Chad Marshall, born on August 22, 1984, is an American former professional soccer player whose 16-year career in Major League Soccer (MLS) has cemented his place as one of the league's all-time great defenders. He played for Columbus Crew and Seattle Sounders FC, achieving numerous accolades and contributing significantly to his teams' successes.
Chad Marshall in action.
Early Life and College Career
Marshall attended Rubidoux High School in Jurupa Valley, California, where he excelled as an athlete. He earned NCSAA All-American honors and was a Parade All-America selection in his junior and senior years. Soccer America recognized him as the top college soccer recruit in the country. In addition to his soccer talents, Marshall was also an avid equestrian.
He attended Stanford University for college, and as a freshman in 2002, He started 20 of 21 regular season games en route to earning Soccer America's Freshman of the Year and Second Team All-Pac-10 honors. He appeared in 40 games, 39 of them starts, including the 2002 NCAA Men’s College Cup final. As a freshman, the defender tallied two goals and one assist for five points. He scored two dramatic, game-winning overtime goals in the NCAA Tournament, helping the Cardinal to a pair of 2-1 victories, over Furman in the third round and Creighton in the NCAA College Cup semifinals.
MLS Career
Columbus Crew (2004-2013)
Marshall was drafted second overall in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft by Columbus Crew. He had an exemplary first year and helped the team to an eighteen-game unbeaten streak and the MLS Supporters' Shield. He was a finalist for MLS Rookie of the Year honors. Marshall made his MLS debut on April 17 at Kansas City, when he became youngest Crew player ever to start a game.
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In his 10th season in Black & Gold he made 30 starts at centerback and scored one goal while capturing the club’s Defender of the Year honors. Marshall became the first Crew player in club history and the 46th field player in MLS history to record 20,000 minutes in regular-season action in the match against Philadelphia (April 6). He missed four matches with a right hamstring strain and later started in the international friendly against Wigan Athletic (July 13).
Marshall's ninth professional season was a milestone year for the veteran as he played his 200th career match in Black & Gold in the season opener at Colorado on March 10. On September 22 in Chicago, Marshall became the Black & Gold's all-time leader in starts with his 222 appearance in the Crew's starting XI.
The veteran defender started in 32 matches in his first season as the Crew's captain, recording one assist.
Marshall appeared and started in 24 matches to tally one goal and record two assists. He was named to the 2010 MLS All-Star First XI squad, the second-straight year Marshall earned the honor. He missed three matches due to International duty, narrowly missing a spot on the United States 2010 FIFA World Cup roster. Marshall started three matches in CONCACAF Champions League play.
Marshall appeared and started in 18 matches to score four goals to help the Crew to its second-straight Supporters' Shield and win his second consecutive MLS Defender of the Year crown. Two of his tallies were game-winning goals. Marshall was named the Crew’s Defender of the Year on October 26. On the national level, Marshall was named MLS Player of the Month for August, MLS Player of the Week for Week 22 and named to the MLS All-Star First XI squad on July 13. Marshall missed four matches due to National Team duty in the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Marshall started both playoff matches against Real Salt Lake.
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Marshall started all 29 games in which he appeared to help the Crew to the 2008 MLS Supporters' Shield. In a return to form, Marshall was selected as the 2008 MLS Defender of the Year and named to the 2008 MLS Best XI squad, scoring four goals and registering two assists. The defender started all four matches in the Crew's run to the 2008 MLS Cup title. He scored twice in the Playoffs, the tying goal in Eastern Conference Championship against Chicago on November 13 and the game-winner in MLS Cup against New York on November 23.
Marshall appeared in 12 games, 11 of them starting assignments, while missing 17 games due to concussions. He scored two goals, June 3 at Chicago and June 23 at LA. Marshall appeared in 26 games, starting 25 in 2006. Open Cup, starting one. He scored the lone Crew goal in 2-1 extratime loss at D.C.
Seattle Sounders FC (2014-2019)
In 2014, Marshall joined Seattle Sounders FC, marking a new chapter in his career. Marshall, who was named MLS Defender of the Year for the third time, started in all 31 MLS matches he appeared in. He made his club debut in the season opener versus Sporting Kansas City (March 8), and recorded his first club point with an assist at Chivas USA (April 19). Against Philadelphia, Marshall scored the game-winning goal. In addition, Marshall tied his career-high with three assists. Open Cup matches. He was named to the MLS All-Star roster for the third time in his career.
In his second season with Sounders FC, Marshall started 28 of his 29 league appearances, in addition to the full 300 minutes of postseason action. He scored his third career postseason goal in the 90th minute of the Western Conference Semifinals’ second leg against FC Dallas, which at the time put the Rave Green in position to advance to the Western Conference Championship. Marshall was named to the 2015 MLS All-Star Gameday Roster and played 45 minutes. At the 2015 AT&T MLS All-Star Game, the league’s finest players put on a show in an impressive performance against Tottenham Hotspur of the Barclays Premier League.
