'Captain America' hangs up his shield

The final chapter of a 14-year, storied career was a bit of a bummer, but despite the repeated injuries that kept him on the sideline more than in the game, Claudio Reyna will go down as one of the greatest American midfielders this country has ever produced.

He was, after all, the first Captain America.

Reyna was the first ambassador of soccer for the United States, traveling to Germany, England and Scotland, and not simply playing but earning respect and paving the road for those Americans destined to follow in his footsteps.

He is living proof of the American dream. The son of an Argentine immigrant, Reyna moved to the United States with his family when he was five. His family settled in the soccer-crazed area of North Jersey that produced other American greats like Tab Ramos and John Harkes. His greatness on the pitch would manifest early, as his high school team at Saint Benedict's Prep would go undefeated in his time on the team, an impressive 65-0 record. From high school, he was recruited by collegiate powerhouse University of Virginia. With the NASL out of business for quite some time and MLS years away, UVA was the place for a phenom to hone his talents. And, again, he was successful, as the Cavaliers took home the NCAA title each of his three years on the team.

It didn't take too long for Europe to come a calling for the swarthy maestro of the midfield. First, it was German giants Bayer Leverkusen who were signing the checks. But as Landon Donovan would discover years later, pitch time was at a premium for Americans in Germany (especially with Leverkusen), so Reyna made the most of a loan to VFL Wolfsburg, becoming the first American to captain a major European club.

After five years in Germany, and a disappointing showing at the 1998 World Cup, Reyna opted for a change in scenery and headed to Scotland to play for one of the biggest clubs in Europe, Scotland's Rangers for over $3 million in transfer fees. Among the Old Firm, Reyna would show his versatility moving from central midfield to right back and becoming a regular starter with the Scottish powerhouse.

Meanwhile, Reyna was continued to be the stabilizing force for a young, talented, but inexperienced, national team. "Captain America," as he was dubbed in Europe, helped this group of young Americans, like Landon Donovan and DaMarcus Beasley, reach the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup, and a few bad calls from beating the World Cup runners' up Germany.

After two seasons with Rangers, Reyna transfered to the EPL's Sunderland, who paid nearly $6 million for his services, but in his second season, he suffered an ACL tear that would sideline him the entire 2003-04 season. Unfortunately, it was to be the start of an injury-riddled close to Reyna's career. In 2003, Reyna joined Manchester City but saw little action with his new club, as injury kept him in the trainer's room more than on the field. The 2006 World Cup? Well, we won't go into that. I come to praise Reyna, not to bury him.

With two kids of his own now, Cap turned toward home, hoping that a return to where it all began would provide him with one last accomplishment before he called it quits. Hopes were high that Reyna could indeed resuscitate his career with Major League Soccer's New York Red Bulls.

But the twilight of his career was over before it really began, as injuries again plagued the midfielder and forced him to the sideline once more. It has been a frustrating two seasons with New York. What could have been a glorious end to a fantastic career has turned into one nagging injury after another and conjectures by some (ok, by me) that his heart just wasn't in it anymore.

But there were moments, when he wasn't injured, beautiful moments when Red Bulls fans saw a glimpse of the old Cap, the maestro, threading the needle to the new hope for America Jozy Altidore or finding fellow EPL veteran Juan Pablo Angel.

And it should be these moments that U.S. fans remember and cherish now that Captain America has decided to hang up his shield. Happy retirement, Captain. You earned it.