250 and counting

Tyrone Marshall reached a milestone with his 250th MLS start in a 1-0 win over Kansas City, and he plans to have many more.

When Tyrone Marshall was announced in the starting 11 on Saturday when the Sounders FC faced the Kansas City Wizards it was a landmark moment in his 13 years of Major League Soccer.

It marked his 250th career MLS start and Mike Fucito made it a memorable one when his 92nd minute goal gave the Sounders FC a 1-0 win.

“It’s definitely rewarding.  I remember my 100th game I played Columbus and we didn’t win.  It’s good to get a win in my 250th start and it came in a shutout too,” Marshall said.

Things didn’t always look so good for him in the game though.  In the 14th minute, a collision with Wizards midfielder Stephane Auvray left Marshall with an open gash on the right side of his head that would leave Marshall with blood streaming from his head on at least two occasions.

The 35-year-old Jamaican wasn’t deterred by the scrap though, but rather excited about the physical nature of the meeting.

“It’s just one of those types of games.  People were scrapping and being warriors out there, fighting for everything,” said Marshall.  “But you staple it up and move on.  I like to play in those games because it makes people more intense.”

He went to the sidelines where he said trainer Randy Noteboom wanted to bandage Marshall’s head, much like Nate Jaqua did in the US Open Cup semifinal against the Houston Dynamo in 2009.  Instead, Marshall took staples to the head to close the wound and covered it in Vaseline to reduce the likelihood of reopening the wound – a tactic frequently used in boxing.

“Randy wanted to try that and mummify me, but I told him to just put some Vaseline on there,” Marshall said with a laugh.  “I didn’t want to look like a mummy out there.”

He continued through the game, playing the full 90 minutes - with the exception of a short stretch early in the second half when the wound needed further medical attention. 

All told, it was just another day at the office for Marshall, though a memorable milestone.

“It’s a good achievement to get.  I still feel like I’ve got a lot in the tank.  It’s one of those milestones that you appreciate and it shows you’ve been doing the work on and off the field,” said Marshall, who will square off with FC Dallas Thursday night at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas.  “Not a lot of people can say they started 250 games, so now I look forward to getting to 300 and beyond.”