New England keeper Walter Zenga announced his retirement from soccer Jan. 15. Zenga, who was the Revolution’s 1997 team MVP and the starting keeper for the Eastern Conference in the MLS All-Star Game, turns 38 in April. MLS and the Revolution had been working to extend his contract. “This decision was one of the hardest of my life,” said Zenga. “I loved playing for the Revolution and the fans who welcomed me with open arms. But I miss my family in Italy and need to think about my career after soccer. I feel I can conclude my playing career at this time because the fans of the Revolution helped me end on a high note. I am very happy that the Kraft family has given me an opportunity to work with the team in a scouting capacity. I plan to return sometime this summer to visit my teammates and the fans.” Zenga had a superb ’97 season, finishing first among the league’s goalies with 15 victories, and second in goals-against average (1.27). He missed nine games during the season due to arthroscopic knee surgery — New England lost all nine. The Revs were 15-7 with him in goal and 0-10 without him. “We are extremely grateful for the passion and professionalism Walter demonstrated during his one season with Major League Soccer,” said MLS Deputy Commissioner Sunil Gulati. “This was a difficult decision for Walter and we have known for quite some time that there was a chance he would retire. We have identified a number of top-level international players and plan to allocate one of these players to the Revolution.”