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Chad Marshall, Ryan Cochrane among U20 players preparing to play professional soccer
Chad Marshall and Ryan Cochrane, the central defensive pairing who helped lead the U.S. U20 team to within a hair's breadth of a semifinal berth in the just-completed FIFA World Youth Championship, are both moving to Major League Soccer for next year.
Marshall signed a Project 40 contract with the league before leaving for the U20 event, while Cochrane described himself as "in the process" of signing. Both players declined to sign similar deals at around this time last year.
Fellow U20 players Ned Grabavoy, Steve Cronin and Clint Dempsey are also expected to turn professional, with Grabavoy and Cronin contemplating options both at home and abroad, and Dempsey expected to sign domestically. Late addition Freddy Adu has already signed with the league and will play with DC United.
Marshall, who played college soccer the past two seasons at Stanford, had reportedly attracted some interest from European clubs, but said MLS is the right fit for him now.
"Two years ago I thought I wanted to go to Europe, but I've seen some big name players have a hard time with it over there," Marshall said. "I think is is the right thing for me to do now. I can put money away for school and I think the league is doing well. I see a guy like (Carlos) Bocanegra developing well and probably going overseas now, and I think it's a good path for me to take too."
For Cochrane, a junior at Santa Clara, deciding to wait a year after seriously considering jumping to the pros last year has worked out well.
"After the way things went at the U20 World Championship I can't wait to get started with the next level," Cochrane said. "I think it was worth it to wait and see what would happen, but I think it's working out fine."
Cochrane said he will be at the MLS Combine in January at Home Depot Center, while Marshall said he is uncertain whether he will attend.