At 24 years old, Brandon Vincent appeared to have a bright future in his soccer career, but he announced his retirement on Tuesday.
The Stanford product made the news public on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/BrandonVincent/status/1057298802871320576
“This may come as a surprise to many, but I’m at a time in my life where it is best for me to move on from the game,” Vincent said in his statement.
He was drafted with the No. 4 pick in the 2016 draft, a pick the Fire acquired in a draft-day trade. In three years with the Fire, he made 82 starts (86 appearances in total) in MLS play. He was able to slot into the Fire’s starting lineup as a rookie at left back.
Vincent was named to the MLS All-Star team in 2016. In addition, he earned a cap with the United States national team in Feb. 2016, which came before his MLS debut.
This year, he moved to centerback on several occasions when the Fire struggled to find a suitable partner for Johan Kappelhof. By the end of the season, Vincent moved back to left back.
“Chicago will always be a special place to me and I am forever grateful for the privilege I had of wearing the jersey and representing the city,” Vincent said. “I wish the club the best of luck and future success.
“I can’t wait to see what life brings next.”
He reached career highs in both appearances and minutes played in 2018. Vincent played in 32 of 34 MLS regular season matches this season.