Caribbean Crew defender retires after championship

Ezra Hendrickson, a defender who helped the Columbus Crew capture their first Major League Soccer title last year, announced his football retirement Thursday.

The native of St. Vincent who turns 37 next week played in the US league for 12 seasons, the past three with the Crew. He also helped the Los Angeles Galaxy win the 2002 MLS crown and DC United win the 2004 championship.

“I’ve played for some of the top organizations and enjoyed the support of all the fans,” Hendrickson said. “I intend to stay in the soccer world and continue to help the sport grow in the United States.

“But at this point, I’m happy to finish my playing career as a champion.”

Hendrickson has 123 caps for St. Vincent and the Grenadines and has also served as the team’s captain. He scored 23 goals in a total of 266 MLS matches with New York, Dallas, Columbus, DC United, Los Angeles and Chivas USA.