Tacoma Defiance announce end-of-season roster moves

Coming off a third straight season in which they made the MLS Next Pro playoffs, the Tacoma Defiance announced their end-of-season roster decisions.

Osaze De Rosario, Lars Helleren, Elias Katsaros, Kalani Kossa-Rienzi, Antino Lopez and Yu Tsukanome all had their options exercised. They join Chris Aquino, Snyder Brunell, Sebastian Gomez and Antonio Herrera, who were already under contract. Herrera spent the whole season on loan with Chivas de Guadalajara’s U23s and is expected to return to Tacoma in 2025. Additionally, the team remains in talks with Travian Sousa, who is currently out of contract.

The contract options for Burke Fahling and Pedro Rodrigues were declined while Brian Aguilar, Blake Bowen, Gio Miglietti and Owen O’Malley are now all out of contract.

Of the players who appear unlikely to come back, Miglietti was easily the most productive. The former Sounders Academy and UW player had seven goals — including two in the playoffs — in just 774 minutes. But at 25 years old, he was also one of the team’s oldest players and unlikely to make the jump to the first team.

CURRENT TACOMA DEFIANCE ROSTER

GOALKEEPERS (1): Lars Helleren

DEFENDERS (3): Elias Katsaros, Kalani Kossa-Rienzi, Antino Lopez

MIDFIELDERS (4): Chris Aquino, Snyder Brunell, Sebastian Gomez, Antonio Herrera

FORWARDS (2): Osaze De Rosario, Yu Tsukanome