John Doyle, the veteran defender and last member of San Jose’s inaugural Major League Soccer team, announced his retirement from professional soccer Feb. 1. ôTo be able to come home and play in San Jose for five years has been a dream come true,” said Doyle. “I have so many great memories from playing here. Events like the MLS inaugural game at Spartan Stadium were just unforgettable. The fans here have been tremendous, and I’m proud to have been here as pro soccer became a part of the bay area sports scene.” Doyle, 34, a native of Fremont, Calif., was allocated to San Jose in 1995, and holds the all-time records in games (132) and minutes played (11,385) for the team. He was honored as the Bic Tough Defender of the Year as the top defender in the MLS in 1996, was selected to the 1996 and 1997 MLS All-Star Teams, and served as the team captain each year with San Jose. Doyle closed his final season with four goals and two assists during the 2000 season, for a total of 11 goals and 15 assists throughout his MLS career. While earning All-American honors playing for the University of San Francisco (1985-1988), Doyle was brought up to play for the U.S. national team in 1987 and remained a member of the team until 1994. During that time, he played in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul as well as the 1990 World Cup in Italy. In addition to playing professionally in Sweden and Germany, Doyle played two seasons with the San Francisco Blackhawks, helping the team win the APSL championship in 1991. “John’s contributions to San Jose and Major League Soccer have been tremendous,” said Earthquakes General Manager Tom Neale. “We consider him not just a leader on the field, but a leader of the organization, and a true ambassador of the sport of soccer. We thank him for his five loyal years of service to both the team and the community.” Doyle, a member of the U.S. Soccer board of directors, plans to stay heavily involved in soccer by seeking the ‘A’ level coaching license and continuing his relationships with local soccer organizations.