Ilsinho officially announces retirement; will bang the 6-foot drum at Subaru Park on Saturday

Ilsinho has officially retired from professional soccer with a club announcement on Wednesday that includes the news that he will be the second individual to bang the six-foot tall drum before Saturday’s game against the San Jose Earthquakes.

The drum debuted as a new pre-game activity at the season opener against Minnesota United. Ring of Honor member Sébastien Le Toux was the first to break in the oversized drum.

Ilsinho’s retirement is not a surprise considering he did not return to the team after an injury -plagued 2021 campaign. His last appearance in a Union uniform ended up being a 1-minute cameo against NYCFC on August 18.

Over six seasons with the club, the Brazilian scored 22 goals and dished out 20 assists in 130 appearances, more than half of those as a sub.

His jaw-dropping skill earned him the nickname Skilsinho and he was often referred to as a human cheat code because of how quickly he could turn a game around with dazzling defense-breaking moves.

Matthew Ralph

Matthew Ralph is the managing editor of Philadelphia Soccer Now. He's covered soccer at all levels for a decade in the Philadelphia region and has also written for TheCup.us, NPSL, PrepSoccer and other publications. He lives with his wife and two young children in Broomall, Pa., but grew up in South Jersey and is originally from Kansas.

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