Kalani Kossa-Rienzi will not have to go far to start his MLS career. Just an 11 minute drive from Lumen Field, the home of the Seattle Sounders, Kossa-Rienzi was playing college soccer at the University of Washington. The central midfielder was selected by Seattle with the No. 23 overall selection in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft. For Kossa-Rienzi, the close proximity of his new club will only help the transition to the pros.
"The familiarity with the area will be greatly appreciated," Kossa-Rienzi said. "Since I’ve lived in Seattle the past three years, I’ve loved the community I’ve built and it feels like a second home to me. I know these next couple months are going to be a lot of long days and hard work so it only helps that I know the area I’m in already and can always count on having people who I love already living around me and there for me when I need them."
The standout midfielder at Washington was a four-year contributor. Across his four seasons in purple, he played in 76 matches, scoring 6 goals and assisting 11. He primarily plays the deep-lying number six role. With that being said, he is a versatile player that can also put in a shift at the right back position. He is as solid as they come defensively, and possesses the valuable ability of transition defense to attack. Kossa-Rienzi looks to push the attack and pick out the perfect pass.
"I would say my best strengths are facing the field with the ball at my feet and being able to dribble through lines," Kossa-Rienzi said. "When I get my head up and the ball moving I can be a threat to defenses in all thirds of the field by breaking pressure on the dribble."
On the positioning front, he is open to playing anywhere that will help the team. The flexible mindset is a great tool for a budding professional player.
"As for positioning, I have no preference, I love being someone you can throw in wherever you need the help," Kossa-Rienzi said. "If I play more of a midfielder role then I’ll be happy to make a difference there, if I play more of a wide back role then I’ll be happy to make a difference there."
The Seattle Sounders are undoubtedly the most successful MLS club of the recent times. They have won two MLS Cups, appearing in four total, since 2016. The Sounders became the first MLS team to win the CONCACAF Champions League in 2022. Kalani Kossa-Rienzi knows exactly what the expectations are the second he walks into the training facility for the first time. He hopes to soak it all in and use everything as a learning experience.
"The thing I’m most excited about within the Seattle Sounders is the opportunities I’ll have to simply learn," Kossa-Rienzi said. "I’m walking into a very successful club that has an incredible staff and incredible players, I’m going to keep my eyes and ears open and take everything in while trying to be the best version of myself as well."
He is quite on point in saying that the club has some incredible players, as he looks to enter a crowded midfield in Seattle. The likes of Joao Paulo, Albert Rusnak, Josh Atencio and fellow Washington Husky Cristian Roldan make up the Sounders' central midfield. It will be no easy task for Kossa-Rienzi to find minutes early in his Seattle career, but there is no question that he has the talent and mentality to do so. The first round draft pick and his new Seattle Sounders side will kick their season off on Feb. 24, with a visit to LAFC.
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