TACOMA, WASH. – Tacoma Defiance today announced that it has signed defender Taylor Mueller. The 31-year-old University of Washington product has appeared in 212 career USL Championship games and has recorded eight goals in 17,497 minutes. The signing brings the Defiance roster to 13 players ahead of the 2020 season.
“We’re excited to welcome Taylor to our organization and the Pacific Northwest,” said Sounders FC Director of Player Development Marc Nicholls. “He is a proven USL player that will bring a great deal of experience to our club and he will help to develop our younger players.”
Mueller has started 193 of his 212 USL Championship appearances across eight seasons with Charleston, and he has started each of his 124 appearances in the last four seasons. He recorded a career-high 3,000 minutes in 2019, totaling two goals and one assist. In 2017, Mueller was named to the USL Championship All-League Second Team after starting all 33 of his appearances and recording 2,970 minutes. The defender scored a career-high three goals in 26 games during the 2016 season. Mueller has appeared in 14 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup matches, making 14 starts and totaling 1,060 minutes.
A native of Kirkland, Washington and a graduate of Eastlake High School in Sammamish, Mueller attended the University of Washington from 2007-2010. He started 67 of his 72 appearances for the Huskies, recording two goals and 44 shots. Mueller was named to the All Pac-10 Second Team three times, and took home club Defensive MVP honors as a senior in 2010. He was drafted 38th overall in the 2011 MLS Supplemental Draft by the Portland Timbers.
Transaction: Tacoma Defiance signs defender Taylor Mueller on December 18, 2019.
Name: Taylor Mueller
Position: Defender
Height: 6-1
Weight: 194
Born: September 20, 1998 in Kirkland, Washington
Hometown: Kirkland, Washington
Citizenship: United States
College: University of Washington
The Defiance current roster is listed below by positional breakdown.
CURRENT TACOMA DEFIANCE ROSTER
Defenders (5): Antonee Burke-Gilroy, Abdoulaye Cissoko, Nick Hinds, Taylor Mueller, Sam Rogers
Midfielders (3): Josh Atencio, Jesse Daley, Danny Robles
Forwards (5): Alec Diaz, Azriel Gonzalez, Shandon Hopeau, Ray Serrano, Marlon Vargas
