The Sounders Thursday acquired defender Chad Marshall from the Columbus Crew in exchange for allocation money and a 2015 third-round SuperDraft pick. Marshall, 29, spent the past 10 seasons with Columbus, earning MLS Defender of the Year and Best XI honors in 2008 and 2009. He ranks 21st amongst active players with 253 appearances and was capped 11 times by the U.S. National Team.
“Chad is a quality defender who brings experience to the Sounders,” said coach Sigi Schmid. “He is dominant in the air, has won an MLS Cup and been a league defender of the year. I look forward to working with Chad again and await his positive contribution to our team.”
Marshall started 30 games for Columbus in 2013, logging the second-most minutes (2,638) on the team. He made a career-high 32 starts in 2011, and has started at least 24 games in eight of his 10 seasons. Marshall scored four goals (including three game-winners) in both the 2008 and 2009 seasons, and has recorded at least one point every year.
Marshall is expected to bolster a leaky back line that lost Jeff Parke via trade before the season, and fell apart later in the season, contributing to the collapse that saw the Sounders lose nine of their final 10 games.
Overall, Marshall started 250 of his 253 appearances for the Crew, recording 16 goals and 10 assists in the regular season. He has scored twice in 11 appearances in the MLS Cup playoffs, including the game-winning goal in the 2008 MLS Cup final. He also helped Columbus capture the Supporters’ Shield in 2004, 2008 and 2009.
Marshall scored in his debut for USMNT, a 3-0 win in a friendly against Colombia March 9, 2005. He has 11 appearances for the senior team, and represented the United States at the U-23, U-20 and U-17 levels.
A standout at Stanford from 2002-03, Marshall started 39 of his 40 appearances, scoring three goals with two assists. He was named to the 2002 NCAA College Cup All-Tournament Team after helping the Cardinal reach the final, and he earned All-Pac-10 honors both seasons.
The trade for Marshall was executed prior to Major League Soccer’s trade deadline Wednesday, ahead of the 2013 MLS re-entry process.
The Sounders Thursday also re-signed goalkeeper Josh Ford, who has spent the past three seasons with the club after it selected him in the 11th round of the 2011 supplemental draft.
2 Comments
Great acquisition that addresses the defensive issues of last season. Love how the club has been so active as soon as the offseason hit, with solid moves to improve them.
Marshall is like Jeff Parke, but with a much more physical game. He’s also smart with his physicality; he averages less than a foul a game, and he’s never earned more than two yellow cards a year. That’s almost unheard-of for center backs and FAR more disciplined than the average Sounder. Fantastic trade.