CARSON, Calif. – Todd Dunivant would, if it were in his power, play “till I'm 50,” he noted Wednesday while announcing he'll retire at the close of this season. His body had other plans, and he's accepted that he must acquiesce.
A series of lower-body injuries that have limited the LA Galaxy's 34-year-old left back to just 12 first-team matches these past two seasons finally forced a decision he'd hoped to put off a while longer. There's more he wants to achieve before his time is up, and he wouldn't mind lingering around after he's gone.
“This was always going to be how it ended for me,” Dunivant said in a media session at StubHub Center. “At some point, you've got to listen to your body, and my body is telling me it's given everything it can. It's never easy, but over the course of this season, I've come to that realization. ...
“I'm at a good place with it. I feel really good about the decision, and I feel like it's the right time.”
Dunivant, in his 13th MLS campaign and ninth with the Galaxy, has been among the league's premier outside defenders for nearly a decade and a half, playing in 307 MLS matches, playoffs included, with 232 appearances for LA in all competitions.
He was an MLS Best XI selection in 2011, when he played every minute as the Galaxy went nearly wire to wire to a Supporters' Shield/MLS Cup title, and if LA claims another Cup crown this year, he'll equal Landon Donovan's record of six league championships.
All the while, Dunivant earned vast respect for his intelligence (he's a Stanford University grad), good nature (he's beloved in the locker room and among the press corps) and his service to the game, as a mentor to younger players and as a longtime union representative.
“Sometimes when you're behind the scenes and have the advantage of that vantage point to see people, know people, know how they approach their craft, what they put into it, what they give you on the field but also off the field,” associate head coach Dave Sarachan said, “with a guy like Todd, he checks every box. He's not only going down as one of the better left backs in this league and a survivor of a lot of years in the league, but he'll go down as one of the great pros, great guys. Real team guy and just a pleasure to have in your locker room day in and day out.”
Dunivant said he “fully intends” to remain in soccer – his degree is in business, so he'd “lean toward the business side over coaching” – and the Galaxy have a history of promoting qualified players to key front-office positions, with president Chris Klein and technical director Jovan Kirovski.
“We've had some initial talks, and we'll continue to talk,” Dunivant said. “It would be a dream to work here. This is a dream club. The club has given me so much throughout my career, and I'd love to be able to stay in it. It'd be something I would definitely be honored to be part of.”
Dunivant won his first MLS Cup title as a rookie with San Jose in 2003, then claimed another when he joined the Galaxy in 2005. After stints in New York and Toronto, he returned to the Galaxy in 2009 and played a vital role in their run to the 2009 title game, 2010 Supporters' Shield, 2011 double and 2012 MLS Cup championship. He won his fifth title last year, when he played just eight competitive first-team games because of abdominal and groin injuries.
“He's certainly had a good career with the Galaxy, has been part of a number of championships. He contributed a lot,” head coach Bruce Arena said. “Unfortunately, the last two years he's been injured, but he still contributed to the team. He's a good leader off the field, and he's been supportive of the group. Pretty good career for a guy to have.”
Right back Dan Gargan said Dunivant's “positioning was always very smart positioning.”
“As a defender, you don't necessarily have to be the fastest or most athletic if you put yourself in good spots that make it difficult for players to play against you,” Gargan said. “That's how I remember Todd's play.”
Dunivant said he was proudest of contributing to so many successful teams during his career and worked hard to be a consistent and reliable defender.
“It was always my mindset to eliminate that part of the field for the other team and let our guys know that part of the field was taken care of ... ,” he said. “Right wingers are generally pretty important guys on teams, and if you can have them where [the team doesn't have to] think about them, you don't hear anything from them, then I've had a good day. Oftentimes, that doesn't get noticed, but that's OK because that means he's not getting noticed either.”
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Dunivant had played this year in just three MLS games, plus a US Open Cup match and the International Champions Cup friendlies against Club America and Barcelona, missing extended time with quadriceps and calf injuries. He's recovering from plantar fasciitis in his right foot and says it's “100 percent my focus to get healthy” and contribute as the Galaxy seeks another Shield/Cup double.
“Any athlete would love to go out on top. That's kind of the dream,” he said. “Landon did it. David [Beckham] did it. I would certainly love to do it as well. But we know how hard that's going to be. We know we're playing well right now, but you don't get trophies for winning games in August and September, you get them for being hot in the playoffs.
“We're setting ourselves up in good position right now… and from there the playoffs are anyone's game.”
