CARSON, Calif. (Tuesday, July 3, 2012) – LA Galaxy forward Adam Cristman announced today that he has elected to retire from professional soccer. A six-year MLS veteran who is in his second year with the Galaxy, Cristman appeared in two games this season, tallying one assist before being placed on the Disabled List on May 25 because of a concussion. Cristman missed the first two months of the 2012 season because of a concussion that he suffered in a preseason game against New York before making his season debut as a second half substitute in the 1-1 home draw with FC Dallas on April 28, tallying an assist on Pat Noonan’s equalizer in second half stoppage time. He started the following game at Seattle on May 2 but has been unable to play since because of a second concussion that he suffered in training.
“The concussions I have suffered this year have forced me to retire. While this is not the way I wanted to leave the game, I am excited for what the future holds as I transition into the next phase of my life,” Cristman said. “I know the career and wonderful experiences I had would not have been possible without the influence of my family, friends, teammates, coaches, trainers, doctors, staff and fans, so thank you and God bless.”
Cristman joined the Galaxy ahead of the start of the 2011 season in a trade with D.C. United. After missing the first three months of the season, Cristman went on to play in 11 regular season games, tallying one goal and one assist, scoring LA’s fourth goal in the 4-0 win at Vancouver on July 30 and then setting up Chad Barrett for the game-winning goal in a 1-0 win over Chivas USA on October 16. In addition, Cristman scored LA’s first goal in their 2011-12 CONCACAF Champions League campaign against Motagua, added a goal against Seattle in the U.S. Open Cup, two in the MLS Reserve League and one against Real Madrid in the Herbalife World Football Challenge, making him the only Galaxy player to score in all five of those competitions. In the postseason, he made three appearances, including a start in MLS Cup 2011 as he helped the Galaxy win their first championship since 2005.
“It was a pleasure to have Adam with the Galaxy the last two years and we are saddened to see him have to end his career because of injury,” Galaxy general manager and head coach Bruce Arena said. “We want to wish Adam and his family the best with all his future endeavors and thank him for his service to the club.”
A native of Glen Allen, Va., Cristman played four years at the University of Virginia, scoring 34 goals and adding 15 assists while helping lead the Cavaliers to the NCAA Tournament four times. He was selected by New England in the fourth round of the 2007 MLS SuperDraft. He was an instant success with the Revolution, scoring four goals and adding four assists as a rookie to be named a finalist for the MLS Rookie of the Year award. The Revolution won their first U.S. Open Cup title that season and reached MLS Cup for the third straight season, only to lose in the Final to Houston. A year later, he scored a career-high six goals and helped the Revolution win the SuperLiga title.
In addition to his time with the Galaxy and the Revolution, Cristman also spent one season with Kansas City and one season with D.C. United, scoring twice in 22 games during those two seasons.
STATEMENT FROM ADAM CRISTMAN
There comes a time in every athlete’s life when they must make that tough decision to end their career. After a little over five years of professional soccer, that time for me is now. The concussions I have suffered this year have forced me to retire. Although I would have preferred to retire on my own terms, the support and counsel from my family, friends, and team have helped make the transition as easy as possible.
I know I will be able to look back on my career with great pride and think of the many great people I had the chance to share it with. The championships I have been a part of and the hard years spent near the bottom of the table, each of those years were packed with such great experiences and fond memories. Without a doubt, I will miss the game and everything about professional sports that makes it such a unique experience. Yet, looking forward, I am excited about the future and the next phase in my life.
I am so blessed and thankful for all the encouragement and support I received along the way from my family, friends, teammates, coaches, trainers, doctors, clubs and fans. It has been an amazing God-given opportunity and I know it would not have been possible without each and every one of them.
So thank you to everyone that I ever had the pleasure of encountering during this journey. It was an adventure I will never forget.
