Steven Beitashour went from an obscure SuperDraft selection to one of Major League Soccer’s ultimate diamonds in the rough. After shining for 14 seasons, he is ready to call it a career.
On Wednesday, the 36-year-old announced he is retiring from professional soccer. Beitashour played for five teams — his final four seasons came with the Colorado Rapids — over a sterling MLS career that included nine trophy-lifting ceremonies.
As part of the statement announcing his retirement, Beitashour expressed gratitude for a career that saw him appear in more than 300 games across all MLS competitions, including the postseason, after being selected in the second round of the 2010 SuperDraft out of San Diego State.
“This journey has been nothing short of extraordinary, and I leave the soccer field with a heart full of memories, lessons learned and gratitude,” the statement read. “… Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, I am forever grateful.”
His trophy cabinet includes: Three MLS Supporters Shield trophies for the best regular-season record in the league, three Canadian Championships, two Eastern Conference playoff trophies and an MLS Cup. He also played at the 2014 FIFA World Cup for the Iranian men’s national team.
Beitashour’s career nearly failed to launch, as The Post detailed after he reached over 300 games played in MLS this past season. After growing up in the soccer hotbed of San Jose, Calif., he walked on at San Diego State and fought for his spot.
When he was selected in the SuperDraft by his hometown team, the Earthquakes, the production team and broadcast crew merely read the ticker at the bottom of the screen confirming the pick. They had no notes and no highlight package to accompany San Jose’s selection. Seconds went by with just dead air.
It was an unremarkable start to a remarkable career for “Beita.” On Wednesday, his Instagram post was flooded with comments from past and present Rapids players and others thanking him for the time he spent mentoring them.
“Best changing room neighbor I could’ve asked for. Will be missed,” said 22-year-old forward Calvin Harris. Homegrown forward Darren Yapi, at 19, chimed in saying “A great model on and off the pitch,” while 26-year-old winger Jonathan Lewis said “The game will miss you and all (of the) knowledge you have brought to it. Thanks for the mentoring (these) last few years in Colorado.”
Beitashour spent two seasons with the Vancouver Whitecaps and two with Toronto FC, where he was instrumental in helping TFC acquire the vaunted treble — winning the Canadian Championship, Supporters Shield and MLS Cup all in the same season. After two seasons with LAFC, he came to Colorado and became an influential locker room figure under then-head coach Robin Fraser because of his commitment to fitness, nutrition and handling life off the field.
“If you can teach Beita’s mentality, that’s a real gift,” Fraser said. “If Beita can somehow get kids to approach things the way he does, then he will be really valuable for an organization after he’s done playing.”
As for what’s next, Beitashour, a father of two, runs “Beita Performance Soccer,” a Denver-based clinic where he coaches young players on fundamentals. He said he’ll “look forward to contributing to the beautiful game in many different ways.”
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