all dynamic offensive players. This week we're going to turn the tables and highlight a pair of veteran MLS defenders who've labored in the trenches for years without fanfare but who stand on the verge of a record that's equal parts significant and obscure.
When the Fire host the Galaxy on Wednesday night (ESPN2, 9:00 p.m. EDT), C.J. Brown and Brandon Prideaux can break the all-time MLS record for starts by a defender in a shutout. Kevin Hartman holds the MLS record for clean sheets by a goalkeeper (82). Brown and Prideaux, who have both started as a defender in 69 shutouts to date, have a chance this week to break the corresponding record for backliners, a mark that has been held by Robin Fraser since 2003 when he wrested it from Peter Vermes.
That's pretty heady company: Vermes, the 2000 MLS Defender of the Year who earned 66 caps for the U.S. National Team, including three starts during the 1990 World Cup; and Fraser, who with Carlos Bocanegra are the only two-time winners of the MLS Defender of the Year award. On Wednesday at Toyota Park, with the help of Jon Busch and their Chicago teammates, Brown and/or Prideaux can erase Fraser's name from one line in the MLS record book.
Until now, Brown's main achievement has been his durability. He has played 262 games over a 12-year MLS career, all for the Fire. The only other player to appear in at least 250 MLS matches, all for the same team, was Cobi Jones (306 for the Galaxy). Prideaux's only noteworthy statistical feat to date is rather an albatross. He has played 244 games without scoring a goal, by far the highest total by any field player without a goal in league history. When Prideaux rattled the crossbar with a header in the 88th minute of a goalless draw with the Sounders three weeks ago, it was the first time he'd even managed to strike the woodwork.
But this week you can see a small piece of MLS history involving the kinds of players who rarely make the headlines. Brown and Prideaux can set a record that really matters, a byproduct of longevity and enough talent to start on the backline for some top defensive teams.
Another MLS veteran whose name rarely tops the scoresheet can set a league record this week. Jesse Marsch, who has committed his share of fouls during 14 seasons in MLS, will finally be recognized for his -- how should we put this -- tenacity. Marsch, whose Chivas USA club will host Toronto FC on Saturday night, is just two short of Chris Henderson's league mark of 474 fouls. It may not be a Golden Boot or an MVP trophy, but it's an appropriate symbol of what has made Marsch a three-time starter in the MLS Cup Final, including a victory for Chicago in the 1998 title match.
One more bit of obscure MLS history could happen on Thursday night when the Sounders host the Revs. Although 18 pairs of brothers have played in Major League Soccer, only one pair has worn opposing jerseys on the same field: Jamil Roberts and Troy Roberts went head-to-head for the final two minutes of an Earthquakes-Galaxy match last season. The atmosphere at Qwest Field alone should be enough reason to tune in on Thursday (ESPN2, 10:00 p.m. EDT), but you might also see the Nyassis, Sainey of the Revs and Sanna of the Sounders, become the second brothers to play against each other in an MLS match.
Finally, what should we make of Clint Mathis, the one-time Sports Illustrated cover boy who extended his MLS record by incurring his ninth red card last Saturday in Real Salt Lake's scoreless draw with the Dynamo. Mathis continues to have his supporters despite scoring only two goals in his last 40 matches, dating back to August 2007. He has drawn nearly twice as many cards (24) as he has scored goals (13) since returning to Major League Soccer in 2005.
Peter Hirdt is Vice President of the Elias Sports Bureau, Official Statistician of Major League Soccer.
