Robbie Rogers is coming out of retirement and returning to the pitch, just not to play for the Chicago Fire.
Rogers revealed in February that he is gay and then immediately, and surprisingly to some, retired from professional soccer—until May 25, when it was officially announced that the Los Angeles Galaxy had acquired his rights from Chicago in return for Mike Magee, who has played in Major League Soccer (MLS) since 2003, first for New York and the past five seasons for the Galaxy. During his 232-game MLS career, Magee has 42 career goals, including six in seven games this year.
Rogers signed a multi-year contract with Los Angeles, and will sport jersey No. 14 for the Galaxy. He will be added to the Galaxy roster upon the receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and had his debut with the club Sunday, when he came off the bench to play for his team in their win against the Seattle Sounders.
“I’d like to thank everyone at Major League Soccer, the LA Galaxy and the Chicago Fire for allowing me to return to playing the game that I love,” Rogers said at a press conference. “I look forward to getting back out onto the field and continuing my soccer career as a member of the Galaxy.”
Rogers became the first openly gay male athlete to compete in a top U.S. professional team sport. Basketball player Jason Collins came out in late-April to worldwide headlines, yet his 2012-13 NBA season was over and he is now a free agent.
“I guess for 25 years I’ve just been afraid to share a secret with everyone and finally I did that,” Rogers said at the press conference. “And even though soccer was a place where I could be happy, and not necessarily hide that side, but I could express myself on the field. I kept my secret because I thought I couldn’t be both a soccer player and a gay athlete.
“That’s not true, but I felt that way. So I was afraid to put myself back in a situation where I felt like I was kind of an outcast or just different than people. But through this whole process, I’ve realized everyone is a bit different, everyone has their issues. I’ve learned that OK, this is part of me, I’m a soccer player, Christian, I’m human like everyone else and everyone’s got their issues; we all deal with it and I think that’s what makes this even better.”
Rogers’ illustrious career has included five years with the MLS Columbus Crew, where he played 106 regular-season games, with 13 goals and 16 assists. He signed with Leeds United of the English Championship (second division) in January 2012, and appeared in four games. His international career also included time with Stevenage of England’s League One (third division).
Rogers also has 18 caps with the U.S. National Team, scoring twice, including the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The Fire acquired Rogers’ MLS rights in a trade with Columbus in February that sent Dominic Oduro to the Crew.
“I am proud to welcome Robbie Rogers, a courageous man and a terrific soccer player, back to Major League Soccer,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said in a statement. “We look forward to Robbie’s contributions on and off the field.”
Rogers Tweeted: “An exciting future lies ahead, not only for me but for our society.”
Openly gay soccer player Megan Rapinoe Rweeted: “Congratulation[s] society for letting this man know it is okay to be who you are.”
Sigi Schmid, who coaches the MLS Seattle Sounders, was Rogers’ coach in Columbus. He spoke to the media Saturday and said, “I think it’s all about [Rogers] as a soccer player at this stage. It’s about him getting back on the field, him playing well, him getting back to the level where he was a national team player, and I think that’s what the focus has got to be. Everybody in their personal lives has things that make them different or are unique to them in one way or another, but I think the focus on the soccer field is what you do on the soccer field. For me, I’m happy that Robbie is back. I’m happy that he’s playing. It’s a great opportunity for him to make a statement. At the end of the day, he’s going to get judged by his ability to play the game.”
George Saldivar plays in the predominantly gay Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association (CMSA) soccer league, and is a former college soccer player. He said, “Robbie is a good player. It’s gonna give [the] Galaxy crazy depth and an even better chance of winning it all once all their pieces fall into place. I’m sure [Rogers] went to a team that he felt would accept him, and I can see the Galaxy being more open than [other] teams [about his sexual orientation].”
Tyler Foerster, who also plays in CMSA’s soccer league, among other sports, said he was “upset” Rogers will not be playing for the Fire, “but understand the situation with his family,” being from Southern California and Rogers’ interest to be closer to them.
“As far as him coming out of retirement to play after announcing [he is gay, he gets] a huge ovation on my behalf,” Foerster said. “He’s going to be that role model for younger LGBT kids as far as an American soccer player. Robbie and Jason Collins [coming out] is a step in the right direction toward ending homophobia in professional sports.
“I’m absolutely sure we will see more follow suit, even in [professional] baseball and football, seeing that there hasn’t been too many consequences for them to announce their preference.”
Foerster admitted he had an argument Saturday night with a friend about why Rogers had his own segment on ESPN for coming out. “He didn’t understand why this was a big deal. I explained the situation of homophobia in pro sports and the purpose of ending this fear,” Foerster said.
Robin Lee, a sports fan and sports memorabilia collector/dealer from San Francisco, said the latest Rogers’ news is “fantastic for the gay community and for sports.”
“We all know there are many athletes who happen to be gay in professional sports,” said Lee, an out lesbian. “Thank goodness for people like Robbie Rogers, Jason Collins and [WNBA player] Brittney Griner—role models who, by example, are leading the way for other athletes to find their way out of the closet and to inspire the next generation.”
See link to a video on Rogers’ debut game here: www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wd66mD7eXf4.