Columbus Crew's Chad Marshall, in yellow, during MLS action last year, was named defender of the year Thursday.Columbus Crew's Chad Marshall, in yellow, during MLS action last year, was named defender of the year Thursday.

Columbus Crew's Chad Marshall was named Visa Defender of the Year for the second year in a row, Major League Soccer announced Thursday.

The 2009 MLS All-Star anchored a Columbus defence that only allowed 31 goals during the regular season — a record low for the team.

The MLS honoured the 29-year-old's leadership for helping the Crew grab its second straight Supporters' Shield trophy, which is awarded to the team with the best regular season record.

The California native was Columbus's second overall pick in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft. He's now in his sixth season.

Alex Prus was also honoured as the Adidas Referee of the Year, and Greg Barkey received the Assistant Referee award.