The Tacoma Defiance will make their first U.S. Open Cup appearance in 10 years tonight when they host Seattle’s Washington Athletic Club at 7 PM at Starfire Sports Complex. The winner of this game will most likely play Spokane Velocity in the Second Round on April 1-2.
The only other time the Defiance played in the Open Cup was in 2015 when they were called Sounders 2. They went 2-1 that year, beating the Kitsap Pumas and Timbers 2 before falling to Real Salt Lake. The following season, the Open Cup banned second-teams from competing in the tournament. Last year, after striking a compromise with MLS, the Open Cup allowed second-teams to compete in place of some first teams.
With the Sounders not allowed to compete in the tournament this year due to new MLS rules that limit teams to two regional cup competitions, the Defiance were allowed back in.
Although MLS teams are allowed to loan as many players from their supplemental roster as they want, Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer said just two first-team players would be participating in this game, and likely only playing for a half. Travian Sousa, Leo Burney, Reed Baker-Whiting, Cody Baker, Stuart Hawkins, Danny Leyva and Kalani Kossa-Rienzi have all been listed as players available to the Defiance.
Michael Battista
Washington Athletic Club, who will be making their debut in the tournament, primarily play in the Seattle Recreational Adult Team Soccer (RATS) league and are the first club from Washington to earn their spot through local qualifying. Their roster is mostly made up of former college players, several of whom have some pro experience and/or have played in the Sounders organization at some point.
