Sota Kitahara was announced as the Seattle Sounders’ 20th-ever Homegrown Player signing on Friday, the first of two expected additions from the Tacoma Defiance. The 19-year-old Edmonds native first joined the Sounders’ Discovery Program in 2014 and signed with the Defiance in 2020. This is a two-year deal with options for 2025 and 2026.
“[Kitahara] has shown continued improvement every year at all levels of our development pathway,” Senior Vice President of Soccer Operations & Sporting Director Craig Waibel said in a statement. “I believe he will be an excellent addition to an already talented midfield.