Marshall Makes Smart Move, Finally Gets Bank

Chad Marshall made an excellent decision staying with the Crew. Rather than warming the bench for a second-tier Bundesliga club that gets almost no TV exposure outside Germany, he returns to a championship team in one of the fastest growing soccer leagues in the world.

Ironically, it likely was Crew management’s calculating, impersonal Machiavellianism with Sigi Schmid that made the Marshall re-signing possible. The ransom money that Mark McCullers extracted from Seattle to release Sigi allowed the Crew to compete to keep Marshall.

Terms were not disclosed, but El Luchador has learned that the Crew’s offer was competitive with what was on the table in Mainz. Sources indicate that the three-year deal will exceed $1/2 million (over the life of the contract) including options and bonuses. So, Marshall is finally making a salary that reflects his status as the top defender in the U.S.

Marshall’s salary was $75,000 in 2006, $100,000 in 2007 and $125,000 in 2008. Despite being the MLS Defender of the Year, he was paid less than 21 other MLS defenders in 2008. By comparison, the highest paid, Dallas’ lackluster Duilio Davino, made $400,000.

There are fools who still believe that it is necessary to play in Europe in order to compete for a spot on the U.S. National Team. Wrong. By guaranteeing continued playing time and domestic exposure and earning one of the top salaries for an MLS defender, Marshall has now increased his odds of playing in the 2010 World Cup.