The Tacoma Defiance finished out their first playoff-less season of the MLS Next Pro era in style, beating Houston Dynamo 2 5-1 on Sunday. Although the Defiance had already been eliminated from postseason contention, the result erased any hope the Dynamo 2 had of qualifying. It was the third time in four years that the Defiance had effectively ended Dynamo 2’s season.
Among the Defiance’s standouts were two players who have been a significant part of their success this year, with both Yu Tsukanome and Osaze DeRosario scoring braces. Tsukanome also had an assist, giving him 21 goals and five assists across all competitions this year. DeRosario finishes the MLS Next Pro season with 10 goals in league play and two more in the U.S. Open Cup. Jackson Khoury added a goal, while Charlie Gaffney chipped in with two assists and Snyder Brunell had one as well.
The Defiance finished the campaign 12th in the Western Conference, five points shy of the playoffs. Their 62 goals led the conference but they also allowed 67 goals, tied for the most.
Their season unraveled over the second half of the campaign, as they claimed just 12 point during the 17 matches that followed their U.S. Open Cup loss to the Portland Timbers. During that stretch, they also parted ways with head coach Hervé Diese, the first time they had undergone a midseason coaching change during their 11-year history. They did manage to go 3-1-0 during their last four matches, all with Academy goalkeeper Noah Newman starting.
