Tacoma Defiance announced a handful of roster moves Wednesday and Thursday. First, on Wednesday, the team announced that they have loaned midfielder Juan Alvarez to FZ Pinzgau Saalfelden — the Austrian third-division club where Sota Kitahara and Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez spent time on loan in 2021 — for the remainder of their season, and exercised midfielder Fito Ovalle’s option for the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro season.
Alvarez, 18, made 23 regular-season appearances in 2023. He’ll have an opportunity to gain valuable experience in a new environment with FCPS, and then hopefully use that to propel himself forward when he rejoins his Defiance teammates later this year.