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Marshall re-signs with Columbus Crew

Chad Marshall (ISIphotos.com) 

The Columbus Crew took a major step toward repeating as MLS Cup champions on Monday when they re-signed MLS Defender of the Year Chad Marshall to a new contract. Terms of the new deal were not disclosed.

Marshall went into the winter a free agent after playing out his MLS contract, but after a trial at German club Mainz 05, Marshall has decided to return to MLS, where he is widely-regarded as the most dominant defender in the league.

Marshall's decision also makes it very likely that he will be included as part of the U.S. national team's upcoming training camp in January.

What do you think of the news? Are you an overjoyed Crew fan? Are you a disappointed U.S. fan who was hoping Marshall would go and play in a big European league? Are you an MLS fan who is once again worried about the Crew being a force again?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. yeah, gooch is really “scrounging around” for a new deal. lol

    chad will get looks and a better deal in the coming years. just because parkhurst didn’t doesn’t mean chad won’t.

    and, good for mls. i’m sick of homegrown talent leaving.

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  2. ‘m just surprised he couldn’t get a better offer than Bunde 2 Mainz. …But I’m still scratching my head that he couldn’t get a beter offer. Maybe his lack of foot skills caught up with him in that regard, who knows.

    Posted by: Flashman

    __________

    Gee, flashman, I guess a lack of foot skills could be considered a detriment in a footballer, maybe?

    If Mainz really wanted him and he felt like he was going to start or at least play a lot of time for them then, sure, move to Germany. But over there you have to be significantly better than your competition or at least have a better political situation than him , to guarantee playing time. If this was last year maybe Marshall takes that risk but its too near the important WC qualifiers to risk that. And the WC could potentially be a much bigger showcase for Marshall the B2.

    However, he can’t beat out Gooch, who flopped in the Premiership and is scrounging around for a move out of Belgium; so maybe his “lack of foot skills ” is an issue after all.

    The larger question is; is the USMT spoilt for choice at the centerback positions or are these guys all too mediocre to separate?

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  3. I think this is a good decision because of the international schedule over the next two years. The MNT is playing a lot of games and Marshall will get to play in a lot of them as the central pair behind Boca and Gooch. I bet his contract is three years and MLS and Chad aim to hit Europe again in 2010 after the World Cup- allowing for transfer fee and a more experienced Chad. The advantage from extra international games he will get from playing in the states for the next two years could rival the benefits of going over seas for the next two seasons.

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  4. <>

    Naive comment o’ the day. Their lack of playing time has very little to do with politics. Sometimes, as with Dempsey, it’s just that the manager makes a bad initial choice and later corrects it.

    Usually, though, there’s nothing to distinguish players from MLS. Let’s face it, second-tier leagues are second-tier leagues. Why should Chad Marshall displace a couple of B.2 starters when that league is, generally, of a higher quality than MLS? Why would you assume there’s anything political there or that this is “Eurosnobbery?”

    Why should Marshall start over someone from the Romanian League, or the Swedish league etc.? If he were that much of a standout, he wouldn’t be making a move at 24, he’d be doing it straight from college or, more likely, high school. Having said that, if he gets taken by a team from a league equal or slightly better than MLS and they want to start him, great. But to suggest he’s riding the pine due to “politics” is asinine, shortsighted nationalism at its best.

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  5. Good for MLS. The politics of Americans getting on rosters and getting consistent playing time in the bigger leagues in Europe is getting ridiculous. I’m not convinced most talented young Americans will almost ever get a real fair chance competing for playing time against comparable native talent in Europe. Of course it doesn’t mean the best players shouldn’t strive for the best leagues. However, for right now the best long-term approach for American soccer is to continue to grow and strengthen MLS, especially through strong tournament competition in CONCACAF, while continuing to bolster the experience of the USMNT through solidly scheduled friendlies (like the three matches against Spain, England and Argentina before the Olympics) in between World Cup Qualifiers. Despite the howls of the Eurosnobs, talented players simply chasing after spots on the bench on clubs in second tier leagues in the Big 4 countries will do little to help the American game.

    Besides the point about REALLY taking U.S. game to the next level is forever moot until the American game attracts more of its best athletes currently in sports like basketball and American football to play soccer. Quite frankly it still needs that more than it needs good but not great athletes like Chad Marshall running over to Europe for seasoning. Simply put, imagine CP3 or in his prime Randy Moss in a USMNT kit with Dwight Howard in goal. (shivers) We U.S. soccer fans certainly wouldn’t need to worry about Europe ignoring our players then! LOL

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  6. all im sayin is that he shouldve signed wtih the red bulls!!!! imagine petke and marshall!!!! make it happen!! GET SOME!!!! SHAKE N BAKE!!!

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  7. Chad Marshall, if he stays healthy, is going to be a mainstay on the nats for many years. As an RB fan, MLS fan and US fan, I am very happy that he is staying.

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  8. Jig, that is exactly my point. I’m glad you understood what I actually meant.

    To those who think he’ll get a better offer after another Defender of the Year award, you might be mistaken. Two time Defender of the Year Michael Parkhurst was hoping the same thing, yet now he will play in Denmark. I have to say the Bundesliga 2 is a better place than there. Let’s hope a bigger club will bite on the next chance for this guy.

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  9. I’m in agreement, Sean. I guess we got our signals crossed. I am in fact generally in favor of any European move for automatic starters in MLS which puts them in an environment where they have to fight to earn minutes on the field.

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  10. I’m happy with him staying and starring in MLS as long as he gets enough time with the national team to be aware of the quicker level of play than he faces in MLS. I personally think he belongs right behind Onyewu and Boca in the pecking order, but I also don’t think he’s good enough to start consistently in a top Euro league.

