Major League Soccer's Mark Lisi Announces His Retirement at 29

ESPN Soccernet recently posted an article about Mark Lisi's retirement. Unfortunately, the article was rather short and does not laud Lisi for his accomplishments.

Although Mark Lisi was never one of the big name players from the United States like Landon Donovan or DaMarcus Beasley, his contributions to Major League Soccer and the New York-New Jersey Metrostars can not be ignored.

Having originally joined the league in 2001 with D.C. United, the rookie made an immediate impact with four goals and five assists. By 2002, Lisi found himself at the opposite end of the Atlantic Cup with a new red and black jersey. Lisi would end up spending most of his career as a Metrostar in New York.

While in New York, Lisi provided solid service primarily from the right side of the field. In 2003, New York depended on Lisi to push the ball forward and feed it to U.S. National Team star, Clint Mathis. His work with Mathis helped lead Lisi to his all time career high of 11 assists in a single season. At the end of the year, Mathis would move on to Hannover 96 after impressing scouts with his play in New York and with the national team.

2003 was the year Coach Bob Bradley signed his replacement, Eddie Gaven. Both Gaven and Amado Guevara were assigned the task of running the Metrostar midfield. By 2004, Lisi saw his starting position disappear after successful play by Gaven and suffering several injuries. Despite seeing no real time on the pitch, Lisi still managed to tally four assists on the season.

The 2005 campaign saw Lisi play in far more games, although not always as a starter. One his most memorable assists that year was a pass up the middle through the Galaxy defense to Sergio Galvan Rey who slotted the ball past Kevin Hartman. The goal came late in the match and equalized the game helping the Metrostars to earn a much need point on the road. Lisi finished the 2005 season with 5 assists.

At the end of the season, Red Bull Energy Drink Company purchased the Metrostars and began making roster changes. A variety of players left the team either by waiver or trade during the off-season. Lisi was originally waived with Chris Lietch and Galvan Rey, but his ability to find attackers in the final third of the field helped him earn a new contract in New York.

Sadly after being brought back by the organisation, Lisi was injured once again. The midfielder only saw the pitch nine times this past season but still managed to earn four assists. In his six seasons in the league, Lisi tallied a total of seven goals and 30 assists. Lisi remains tied for second in the category of "Most Assists In A Single Match" with a variety of players for tallying three. Lisi's record setting match came in 2001 against the Revolution. Lisi retires as the player with the longest concurrent tenure in New York.

Although his contributions to the league are not as spectular as Mathis' five goals in a single game or Carlos Valderama's 26 assists in a single season, his accomplishments can not be understated. He was a fair player having never earned a red card and only 15 cautions during his career. He is the kind of player the league could use more of and will certainly be missed. It is most unfortunate that his injuries cut his career short.