LONDON — Robbie Rogers, a former winger with the U.S. national team who played prep soccer at Mater Dei High, said Friday he was stepping away from the sport after revealing that he is gay.
In the final analysis, Rogers said, he had to choose between being himself and being a soccer player.
He choose to be himself.
“I always thought I could hide this secret,” Rogers, 25, wrote in a powerful post on his blog.
“Football was my escape, my purpose, my identity. Football hid my secret, gave me more joy than I could ever have imagined ….
“Now is my time to step away. It’s time to discover myself away from football.”
Rogers played for two U.S. age-group national teams and was called up to the senior team in 2008 during qualifying for the World Cup. He appeared in 18 games for the U.S., scoring twice.
He also played for Heerenveen of the Dutch Eredivisie, the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer — where he was named to the MLS’ First XI in 2008 — and Leeds United of English soccer’s second-division Championship.
Most recently he was on loan to England’s Stevenage of the tier-three League One, where he appeared in nine matches.
After Rogers’ blog post — which he said was written at 1 a.m. in London — was published, social media lit up with messages of support and congratulation.
“Much love and respect for you,” tweeted U.S. teammate Herculez Gomez, a sentiment echoed by D.C. United’s Chris Pontius. Women’s national team star Abby Wambach, Juan Agudelo of Chivas USA and Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez also weighed in. “Couldn’t be happier for you!” wrote Wambach.
Eddie Pope, a three-time World Cup player for the U.S. added: “Brave men like you will make it so that one day there’s no need for an announcement. That day can’t arrive soon enough.”
In his blog Rogers says he will “step away” from soccer but doesn’t say for how long nor does he specifically mention retirement. No active U.S. player in a major professional team sport has continued to play after coming out as gay.
Most recently, soccer player David Testo, then playing for the second-tier Montreal Impact, came out shortly after his contract expired following the 2011 season and that effectively ended his career with no other team stepping up to offer to sign him.
By Kevin Baxter/LA Times
23 Comments to “US Soccer Player Reveals He is Gay, will Leave Game”
February 15, 2013 at 1:31 PM
Okay to have Lesbians in women scoccer but not okay to have gay in men scocer?
February 15, 2013 at 1:31 PM
soccer
February 15, 2013 at 1:32 PM
keyboard sticking
February 15, 2013 at 1:32 PM
Fag…like me
February 15, 2013 at 11:44 PM
I'm somewhat honored that 'arragame los whatever' has decided to follow me around and lamely attempt to smear me on every article.
It's as amusing as it is sad
February 15, 2013 at 1:57 PM
Why are being gay and being a soccer player mutually exclusive?
February 15, 2013 at 3:50 PM
Taunting by enough of the other players will make his life unbearable. While a few athletes are nice guys, most are not. They can be mean, arrogant and impossibly rigid in their beliefs.
I was a nerd in High School (Stage Crew, Audio-Visual Squad) and the jocks were the people I tried to avoid. Nothing's changed.
February 16, 2013 at 2:34 AM
So true . . .
February 16, 2013 at 12:49 PM
JM your attitude towards athletes are make assumptions about groups of people in the same way people make sick and hateful comments in response to this article
February 15, 2013 at 2:19 PM
my classmate's aunt makes $79/hr on the computer. She has been out of a job for seven months but last month her pay check was $15402 just working on the computer for a few hours. Read more here FLY38. ℂOM
February 15, 2013 at 3:17 PM
Fuck u and ur whore of aunt!!!
February 15, 2013 at 3:58 PM
Yeah, and I bet your aunt's dog leaves big brown piles on the computer keyboard.
Your whole post is a bunch of sh*t. Read more here: http://www.biteme.com
February 15, 2013 at 8:37 PM
He's good looking too, what a waste. Fudgepacker.
February 16, 2013 at 2:39 AM
Exact reason why he's had to keep it a secret . . . because of people like you & enduring hateful comments like yours.
Waste to who? . . . Someone like you whom is close-minded & hateful of others?
February 16, 2013 at 12:22 PM
FAGS AND LEZBOS ARE DISGUSTING, ABNORMAL PEOPLE. I AM SICK AND TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT THEIR FUCKED UP LIVES DAY IN AND DAY OUT. THEY SHOULD ALL BE PUT ON A BOAT OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN, THEN SINK IT.
He kept it a secret because he's ashamed of himself, and should be. I'll bet his parents shit when they found out. What parents would love to hear that news? I'm straight. I don't like fags and lezbos. They're weird. They act weird. You can spot them a mile away because they are soooo fucking weird and fruity.
Don't like my comments? Tough shit. Go fuck yourself. YOU would probably enjoy it since you seem to condone fags and lezbos
February 16, 2013 at 2:42 AM
Why did he have to step away from football/ soccer now that he announced he's gay?
I don't see the connection . . .
February 16, 2013 at 6:44 AM
You don't want to see the connection, it's XXX !
XD
February 16, 2013 at 12:25 PM
He wouldn't want the other guys grabbing his dick and laying on him in public. He might get a hard-on and fuck the guys right out on the field. Pretty soon, in this sick society we have, that will probably be seen too.
Get it now?
February 16, 2013 at 7:11 AM
Where you at Nightmare? Tail between your legs?
February 16, 2013 at 7:22 AM
Bet he enjoyed the locker room and the showers while he could. Stupid perv.
February 16, 2013 at 12:24 PM
Only in your head, Onesie, only in your head. Bet you like thinking about him in the showers, right, you stupid perv.
February 16, 2013 at 12:36 PM
What a fucking pervert. Why do these assholes feel they have to announce that they're fudgepackers? I don't announce to the world when I take a piss.
February 17, 2013 at 4:38 AM
who cares