The Tacoma Defiance moved into first place of the MLS Next Pro’s Western Conference with a 4-1 win over St. Louis City2 on Saturday. The Defiance got goals from Osaze DeRosario, Stuart Hawkins and Georgi Minoungou as well as an own-goal that was forced by a Yu Tsukanome cross. Tsukanome added two other assists. That gives the Defiance 20 goals in six league games, having scored at least two in all of them.
Highlights
Key performers
Osaze DeRosario: The forward simply can't stop scoring, it seems. DeRosario now has nine goals in seven games across all competitions, having scored in all but one match (and he had an assist in that one while only playing a half). This goal came off a nice move at the top of the box before finishing with his left. It continued an amazing run of form that dates back to him scoring four goals in two games with Guayana in a Concacaf Nations League play-in series against Barbados. Including those matches, he now has 13 goals in his past nine matches for club and country.
Yu Tsukanome: Playing in the No. 10 role for this game, Tsukanome was absolutely dealing. It was his cross that forced the own-goal, it was his ball ahead that put DeRosario in for his goal and he picked up another assist on Minoungou's goal after playing him into space. Tsukanome could have probably had at least one more assist and then hit a free kick off the crossbar as well.
Georgi Minoungou: Watching him play these last two games with Defiance it's pretty obvious that he has graduated from MLS Next Pro, but it's still fun to watch him. Minoungou's goal was vintage stuff as he picked the ball up about 70 yards from goal, beat one man, fought off another and then beat him off the dribble too just before slotted inside the far post with his left foot. He then celebrated but jumping the ad boards and giving his new daughter a kiss. Truth be told, Minoungou probably could have had at least one more goal and maybe an assist as well.
Stats
MATCH SUMMARY
Tacoma Defiance 4 – St. Louis CITY2 1
Saturday, April 26, 2025
Venue: Starfire Stadium
Referee: Lukasz Jozefecki
Assistants: Serghei Celan, Miles Crumley
Fourth official: Justin St. Pierre
Weather: 63 degrees and sunny
SCORING SUMMARY
TAC – Own Goal (Jaziel Orozco) 8’
TAC – Osaze De Rosario (Yu Tsukanome) 58’
TAC – Stuart Hawkins (Peter Kingston) 62’
TAC – Georgi Minoungou 84’
STL – Matteo Kidd 88’
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
STL – Emil Jääskeläinen (caution) 40’
LINEUPS & STATS
Tacoma Defiance – Jacob Castro; Travian Sousa, Kaito Yamada, Stuart Hawkins, Gallatin Sandnes (Reed Baker-Whiting 56’); Snyder Brunell – Captain, Peter Kingston; Sebastian Gomez (Antino Lopez 65’), Yu Tsukanome (Rafferty Pedder 85’), Danny Robles (Georgi Minoungou HT); Osaze De Rosario
Substitutes not used: Lars Helleren, Jackson Khoury, Birame Diaw, Ryan Baer, Christian Dodzi
Total shots: 14
Shots on goal: 5
Fouls: 8
Offside: 3
Corner-kicks: 3
Saves: 5
St. Louis CITY2 – Colin Welsh; Tyson Pearce, Jaziel Orozco (Ryan Becher 72’), Gabriel Mikina, Cameron Cilley; Seth Antwi (Emiliano Chavez 76’), Matteo Kidd; Wan Kuzain (Dida Armstrong 76’), Caden Glover (Ryan Dugan 63’), Brendan McSorley (Lorenzo Cornelius 72’); Emil Jääskeläinen
Substitutes not used: Larsen Hackworth, John Di Maria, Lucas McPartlin
Total shots: 13
Shots on goal: 6
Fouls: 12
Offside: 2
Corner-kicks: 3
Saves: 2
