Believe it or not, Michael Parkhurst used to score goals. When he started playing soccer as a kid in Rhode Island, the future MLS Defender of the Year played as a striker. That all changed with a switch to defense in high school. Parkhurst would go on to score just four professional goals, but he did so in an underrated career of over 400 appearances that is now officially nearing its conclusion.



On Monday morning, Parkhurst announced his retirement, ending a decorated 15-year professional career that included an appearance at the 2008 Olympics in China, 25 caps and two Gold Cup titles with the U.S. national team, UEFA Champions League football in 2013 and an MLS Cup with Atlanta in 2018.



His lack of size and speed are often referred to as his principal flaws, and they may have kept him from representing his country more often, including at World Cups in South Africa and Brazil. However, his technical ability, distribution and awareness have long compensated for...