Name: Sota Kitahara
Position: Midfielder
Number: 77
Height: 5-7
Weight: 146
Born: January 11, 2003 in Edmonds, Washington
Hometown: Edmonds, Washington
Citizenship: United States
Acquired: Signed to Defiance’s roster on December 15, 2020
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2021 (Tacoma Defiance): Kitahara started eight of 11 appearances in 2021 before being loaned to Pinzgau Saalfelden in Austria, where he made an additional 17 appearances and 15 starts.
2020 (Defiance): Kitahara made starts in 13 of his 14 appearances, playing a total of 1146 minutes across the 2020 campaign.
2019 (Defiance): Kitahara appeared in and made his first start for the Defiance against Real Monarchs on September 18, 2019. He also logged one more appearance, also a start, against Fresno FC on October 6, 2019.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
Has been involved in USYNT and JNT programs.
YOUTH EXPERIENCE
Kitahara joined the Club via Sounders Discovery program from Seattle United in 2016 and has been a success story ever since. He was a member of the U-14 squad that won the Youdan Trophy after defeating Everton FC in penalty kicks in 2017. Kitahara was integral in the Academy’s Generation adidas Cups and USSDA national championship. In 2018, he was awarded Sounders Academy Humanitarian of the Year for his volunteer work in Seattle and Japan.
