When Luis Robles and Bradley Wright-Phillips were released after the 2019 season, our headline was "The end of an era". Add Kemar Lawrence's departure onto the pile.

The best goalkeeper in team history, the best striker... now let's talk about the best left back. And it's not even close; who would be his back-up on the Metro All-Time XI? Try to rack your brain, we'll wait.

Kemar's prowess on the left flank really had no comparisons in Metro history. In fact, you can make the case that since he was the best left back in MLS over the last five years, he was the best left back in league history. In fact, we will make that statement right now. It's absolutely obvious that Metro's last two Shields would not be possible without Lawrence's contributions. In fact, he was one of only three players who were starters on the 2015 and 2018 winners. (The other two? See the opening sentence.)

What we'll remember from Kemar is an opponent running down the left flank with acres of empty space around it. Lawrence beings his sprint and somehow catches up, taking the ball away at the last possible second. Which game was that? Pretty much every game for Kemar in a New York jersey.

Age might have caught up with Robles and Wright-Phillips. Lawrence's case was clearly not the same. The only reason he is no longer on the team is that he asked out after seeing the direction the franchise is heading. it's hard to blame Kemar, and we wish him the best in Belgium. We're just very tired of adding to "the end of an era"...