There’s a new De Rosario looking to make a name for himself in Major League Soccer.
On Thursday, May 9 it was announced that Osaze, son of MLS legend Dwayne De Rosario, signed a First Team contract with the Seattle Sounders for the remainder of the year, with options for 2026 and 2027.
In the midst of a current 10-goal season with Tacoma Defiance, the decision to sign the forward was inevitable.
“He's been on a track, an upward trajectory,” said Head Coach Brian Schmetzer.
“The kid’s got good starting points, that's what I would say…size, strength, speed, [and] power.”
Following his brief stint with Canadian Premier League side York United, De Rosario made the move to MLS NEXT Pro’s Tacoma Defiance in March of 2024. In his first season with the club, he contributed to six goals, supported Defiance to the MLS NEXT Pro Western Conference Semifinals and had opportunities to compete with the First Team on short-term loans.
But, it was not until this 2025 season, where the Guyana international began to truly shine. In just five matches for Tacoma, De Rosario has racked up eight goals in MLS NEXT Pro play and two during the Open Cup. Along with leading the league in goals, he was recently honored as MLS NEXT Pro’s Player of the Month after tallying two braces and a 5th goal during the month of April.
It's been his accelerated progression up to this point that has proven himself worthy of taking that next step to the First Team.
“If he continues to improve the way he has over the last 14 months, he'll be a tough player to play against,” said General Manager & Chief Soccer Officer Craig Waibel. “The timeline was what, just over a year bringing him in and kind of teaching him continuation, of teaching him how to be a pro, day-in, day-out. He's learned those habits, he's adapted well, and [credit] to our staff that's done a great job teaching him, but also to him for putting the work in.”
His strong work ethic will need to continue as he grows his game further and looks to eventually play a significant role on the Sounders squad.
“The contract itself was pretty straightforward,” said Waibel. “It was, ‘Hey, this is another opportunity, another step. But let's make no mistake about it, you're going play some first team minutes, but anything less than 20 goals for the Defiance is a failure this year.’ And so, you know, there's still pressure on him to perform at multiple levels.”
The objective for De Rosario is simple as he navigates this new opportunity with the First Team.
“He's here to score goals and make life difficult for center backs,” said Schmetzer.
And with the Sounders three road-match marathon on the horizon beginning on Saturday against the Houston Dynamo, De Rosario will have the chance to showcase why he is deserving of minutes in MLS.
“He’s going to come with us on the trip,” said Schmetzer. “If there's any chance that he can play, it's in this stretch of two weeks where we have three games in a week. So we'll integrate him as best we can or when we need him, and that'll be an opportunity for him.”
De Rosario is more than ready to take on the challenge.
“[I] just [want to] help the team, push forward through the season, get good results,” he said. “And, you know, just make my stance and make my mark.”
