Santino Quaranta retires, stays in Baltimore to focus on Pipeline SC

At age 27, longtime D.C. United midfielder Santino Quaranta is retiring from MLS to work full-time with a youth soccer club he helped create and to assist a substance abuse program that helped turn around his life and career four years ago.

“As a soccer player, you’re expected to push it until you’re 33, 34 years old,” he told the Insider on Sunday. “That’s not me. This is it. My gut and heart were telling me, and I’m at peace with it.”

The Baltimore native was let go by United last week when the club didn’t exercise the option on his contract and decided to not offer a new deal at a reduced salary.

Quaranta, who has a wife and two young children, will devote much of his time to Pipeline Soccer Club, a Baltimore youth program with 35 teams and growing. He and friend Sean Rush launched the club last year. Quaranta is the director of professional development and a vice president on the executive board.

He also told the Washington Post he’ll work with Dan Cronin, a substance abuse expert who oversees MLS and NHL rehab programs. Quaranta credits Cronin with rescuing him from drug and alcohol addiction.

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