in 2019 and is the tenth academy alumnus to sign a first-team contract with the club.

“We are pleased to announce Erik McCue as a Homegrown signing for the Houston Dynamo First Team. He has demonstrated a strong mentality, work ethic and willingness to learn that is necessary to take this next step in his career,” said Dynamo Senior Vice President and General Manger Matt Jordan. “Erik has been a standout performer with both the U-17 and U-19 teams in our Academy and has benefited greatly from his time with our USL team and training with the First Team.”

Born in Sweden, McCue has dual citizenship in both the United States and Sweden and could represent either one day on the international scale. McCue has been an integral member of both the Dynamo’s U-17 and U-19 teams, earning the U-17 Most Valuable Player award after helping the U.S. Soccer Development Academy team to the playoffs.

Rapids announce Colorado Springs Switchbacks as new USL affiliation

The Colorado Rapids announced a new USL affiliation agreement with Colorado Spring Switchbacks FC on Tuesday.

After spending the past four seasons affiliated with the Charlotte Independence, the Rapids and Switchbacks have joined together effective immediately.

“This is an exciting time for soccer in the region and we believe that this affiliation will not only be beneficial from an on-field performance and player development perspective for both clubs, but will also create a platform that fosters the growth of the sport in the state of Colorado,” said Colorado Rapids Executive Vice President and General Manager Pádraig Smith.

The Switchbacks’ roster will be made up of a combination of full-time players signed to Switchbacks FC contracts, four season-long Rapids loan players, plus additional players on short term loans determined on a weekly basis. The Rapids reserve the option to recall players at any point during the loan.

Both teams struggled in their respective league seasons in 2018. The Rapids finished 10th in the Western Conference while the Switchbacks were 11th in a 17-team USL Western Conference.