Former Sporting KC defender Michael Harrington announces his retirement

Former Sporting Kansas City defender Michael Harrington announced today his retirement from professional soccer after a 12-year playing career.

Harrington, a North Carolina native and a product of the University of North Carolina, joined Kansas City out of the 2007 MLS SuperDraft as the No. 3 overall pick. He was a regular starter for most of his tenure with Sporting KC and ended his stint at the club with five goals and 15 assists in 170 matches across all competitions.

After winning the 2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in his final season with Sporting, Harrington went on to play for three other MLS clubs—the Portland Timbers (2013-14), Colorado Rapids (2015) and Chicago Fire (2016-17)—before…