Connect with us

Pittsburgh Riverhounds

Greenspan: ‘It’s been an honor and a privilege’

File Photo: Courtesy Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC/USL

Shortly after the announcement came down on Monday that Joe Greenspan had signed with San Diego Loyal, he also sent a special message of thanks to Pittsburgh Soccer Now.  With Joe’s permission, we are happy to share this, especially for all Pittsburgh soccer fans and followers that supported him during the past three years.  

Joe Greenspan

Joe Greenspan goes up for a header against the Ottawa Fury FC at Highmark Stadium on June 8, 2019. Photo courtesy of Rachael McKriger/Pittsburgh Soccer Now.

I wanted to reach out now that the cat is out of the bag in regards to me signing with San Diego.

First off, thank you. The amount of support I received, as well as the club, over the last few years has been amazing. Everything we were able to achieve these last two seasons would not have been possible without said support and I can’t emphasize enough how much it meant to me.

It’s safe to say that for me, these last two seasons in Pittsburgh have been the best of my career. I have everyone to thank for that, from (Riverhounds SC owner) Tuffy (Shallenberger), Bob (Lilley), the rest of the coaching staff and my teammates, the fans, and the city of Pittsburgh. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built and am looking forward to seeing it progress into 2020 and beyond.

That being said, it is indeed time for me to move on. Not because of anything negative here in Pittsburgh, but because of the positives that the opportunity in San Diego presents.

It has nothing to do with making as much money as possible or joining the best team. In fact, I didn’t even entertain any other offers except for my discussion with Bob at the end of the season. Yes, I will be paid fairly for my services, but it is about more than money, way more.

As I already said, I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built these last two years. San Diego is another opportunity for me to help build something special that the fans, and city can be proud of. We will be building from the ground up, and hopefully we’ll be able to emulate the success of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

San Diego is a big Navy town, and obviously I have ties to the city. My career as a Naval Officer took me there for a brief stint in 2016 and I have numerous friends who are stationed there. It’s a great place for me to continue my Navy career as well as soccer.

Last but certainly not least. My girlfriend and I have been together for almost 4 years now, and most of it has been long distance. She’s been in Seattle the last two years while I have been in Pittsburgh, and while we’ve been making things work as best we can, it still has not been easy. Long travel days and expensive flights aren’t ideal, and me being in San Diego will be a huge improvement for us as we continue to navigate life together.

I felt that you guys deserved a bit of an explanation on my decision making process and so I decided to write this. It isn’t about money or not wanting to be in Pittsburgh. It’s about it being the right step for me as a person and player right now, with where I am in my life. Being closer to Seattle to lighten the burden on my girlfriend and I, and building something from the ground up in a wonderful place with what is promising to be a special group of people, is an opportunity I had to take. And it’ll be pretty cool to work with and play for my childhood hero (Landon Donovan) on a daily basis as well.

It’s been an honor and a privilege to represent the city of Pittsburgh both on and off the field, and I’ll always look back on my time there fondly.

Happy holidays and best of luck in 2020!

Glory on the Grass

Riverhounds MF Kenardo Forbes

Subscribe to PGH Soccer Now

Enter your email address to subscribe to PGH Soccer Now and receive notifications of new posts by email.

More in Pittsburgh Riverhounds