Brian Ching ready for retirement

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Brian Ching, the face of soccer in Houston, will make official Tuesday what has been on his mind for almost a month: He's retiring.

"If I had retired last year, it would have been more of a difficult decision than it was this year," said Ching, 35, a forward who scored four goals in the Dynamo's inaugural match in 2006. "My body is telling me that it's time to call it and retire. I can't play 90 minutes at the level I want. My body hurts if I do play over 45 minutes. It doesn't just hurt a couple days after. It hurts an entire week."

The Dynamo's all-time leading scorer has overcome a dozen major and minor injuries throughout his career, but the 2013 season has been frustrating as his body fails to do what his mind desires.

He had hinted 2013 would be his final year when he signed a deal in February to serve as a player-coach, but he had left himself wiggle room in case he thought he could help the Dynamo in 2014.

"We are going to look at the players and coaches that set the standard, and Brian Ching will be at the forefront of those who played a major role in setting the tone," team president Chris Canetti said. "He will always be a Dynamo legend."

The Hawaii native wants to help the Dynamo moving forward, so he'll transition into the front office as soon as the 2013 season is over.

The Houston Dynamo's Brian Ching claps his hands as he leaves the game in the second period of MLS game action against the LA Galaxy at Robertson Stadium Sunday, Oct. 23, 2011, in Houston. ( James Nielsen / Chronicle ) less The Houston Dynamo's Brian Ching claps his hands as he leaves the game in the second period of MLS game action against the LA Galaxy at Robertson Stadium Sunday, Oct. 23, 2011, in Houston. ( James Nielsen / ... more Image 1 of / 62 Caption Close Brian Ching ready for retirement 1 / 62 Back to Gallery

"Brian has been a huge ambassador for the Dynamo and for U.S. Soccer," teammate Will Bruin said.

A backup all year, Ching has seen his playing time diminish recently. He had no complaints when coach Dominic Kinnear informed him he would not be selected for the 18-man team sheet as a potential substitute Saturday against Chivas USA.

Kinnear and Ching have a close bond with open and honest dialogue. Ching approached Kinnear before the Chivas USA match to ask where he stood on the club. Ching understood and accepted Kinnear's reasoning for going with other reserve options.

"He wanted me to be around the locker room and at halftime if I wanted to," Ching said. "I think he values my presence as still someone the guys look to for advice and inspiration, almost like fulfilling my coach's duty almost in a different way as a player-coach. The guys really respect me. I've always led by example."

Nonetheless, it hasn't been easy for Ching to realize it will be time to retire at season's end.

"I had conversations with Dom and the people around me off the field," Ching said. "It's something that I struggled to come to grips with throughout the first part of this year. It's been frustrating for most of the year.

"I'm slowly coming to grips with the fact that this is my last year and I'm not physically able to play 90 minutes. Mentally, I'm still there. But physically, I'm not."

The Dynamo are fourth in the Eastern Conference standings with five games left.

The Dynamo have lost the last two MLS Cup finals against the Los Angeles Galaxy, and Ching would love nothing more than to finish with his fourth MLS Cup title, including one in San Jose. Whatever the case, he vows to remain in Houston.

"I'm ready to move on to the next stage of my life, and that entails finding a way to help the Dynamo be successful," said Ching, who will speak more on his future at a news conference Tuesday. "I have a tremendous love and loyalty to Houston, the Dynamo organization and the ownership group. I want to continue to help us succeed. That's my new passion: finding a way to help us be successful in the community and on the field."

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