MLS Playoffs
Seattle's Chad Marshall: "It's All About Rings For Me"
The two-time MLS Defender of the Year didn't make headlines when he joined the Sounders late last year, but he has proved to be a key player on a squad that is primed to make history.
WITH ALL OF THE HIGH-PROFILE player moves the Seattle Sounders have made the past two seasons, it's understandable that one of the most significant additions received little attention.
Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins got the lion’s share of headlines when they were signed as designated players—high-profile scorers with salaries to match. Signing All-American former academy player DeAndre Yedlin to a homegrown deal was seen as a strong statement about the Sounders' abundant academy. The trade last winter that brought goalkeeper Stefan Frei was justifiably lauded for establishing consistency in net and the acquisitions of Kenny Cooper, Marco Pappa, and even Chad Barrett were greeted as much-needed roster depth.
Few took notice last December, however, when the Sounders sent the Columbus Crew some allocation money and a third-round pick in next year’s draft for central defender Chad Marshall. In hindsight, it's a baffling oversight. Marshall has been a key component in transforming the club from a good team to one that could finish 2014 as the best in league history.
In his first season with Seattle, the 30-year-old Marshall started 31 regular season games for the Supporters' Shield winners. And nothing speaks to his value more than the following statistic: In the three games he missed, the Sounders went 0-2-1 and gave up two goals a game. With Marshall in the lineup the Sounders went 20-8-3 with a 1.4 goals-against average.
One thing that has made the six-foot-four Marshall invaluable to the Sounders is his ability to hold the fort as the team presses forward. Sounders coach Sigi Schmid loves his fullbacks, especially Yedlin on the right, to push forward into attack, something that leaves the backline exposed but far more times than not Marshall was able to, well, marshal away the danger.
“It’s an aggressive style we play and sometimes it leaves us exposed in the back,” Marshall told American Soccer Now. “It’s definitely a challenge.”
Marshall has risen to the challenge and as a result is a strong candidate for MLS Best XI honors and should be in the mix for Defender of the Year as well.
Because Seattle won the Shield and before that the U.S. Open Cup in September, the Sounders enter this year’s MLS playoffs as favorites to lift MLS Cup and in doing so would be the first MLS team to win a treble—claiming all three major trophies in the same year. If the team can pull it off it would allow Schmid's men to lay claim to being the best MLS team ever.
“From early on this year, we kind of knew with the players we had in the locker room and the team we had on the field that this could be a special year,” Marshall said. “We knew if it all came together it was something we could do. Sigi talked about it all year long. We looked at it as one trophy at a time and we got two of them and we’d love to get a third and be the first team to accomplish that.”
Marshall, of course, was not without his own renown when the Sounders acquired him. The second pick in the 2004 draft after two years at Stanford, Marshall won consecutive MLS Defender of the Year awards with the Columbus Crew when he helped the side win the MLS Cup in 2008 and the Supporters’ Shield in both 2008 and 2009. Marshall also earned 11 caps with the U.S. national team and was one of seven alternates on the 2010 World Cup squad.
But a series of concussions and other niggling injuries limited his effectiveness in his latter years in Ohio and there were whispers that he had lost his passion for soccer.
“When we traded for him it was a bit of a risk because his last couple of years with the Crew the word was he wasn’t as dialed in mentally and was going through the motions,” said a member of the Sounders technical staff who requested anonymity. “But he’s been reborn in Seattle and played with a lot of heart and passion and really been a leader.”
Marshall disputes that he lost passion for the game but admits to being re-energized in Seattle.
“I like to think I always had fun playing soccer,” said Marshall. “But I think the change of scenery, coming to this city and coming to this club has rejuvenated me. It’s a fun club to play for and obviously our team is stacked.”
Adding to his rejuvenation is recent parenthood. Marshall became a dad in September when daughter Addison was born, and suddenly having to provide for someone else gave him a greater appreciation for what he has as a pro athlete.
“For sure," he said, "before I only had to look out for myself. Now I have another mouth to feed. It definitely makes me want to try and play soccer as long as I can.”
The trade to Seattle also reunited Marshall with Schmid, who coached the Crew from 2006 through the 2008 MLS Cup win and it’s not a coincidence he’s returned to his Best XI form under Schmid.
“I enjoy playing for Sigi," Marshall said in his typically understated manner. " I’m extremely appreciative of him bringing me here. I must have done something right in his eyes in Columbus for him to bring me here. He’s a great tactician, a great coach (and) runs a great training session and that’s what makes players better.”
Marshall sees some parallels between this team and the Crew side that won the double in 2008. “From a talent standpoint, this team is better than we had in Columbus in ’08,” he said. “But it’s very similar in the locker room. Everyone gets along and works together for the same goal.”
He also cited team leadership, with Brad Evans, who was Marshall’s teammate in Columbus, now providing the Frankie Hejduk role of keeping the team focused but loose.
“Brad Evans is that guy here. He’s the jokester but he’s the captain, the leader. He integrates all the groups and keeps us together. No one’s like Frankie was at that—he’s really one of a kind. But Brad’s a great leader in the locker room.”
Marshall’s season, and that of the Sounders, has sparked talk of a return to the national team, something that hasn’t happened since Jurgen Klinsmann took over as U.S. coach in 2011. But Klinsmann has made a point to reward players from good teams as well as those with strong MLS seasons and Marshall qualifies on both fronts.
“Yeah, I would love another chance to represent my country and put on that jersey. But it’s been a while and I don’t know if it’s in the cards. I’d like for it to be something that happens but I don’t know what (Klinsmann’s) mindset is and I’m sure he has young players he wants to look at for the next cycle,” said Marshall, who doesn’t think his club performance automatically earns him another look.
