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Seattle Sounders' Chad Marshall earns MLS Defender of Year for third time

NEW YORK -- Seattle's Chad Marshall has been voted Major League Soccer's Defender of the Year for a record third time.

He made 31 regular-season league appearances in his first season with the Sounders. He also won the award in 2008 and '09 with Columbus.

#INSERT type:image caption:Seattle's Chad Marshall has been voted Major League Soccer's Defender of the Year for a record third time. END#

The league said on Tuesday he received 83 percent of weighed ballots added from team, media and player votes.

D.C. United's Bobby Boswell was second with 77 percent, followed by the Los Angeles Galaxy's Omar Gonzalez with 43 percent.

Mark Geiger was voted Referee of the Year with 178 percent of a possible 300 percent after becoming the first American to referee a knockout-round match at the World Cup.

Jair Marrufo was second with 63 percent, followed by Alan Kelly with 59 percent.