Dynamo, U.S. vet Beasley retiring at season's end

Houston Dynamo captain and U.S. international DaMarcus Beasley announced on Monday that he is retiring following the 2019 season.

Beasley, a mainstay for the national team and the only American to play in four World Cups during his international career, took to Twitter to make the announcement with a #quickliketakingoffabandaid at the end.

The 36-year-old broke into MLS with the Chicago Fire in 2000 and played there until 2004, when PSV Eindhoven of the Netherlands paid a $2.5 million transfer fee to bring him to the Eredivisie.

He spent a short loan spell with Manchester City in the Premier League and played with the Scottish Premier League's Rangers, German Bundesliga team Hannover 96 and Puebla of Liga MX before returning to the United States and the Dynamo in 2014.

Beasley has played in just one game this season, recently returning from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in March. Hehas played in 211 MLS matches (199 starts) for the Fire and Dynamo (2014-19), scoring 17 goals and adding 24 assists.

The Fort Wayne, Indiana native's 126 caps are seventh most in U.S. men's team history, having scored 17 goals and assisting on 13 during his international career. He won four Gold Cups with the U.S. in 2002, 2005, 2007 and 2013.

Beasley won two league titles with PSV, two with Rangers, two U.S. Open Cups with the Fire and one with the Dynamo over the course of his 20-year career as a pro.

Information from Reuters was used in this story.