TUKWILA, Wash. ā With the retirement of legendary defender Chad Marshall, what the Seattle Sounders are losing on the field is obvious.
But when it comes to replacing him, thereās more to it than filling the void left by the only player to win the MLS Defender of the Year award three times. The Sounders are losing one of their veteran leaders and one of the clubās biggest personalities. Among his teammates, Marshallās joking nature and locker room antics are almost as legendary as his on-field dominance.
Midfielder Cristian Roldan recalled one example of a quintessential Marshall story at Seattleās training session at Starfire Sports Complex on Wednesday, recounting how the 6-foot-4 center back would raid the locker of slighter-framed goalkeeper Stefan Frei and wrangle his way into his tight-fitting clothes before strutting around and acting like they were his own.
āIt made the team just laugh out of him just being himself,ā Roldan said. āHe would do this a lot, very frequently, and it brought the team closer together because we all just laughed at his humor.ā
Frei, who claims to have countered those antics by wearing progressively tighter clothes until Marshall couldnāt physically fit into them anymore, said presences like that in the high-pressure, do-or-die world of professional sports are crucial, particularly when times get tough.
āThose are things that are necessary,ā Frei said. āThose are funny, goofy things that are needed in the locker room, where weāre always under pressure, especially when youāre finding yourself in a dark place.
āThose are important moments to keep spirits high and laugh for a second and then be able to roll up your sleeves again and go to work. He always had a knack for knowing when it was time to do something like that.ā
An on-field contingency plan is already on the way in the form of newly-signed Ecuadorian center back Xavier Arreaga, who Sounders general manager Garth Lagerwey said could arrive in Seattle as soon as Thursday.
But thatās only one piece of the puzzle. Emotions were raw at Wednesdayās practice at Starfire, with a couple of those interviewed choking back tears while discussing Marshallās legacy with the franchise and the hole his departure leaves.
āHe took the edge off on many occasions,ā Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer said. āWhen everyoneās all angsty and angry, he would just do something, he would say something and weād be going, āOk, itās not that serious. Letās just be happy weāve got a good job and weāre around a bunch of good teammates.ā
āThat was one of his lasting things. He made us all realize that, yes, this is an intense sport and thereās pressure. But he was able to relieve some of that at certain moments.ā