I can't help but feel a bit guilty that my overriding emotion upon reading that Claudio Reyna is retiring was relief, rather than appreciation. Reyna came to the Red Bulls last year as Bruce Arena's first Designated Player signing. Reyna was Arena's boy, the captain of Bruce Arena's USA. It was no surprise that Arena would look to bring Reyna in to run the New York midfield. Reyna had been having a tough couple of years with injuries in Europe and it looked like it was time for him to come home. Reyna's ties to New Jersey and his relationship with Arena made his arrival in New York a certainty. Red Bulls fans wouldn't have minded having Reyna on the payroll, even as they hoped against hope that the team would not use their designated player slot on Captain America. So, in true Metrostars fashion, that's exactly what they did. Reyna was signed by the Red Bulls for some $1.25 million dollars. The man's fate was sealed. The fans were outraged by the decision. Reyna would never play enough games to warrant a designated player salary, they argued. As it turned out, they were right. Reyna has played 27 games in 2 seasons to earn his $1.25. My trusty computer calculator tells me that's about $46,000 a game. Reyna did not score any goals for the Red Bulls and produced only three assists in those 27 games. Money well spent, it seems.

Based on that evidence, Red Bull fans' collective sigh of relief can be forgiven. However, as a US supporter as well, I feel that the man's accomplishments should be highlighted instead of focusing on his year in New York. Reyna was on the US team in the 1994, 1998, 2002, and 2006 but didn't play in 1994 due to injury. Reyna was named captain of the US team for the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, earning All-Tournament honors in the 2002 tournament. He remains the only American player to be so distinguished. He earned 112 caps, scoring 8 goals and providing 12 assists before retiring from international soccer after the 2006 World Cup. On the club side of things, Reyna began his career with Bayer Leverkusen before being transferred to Vfl Wolfsburg. It was at Wolfsburg that Reyna became the first American player to captain a European side. He would go on to play for Glasgow Rangers in Scotland, and Sunderland and Manchester City in England. It was during his time in the UK that Reyna earned the nickname "Captain America". In 2007, Reyna and Manchester City terminated his contract by mutual agreement and Reyna made his way 'across the pond', as they say, and began his long and storied career at Red Bull New York, cementing his status as an iron-man, and leading the club to their fifth, six, seventh, and eight titles.