Because Seattle won the Shield and before that the U.S. Open Cup in September, the Sounders enter this year’s MLS playoffs as favorites to lift MLS Cup and in doing so would be the first MLS team to win a treble—claiming all three major trophies in the same year. If the team can pull it off it would allow Schmid's men to lay claim to being the best MLS team ever.
“From early on this year, we kind of knew with the players we had in the locker room and the team we had on the field that this could be a special year,” Marshall said. “We knew if it all came together it was something we could do. Sigi talked about it all year long. We looked at it as one trophy at a time and we got two of them and we’d love to get a third and be the first team to accomplish that.”
Marshall, of course, was not without his own renown when the Sounders acquired him. The second pick in the 2004 draft after two years at Stanford, Marshall won consecutive MLS Defender of the Year awards with the Columbus Crew when he helped the side win the MLS Cup in 2008 and the Supporters’ Shield in both 2008 and 2009. Marshall also earned 11 caps with the U.S. national team and was one of seven alternates on the 2010 World Cup squad.
But a series of concussions and other niggling injuries limited his effectiveness in his latter years in Ohio and there were whispers that he had lost his passion for soccer.
“When we traded for him it was a bit of a risk because his last couple of years with the Crew the word was he wasn’t as dialed in mentally and was going through the motions,” said a member of the Sounders technical staff who requested anonymity. “But he’s been reborn in Seattle and played with a lot of heart and passion and really been a leader.”
Marshall disputes that he lost passion for the game but admits to being re-energized in Seattle.
“I like to think I always had fun playing soccer,” said Marshall. “But I think the change of scenery, coming to this city and coming to this club has rejuvenated me. It’s a fun club to play for and obviously our team is stacked.”
Adding to his rejuvenation is recent parenthood. Marshall became a dad in September when daughter Addison was born, and suddenly having to provide for someone else gave him a greater appreciation for what he has as a pro athlete.
“For sure," he said, "before I only had to look out for myself. Now I have another mouth to feed. It definitely makes me want to try and play soccer as long as I can.”
The trade to Seattle also reunited Marshall with Schmid, who coached the Crew from 2006 through the 2008 MLS Cup win and it’s not a coincidence he’s returned to his Best XI form under Schmid.
“I enjoy playing for Sigi," Marshall said in his typically understated manner. " I’m extremely appreciative of him bringing me here. I must have done something right in his eyes in Columbus for him to bring me here. He’s a great tactician, a great coach (and) runs a great training session and that’s what makes players better.”
Marshall sees some parallels between this team and the Crew side that won the double in 2008. “From a talent standpoint, this team is better than we had in Columbus in ’08,” he said. “But it’s very similar in the locker room. Everyone gets along and works together for the same goal.”
He also cited team leadership, with Brad Evans, who was Marshall’s teammate in Columbus, now providing the Frankie Hejduk role of keeping the team focused but loose.
“Brad Evans is that guy here. He’s the jokester but he’s the captain, the leader. He integrates all the groups and keeps us together. No one’s like Frankie was at that—he’s really one of a kind. But Brad’s a great leader in the locker room.”
Marshall’s season, and that of the Sounders, has sparked talk of a return to the national team, something that hasn’t happened since Jurgen Klinsmann took over as U.S. coach in 2011. But Klinsmann has made a point to reward players from good teams as well as those with strong MLS seasons and Marshall qualifies on both fronts.
“Yeah, I would love another chance to represent my country and put on that jersey. But it’s been a while and I don’t know if it’s in the cards. I’d like for it to be something that happens but I don’t know what (Klinsmann’s) mindset is and I’m sure he has young players he wants to look at for the next cycle,” said Marshall, who doesn’t think his club performance automatically earns him another look. “I don’t think just because you win individual awards or on a championship team you automatically get called in. There’s more to it in than that. It’s totally separate.” Instead, Marshall is focused on trophies and rings and was happy to have won the Open Cup for the first time earlier this year. “Any time you have a chance to win a championship you want to take advantage of it, he said. “In Columbus we had to play an Open Cup final (in 2010) but that was here in Seattle, which was tough. So it was nice to check winning that off the resume.” AND NOW THE PLAYOFFS beckon and the Sounders have to balance maintaining the things that made them so successful with the added intensity of the postseason. “What we’ve been doing has been successful so we need to keep doing that," he said. "But the playoffs are a totally different beast. You’ve got to pick your moments at the right time to go forward. We need to be strong defensively and keep zeros till Oba and Clint and those guys get their chances.
"And when they do get them they need to finish them.”
If the Sounders get past Dallas and then either Los Angeles or Salt Lake City in the Western finals, it would host MLS Cup at Century Link Field, where the club averages more than 42,000 ravenous fans but would likely sell out all 67,000 seats for a final. “I think that is a huge motivation for us this year,” Marshall said. "That’s why the Supporters’ Shield was so important because you know if you do make the final it’s a huge advantage to play before a crowd like that.” Yedlin, Marshall’s boisterous backline mate, raised a few eyebrows after the Sounders clinched the Shield last week, saying the regular season title was “more important,” than MLS Cup. Marshall, who has now won the Shield four times (he first won it as a rookie in 2004) but MLS Cup only once, politely disagrees. “I mean, Americans love playoffs. That’s what everyone looks to in American sports. And as we’ve seen, the fourth or fifth seed can win MLS Cup. I think it’s definitely a lot harder to win the Supporters’ Shield. But ultimately, what we want to do is get that ring. "The Shield is important but it’s all about rings for me.” Brooke Tunstall is an American Soccer Now contributing editor and ASN 100 panelist. You can follow him on Twitter.