Sounders FC’s 2016 Defender of the Year, Marshall had one of the most impressive campaigns of his established MLS career. With 30 league appearances, all of which were starts, Marshall reached the 30-match benchmark for the third time in the past four seasons, and matched his career best with four goals. He scored in consecutive matches against Houston and Philadelphia in April, and added another in a loss at Portland (July 17). On September 28, Marshall bagged the game-winner in a 1-0 win over Chicago. The only defender to win MLS Player of the Month in 2016, Marshall earned the honor in September, in addition to MLSsoccer.com Team of the Week recognition in Week 6, 23, 28 and 30. In the postseason, Marshall played each minute at center back for the Rave Green, as he won his second MLS Cup.
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Marshall earned Sounders FC Defender of the Year for the second consecutive season in 2017, and the third time in four years with the club. The only three-time MLS Defender of the Year (2008, 2009, 2014) in league history started 27 of 28 appearances this season and anchored a back line that was tied for first in MLS with 13 shutouts in 2017. The 14-year MLS veteran led Sounders FC with 58 aerials won, 22 blocks, 110 clearances and 63 headed clearances, while ranking second with 55 interceptions. For his efforts, the Stanford product earned MLSsoccer.com Team of the Week honors on three occasions (Weeks 13, 23 and 24). Marshall now ranks second in club history with 18 starts in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, and has played every minute of postseason action since joining Sounders FC prior to the 2014 season.
Marshall earned Sounders FC Defender of the Year for the third consecutive season and the fourth time in five years with the club. The only three-time MLS Defender of the Year in league history, Marshall anchored a defensive unit that ranked second in the league in fewest goals allowed (37). He matched a career high and was tied for second among MLS defenders with four goals, including one match-winning marker. He led Sounders FC in 2018 with 27 blocks, 71 interceptions and 98 aerials won, while ranking second with 91 clearances and 43 headed clearances, as well as sixth with 129 duels won. On October 21 at Houston, he became just the fourth player - and second field player - in league history to appear in 400 games and pass the 35,000 minutes-played mark. Marshall currently ranks second all-time among outfield players with 396 career starts and 35,123 minutes played, trailing only Kyle Beckerman in both categories.
GOAL: Chad Marshall rises high to head it to the far corner | Montreal Impact vs Columbus Crew
Chad Marshall announced his retirement from the game of soccer yesterday, ending a rewarding MLS career that spanned 16 seasons with Columbus Crew SC and the Seattle Sounders. In those 16 seasons, Marshall had 409 MLS league appearances (4th most appearances all time) and 458 total appearances, with 31 goals and 16 assists. His 35,123 minutes played are the 4th most in league history. He’s also won several trophies and honors throughout his career for Columbus and Seattle.
International Career
As a teenager, Marshall trained at the United States Soccer Federation's exclusive Bradenton Academy and has played for several United States youth national teams. He played for the United States at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship, now commonly known as the FIFA U-20 World Cup, in the United Arab Emirates.
Marshall earned his first cap and scored his first goal for the senior national team on March 9, 2005, against Colombia. Marshall was selected for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup for the United States and received his first cap since 2005 in the side's opening match against Grenada.
His first cap for the USMNT came against Colombia on March 9, 2005, where he started and scored in a 3-0 victory. He started another match against Honduras 10 years later. Later that year, he appeared in two World Cup qualifiers for the USMNT, starting both. Then, he disappeared from the international scene, not logging a cap for the USMNT until the 2009 Gold Cup, where he was a starter at centerback for every match except the last group stage match. The USMNT advanced all the way to the final that year, where they would lose to Mexico. Marshall’s rise back to the national team came during a stretch where he had back-to-back MLS Defender of the Year awards and back-to-back MLS Best XIs.Marshall then appeared in a World Cup qualifier late in 2009 and then again at January Camp in 2010, fighting to be one of the defenders then-coach Bob Bradley took on the plane to South Africa for the World Cup. However, it was not meant to be, and he once again fell off the preferred list in the USMNT player pool. His next and final appearance for the USMNT was a start against Serbia during January Camp in 2017.
Honors and Awards
- MLS Defender of the Year: 2008, 2009, 2014
- MLS All-Star: 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015
- MLS Best XI: 2008
- Supporters' Shield: 2004, 2008, 2009
- MLS Cup: 2008, 2016
- U.S. Open Cup: 2014
Career Statistics
Here is a summary of Chad Marshall's career statistics in MLS:
| Season | Team | Matches Played | Starts | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Columbus Crew | 28 | 27 | 1 | 1 |
| 2005 | Columbus Crew | 30 | 30 | 1 | 3 |
| 2006 | Columbus Crew | 26 | 25 | 1 | 1 |
| 2007 | Columbus Crew | 12 | 11 | 2 | 0 |
| 2008 | Columbus Crew | 29 | 29 | 4 | 2 |
| 2009 | Columbus Crew | 18 | 18 | 4 | 0 |
| 2010 | Columbus Crew | 24 | 24 | 1 | 2 |
| 2011 | Columbus Crew | 32 | 32 | 0 | 1 |
| 2012 | Columbus Crew | 24 | 24 | 2 | 0 |
| 2013 | Columbus Crew | 30 | 30 | 1 | 0 |
| 2014 | Seattle Sounders | 31 | 31 | 1 | 3 |
| 2015 | Seattle Sounders | 29 | 28 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | Seattle Sounders | 30 | 30 | 4 | 0 |
| 2017 | Seattle Sounders | 28 | 27 | 1 | 2 |
| 2018 | Seattle Sounders | 30 | 30 | 4 | 1 |
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