The Seattle Sounders have built a robust talent pipeline that has been regularly churning out MLS-level professionals for the better part of a decade. It is now at the point where there are enough players being developed that some are being moved both around MLS and abroad due to lack of playing time.
With that in mind, we wanted to start a new feature where we rank the top up-and-coming Sounders. Although first-team players are eligible for this list, we decided to exclude anyone who has already established themselves there. We’re also limiting it to players who are 22 or younger. That's why, for instance, 19-year-old Snyder Brunell and 24-year-old Mark O'Neill were not included.
To create the list, each of the five authors compiled a Top 10 list with points attached to each position. They were asked to consider both the likelihood that a player will become a first-team contributor and their perceived ceiling. We then averaged those scores and created a final list of 11 players.
Without further ado, the Sounder at Heart Almanac:
(11) Leo Flores Gonzalez
Fans who pay close attention to the Sounders Academy or Tacoma Defiance will know the name of Leo Flores Gonzalez. The 18-year-old from Yakima is a forward who has been lighting it up for academy sides for a few years now, and has been making appearances with Defiance since last year. In 2025, he made six appearances including two starts, playing 221 minutes in MLS NEXT Pro. This season he’s gotten more opportunities, starting four times in 13 appearances, notching a goal and an assist in 492 minutes.
His performances at the youth level have earned him a pair of camp invites for the U-18 USYNT this year, while his time with Defiance has shown glimpses of a high-level player. His lone goal was an instinctual finish, beating a defender to a cross and providing the necessary touch to send the ball past the goalkeeper. His assist came in Defiance’s first win of the season, a 4-1 victory over LAFC II in which he set up a goal from a corner with a clever flick that didn’t go down as an assist due to a touch from a defender, then earned his actual assist when he received a ball in a pocket of space in the box, spun and sent a pass to the far post for Charlie Gaffney to put away.
Whatever level he’s been at, Flores has demonstrated a combination of technique, physical presence, and a willingness to do the hard, dirty work that attacking players sometimes ignore. He’s got the tools to provide hold-up play, although he’ll need to continue to grow into his frame in order to bring them to bear at the professional level, makes smart runs, and has shown good instincts when defending from the front. Before we see him with the Sounders, or for Defiance for that matter, he’ll get the opportunity to hone his game in college. Flores committed to Seattle University, where he’ll be part of a strong recruiting class as SU looks to rebound from a down year in 2025 when they missed the NCAA tournament. (TOF)
(10) Noah Newman
It was only about a year ago that Noah Newman really showed up on our radar, but he made an almost immediate impression. In four games with the Defiance last year, Newman had three standout performances, including registering his first shutout while playing behind a defense that gave up the second most goals in MLS Next Pro.
Still just 18, Newman just finished up a campaign with Ballard FC in which he helped lead them to USL 2 national quarterfinals. Among his more notable performances was making two saves in a shootout that sent Ballard into the Western Conference semis. He’ll now head to the University of Washington.
Newman definitely has the body of an elite goalkeeper, standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 180 pounds. He also seems to have good instincts and a solid eye for passing. Projecting goalkeepers is especially hard, but Newman seems to have all the tools needed to keep moving up the ladder. (JO)
(9) Landon Lucero
Landon Lucero is another one of the top academy prospects in the Sounders system. One of the main reasons is his physical gifts at only 16 years old. He is a forward that is reportedly 6–foot-2 with decent speed. Nationally, he is being recognized with a recent call-up to the US U16 national team camp in February.
This is a name that followers of the Defiance might recognize as he has started to make appearances with the second team. From the end of May to early July, he has made 6 appearances and played 217 minutes. As a young player, he has not looked the most comfortable in his first taste of MLS Next Pro, but that is normal to see.
In the academy, he has looked dominant. This year we have gotten to see him play in two prestigious youth tournaments in GA Cup and the Gothia Cup. He finished with 2 goals in GA Cup and 4 goals/2 assists in the Gothia Cup. A benefit to him moving forward, is he can continually be challenged at higher levels as he has the physical traits to compete, and hopefully more MLS Next Pro appearances are on the horizon. (TW)
(8) Rafael Jauregi
Another highly experienced but still young USL Championship midfielder, Rafael Jauregui joined Defiance after one year with Charlotte Independence. He came up with Sacramento Republic, where he first appeared at 14 in June of 2020. Defiance acquired him on a free.
Jauregui is mostly a right winger who can play across the attacking band or at right back, and it shouldn’t be a surprise if his future is as a wingback. Yes, he’s a big chance creator, a great dribbler and a good passer. But what he thrives at is successful pressing. Rafael may be the best defensive winger in the org’s history.
Seattle’s history of moving players back should be a strong signal for Raf. Able to range forward into the attack, he can use his strong knowledge of space and time to be a good defender while contributing in multiple bands. (DC)
(7) Xavi Gnauluti
At 21, Gnaulti is already in his sixth professional season, coming to Tacoma Defiance via a transfer fee with incentives for Monterey Bay FC. He was with the Otters after playing for Landon Donovan’s San Diego Loyal. Xavi is the closest to a natural defensive midfielder on the current roster, which means he can also roam anywhere along the spine, including appearances as a striker.
An engine-room player, Gnaulti’s per-90s aren’t spikey. Instead, he’s well-rounded and capable, like much of Defiance, improving dramatically during the summer. The highlight of his playing style is that when he drifts wide, he can sling in effective balls that threaten on the ground or in the air. Those aren’t being finished enough, but the chances are there.
Xavi’s path to the Sounders is to follow other youth 6/8s. He’s 21, but this is the first time both of his coaches are former stars in the role, and he can look to a clear history. Step one will be to continue picking up a high number of second balls. Step two will be to be a better ball-winner. His in-traffic dribbling and passing are as expected. The upside for an 8 that can defend is still there. (DC)
(6) Edson Carli
Since joining Tacoma Defiance from the academy, Edson Carli has logged nearly 3,000 minutes in the last two seasons, mainly as the right attacking midfielder in the Defiance’s 3-4-2-1. Carli doesn’t get on the ball a whole ton — the attacker averages around 50 touches per 96 minutes — but he makes the most of his opportunities. You’d be forgiven for remaining skeptical about Carli; the teenager scored just twice last season and his numbers don’t exactly jump off the page.
In the last two months, however, things have changed. In Carli’s eight games since the beginning of June, he’s registered four goals and two assists while averaging 0.44 non-penalty xG + xA per 96 minutes. This has been the best stretch of games in his professional career, and in the Defiance’s 4–2 rout of Vancouver Whitecaps 2 on Aug. 1, Carli put in his best-ever single-game performance. In that game, he scored once, assisted once, and registered 0.94 net g+, which ranks in the 99.9th percentile. This was in a game where he completed just 18 passes, a testament to his ability to impact a match even when the ball rarely comes his way.
Overall, Carli will certainly need to show this same impact on a more consistent basis in order to get looks with the first team, but his experience with the Defiance and recent form definitely help his case. Carli just made a Sounders bench for the first time in their 3–0 Leagues Cup loss to Toluca, a major milestone in the soon-to-be 19-year-old’s journey to MLS. For now, Carli remains one to keep an eye on for the future, but will need more consistency on the resume in order to convince Brian Schmetzer he deserves a chance. (CB)
