Defender Borchers Announces His Retirement After 14 Years

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Portland Timbers defender Nat Borchers has retired after a 14-year Major League Soccer career.

The Timbers announced Borchers' retirement on Friday, but said he would stay with Portland as part of the broadcast and community relations teams.

Borchers, who spent the last two seasons with Portland, wraps up his career as one of only 14 players with 340 career MLS appearances. He started in all but one of those matches. He started in all 29 postseason matches he made with three MLS teams.

The 35-year-old, known for his bushy beard, won two MLS Cup championships, the first with Real Salt Lake in 2009 and the other with Portland in 2015.

The Timbers plan to honor Borchers at a March 18 match against the Houston Dynamo.