    If he works his way into the national team mix, then maybe he’ll get more attention from Europe later on. He’ll probably be in better position to move when he’s 26 or 27 anyway. I echo the concerns of many here when I say I have no interest in seeing him move to a second-rate Scandinavian league. Better he stay in MLS than that.

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  11. Dave Clark,

    Without profits the league won’t even be sustainable, and teams will cease to exist. As a fan of a team in a fledgeling league, it makes sense to be concerned about profits.

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  12. Poor decisions by clubs overseas to pass on him, and good for MLS.

    Who knows, maybe he could repeat as defender of the year (he definitely has the talent to do so), get an offer from a better club in Europe, and get transfer money for the MLS all at the same time.

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  13. Marshall will do better playing than sitting. The MLS level of play goes up each year, and the Crew will get Champions League games as well. Also, I think there is something to be said for defenders developing leadership skills while being the class player on the pitch. Someone made this argument for Adu’s field presence the other day.

    It’s disappointing that Marshall isn’t garnering more attention, of course. His next career focus should be securing a national team roster spot, and leading the Columbus defense shouldn’t keep him from getting some looks.

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  14. Hey Crew fans, all this shows is that MLS isn’t that great, and that your guy is sub-par. The Red Bulls lost Altidore, and he went to a premier league, and is getting minutes. Your guy couldn’t even ride the pine. Imagine if Altidore had stayed. Cup would be in NY. Oh, and our team at least got PAID.

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  15. If he has no competition for a starting spot on whatever team he plays for, how is he improving? To me, minutes don’t mean as much when you are a guaranteed start for each game. At least in Europe, he would get what he needs as a professional.

    To Jig, the upside was that he would get the chance to play with a better caliber of footballer. The upside to a European career would be the competition for a position, and the technical ability that he will not get playing in Columbus.

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  16. Crew fan here, and I’m overjoyed (of course).

    I’m frankly amazed that the best offer the MLS Defender of the year could get was to be cover on a first rate second division club in Germany.

    I guess people in Europe don’t remember Ryan Nelsen came from MLS.

    I was resigned to him leaving, but think he made the right choice. I’d rather have our NAT team players playing than sitting.

    If he impresses again, and gets some Nat looks, interest will pick up, and the Crew is not the Revolution, we’ll let him go if he gets a good offer. Just ask Friedel, McBride, Stern John, Simon Elliot, or Danny Szetela.

    And now well get some compensation!

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  17. I’m a HUGE Chicago Fire fan and even I think its GREAT that we have one of the best defenders in the league staying here. Congratz to the Crew, and be ready for the Fire to get payback =)

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  18. For what it’s worth, Mainz isn’t a second rate German squad. They’re first last time I checked. My guess is that Marshall figured out he wouldn’t be seeing first team time at the resumption of the German season.

    He should’ve gone to St. Pauli. I hear Hamburg is nice this time of year.

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  19. Overjoyed Crew fan here. 🙂

    I like it when a title-winning team gets to stay mostly intact to try and repeat before everyone goes their separate ways and cashes in.

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  20. I’m just surprised he couldn’t get a better offer than Bunde 2 Mainz. And as a backup (not that anyone should be guaranteed a place int he startign 11, but the manager was pretty clear they were just looking for cover). Given that, I’m glad he’s staying with the Crew. But I’m still scratching my head that he couldn’t get a beter offer. Maybe his lack of foot skills caught up with him in that regard, who knows.

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  21. Good moves on both Chad Marshall’s part and the Crew. As some have already stated, he was being looked for as a back up, I am glad riding the pine is not in his immediate future.

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  22. How exactly would riding the bench on a second division German club put Marshall ahead of Calif, Parkhurst and Goodson? Sometimes going to Europe is not the best option. If the money and/or interest had been higher, perhaps he would of gone. But I think he made the right play here. Besides, people here are always complaining about MLS losing their top players to second level leagues, and when they actually keep one, you complain about it. Amazing.

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  23. I’m happy for Chad and the MLS. Again, Chad in the MLS is guaranteed playing time vs. possibly no playing time in Europe. Good for you, Chad and I can’t wait to see you in yellow again.

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  24. Sorry Sean, I like Chad Marshall as much as the next guy, but “huge upside”? Come on. If that were the case he never would have been here in the first place.

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  25. Just what we need, a young talented player with a huge upside to a European career staying in MLS where he is guaranteed a starting spot. Marshal just made a poor decision career wise.

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  26. As an MLS fan, I’m glad that they were finally able to keep some top young talent in the league. As a USMNT fan, I’m disappointed that a talented centerback like Chad Marshall is bypassing testing his talents in Europe to stay with the Crew.

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  27. Dear Rest of MLS,

    Your hate and jealousy is delicious. We wish to bathe in it.

    YOUR LORDS AND MASTERS (AND HOLDERS OF THE CUP FOR THE FORSEEABLE FUTURE),

    MASSIVE CLUB

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  28. Most reports stated that chad would have been a backup. The coach even made public statements regarding this. Since that was the case we dont need another US player riding the pine in a 2nd class European league.

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  29. I say I’m happy that he is staying for a little more time yet. His contract was not going to be substantially greater and playing time was not assured. I’m impressed with Columbus at this point in the offseason.

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  30. I was hoping Marshall would step up and make people forget about Subotic. It’s a tall order, I know. Now, Marshall’s resume, if not the quality of his play, would pale in comparison to Subotic’s for the foreseeable future.

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  31. I’d say the only chance he had of making the World Cup roster would be for him to be playing with Mainz in Germany or another European team. He just put himself right behind Califf, Parkhurst and Goodson in the pecking order

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