Defiance add two Academy products
Share this story
Sounders FC Digital // Lindsey Wasson
The youth movement in the Seattle Sounders organization is obviously not limited to the First Team. Tacoma Defiance has been one of the youngest teams in the USL Championship throughout its existence, and that won’t be changing any time soon. Following the addition of four more veteran players, Defiance announced on Friday that Academy players Juan Alvarez and Obed Vargas had signed with the team.
Alvarez, a 16 year-old attacking midfielder, has spent time in First Team training during 2021 and made his presence noted when he scored the lone goal in one of the two preseason friendlies with San Diego Loyal. He’s yet another example of the full player development pipeline, first having joined the Sounders Discovery Program at the age of 12 before becoming a full-time Academy player at 14. Alvarez trained with Tacoma in 2020 with the Academy season canceled due to the pandemic.