Major League Soccer on Wednesday named former Seattle Sounders players Clint Dempsey and Chad Marshall, as well as current Assistant Coach Preki to its list of The 25 Greatest, honoring the best players in MLS history.
The original nominations list, which was released on Oct. 30, consisted of 137 of the very best players in the league’s 25-year history. Ten players had Seattle connections, with the other seven nominees being Stefan Frei, Kasey Keller, Troy Perkins, Osvaldo Alonso, Chris Henderson, Shalrie Joseph and Ante Razov.
Dempsey donned the Rave Green from 2013 until his retirement midway through the 2018 season. He is the Sounders’ joint-leading MLS goalscorer with 47 goals, was part of the 2016 MLS Cup team and was twice named an All-Star (2014, 2015). He also spent 2004-06 with the New England Revolution prior to a seven-year stint in England. While with the Revs, Dempsey was named MLS Rookie of the Year (2004), was a two-time MLS Best XI (2005, 2006) and made two more All-Star Games (2005, 2006). He finished his MLS career with 72 goals and 42 assists.
Marshall joined the Sounders in 2014 and played until his retirement during the 2019 season. Marshall, who spent the first 10 years of his career with Columbus Crew SC, is one of, if not, the most decorated MLS defender of all time. He is the only player to win MLS Defender of the Year three times, including one with Seattle in 2014. While with the Sounders, he was twice named MLS Best XI (2014, 2018), made two All-Star Games (2014, 2015) and won two MLS Cups (2016, 2019). Marshall is also fifth in Sounders history in games played and minutes.
As a member of Crew SC, Marshall won two Defender of the Year awards (2008, 2009), was named to two MLS Best XI teams (2008, 2009), played in two MLS All-Star Games (2009, 2010) and won the 2008 MLS Cup.
Preki has been an assistant to Head Coach Brian Schmetzer since the 2018 season. Preki, who spent nine years over two stints with the Kansas City Wizards and one season with the now-defunct Miami Fusion, is still the only player in MLS history to win multiple Landon Donovan MLS MVP awards (1997, 2003). He also won two Golden Boots (1997, 2003), was a four-time MLS Best XI selection (1996, 1997, 2001, 2003), won the 2000 MLS Cup and the 2001 and 2001 Supporters’ Shields and the 2004 U.S. Open Cup.
Preki is fifth all-time in MLS in assists (112), was named to the MLS’ All-Time Best XI in 2005 and was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2010.
