Galaxy players Lewis, Klein to retire after playoffs

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Galaxy midfielders Chris Klein and Eddie Lewis each said they plan to retire when the MLS season ends.

Klein, a 13-year MLS veteran from St. Louis, played in a league-record 141 consecutive games -- including 118 consecutive starts -- and ranks fifth in league history with 332 regular-season goals. He played with three teams during his stellar career, joining the Galaxy in June 2007 after stays with the Kansas City Wizards and Real Salt Lake.

‘I have had an amazing journey in MLS,’ the 34-year-old said in a statement released by the team. ‘I’ve had the ability to play with hundreds of teammates and for some of the best coaches that this league has ever produced and I was able to forge relationships with them that extend beyond the soccer field.’

Lewis, 36, played in two World Cups after a standout career at UCLA. He spent nine of his 15 professional seasons playing for four different clubs in England before joining the Galaxy in 2008.

‘Having been born and raised in Southern California this is a dream place for me to end my career,’ the Cerritos native said in a Galaxy release. ‘I have played in two World Cups, in one of the biggest leagues and so much more. But more important, along the way I have been able to do things that I never otherwise would have. The game has given me all sorts of wonderful memories but it is only now hitting me just how lucky I am to have been able to experience all of this.’

Lewis and Klein will make their final regular-season appearances for the Galaxy on Sunday at the Home Depot Center. The team will also play at least one postseason game at home although the Galaxy season could continue to the MLS Cup final in late November in Toronto.

-- Kevin Baxter

[For the record, 7:54 a.m., Oct. 21: An earlier version of this post incorrectly said Klein ranked fifth in league history with 332 regular-season games, instead of 332 regular-season goals.]