What Seattle defender won MLS Defender of the Year in 2014?

Chad Marshall won MLS Defender of the Year in 2014 while playing for the Seattle Sounders.

Marshall joined Seattle before the 2014 season after a long and successful spell with the Columbus Crew. His strength in the air, positioning, tackling, and calm distribution made him the anchor of the Sounders’ defense. Seattle won the Supporters’ Shield that year, awarded to the team with the best regular-season record.

The 2014 award was Marshall’s third MLS Defender of the Year honor. He had previously won it in 2008 and 2009 with Columbus, making him the first three-time recipient at that point. The award was decided through voting by media members, MLS players, and club management.

Marshall’s 2014 season included 136 interceptions, 126 headers won, 206 clearances, and an 83 percent passing accuracy, according to Seattle. The other leading finalists were Bobby Boswell of D.C. United and Omar Gonzalez of the LA Galaxy. Marshall later helped Seattle win the 2016 MLS Cup before retiring from professional soccer in 2019.