The Defiance have made their first addition of the offseason with the signing of defender Codey Phoenix from Auckland FC, terms undisclosed. He is left footed and most likely to slot in at left back, a position of need after Travian Sousa recently signed for Akademisk Boldklub A/S in Denmark.
“We’re excited to welcome Codey to Tacoma Defiance,” Sounders FC Technical Director Henry Brauner said in a team statement. “He is an up-and-coming young talent, already with a good amount of experience at the club and national level, and we are confident he will fit in well within our system. He also exhibits the type of person and character that we strive to have within our development pathway.”
Phoenix played the previous season with the reserve team for Auckland FC, making 21 appearances across all competitions and scoring 3 goals. He also has experience at the international level, most recently appearing at the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
He started New Zealand’s first game against Chile playing the full 90 minutes in a 2-1 loss. This was followed with another start in their second game against Egypt, where he picked up an assist in a 2-1 victory.
“Codey has impressed us with his performances at the club and international level,” Sounders FC Director of Development Wade Webber said. “He’s shown maturity in big moments, a strong competitive edge and an ability to handle different challenges. We’re excited to bring him into the Defiance group and support his continued growth as he takes this next step.”
The Defiance have a good track record with promising young internationals and hopefully Codey Phoenix will be the next success story.
Tacoma Defiance roster
GOALKEEPERS (1): Mohammed Shour
DEFENDERS (3): Demian Alvarez, Antino Lopez, Codey Phoenix
MIDFIELDERS (6): Charles Dodzi, Charlie Gaffney, Sebastian Gomez, Omar Hassan, Peter Kingston, Danny Robles
FORWARDS (0):
