| Kalani Kossa-Rienzi | |
| Birth Date: | 27 June 2002 |
| Birth Place: | Berkeley, California, United States |
| Position: | Midfielder |
| Currentclub: | Tacoma Defiance |
| Clubnumber: | 85 |
| Youthclubs1: | Mavericks SC |
| Collegeyears1: | 2020–2023 |
| College1: | Washington Huskies |
| Collegecaps1: | 76 |
| Collegegoals1: | 6 |
| Years1: | 2023 |
| Clubs1: | Crossfire Red |
| Caps1: | 4 |
| Goals1: | 5 |
| Years2: | 2024– |
| Clubs2: | Tacoma Defiance |
| Caps2: | 11 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Years3: | 2024 |
| Clubs3: | → Seattle Sounders FC (loan) |
| Caps3: | 1 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | June 11, 2024 |
Kalani Kossa-Rienzi (born June 27, 2002) is an American soccer player who plays for the Tacoma Defiance in MLS Next Pro.
Kossa-Rienzi played youth soccer with Mavericks SC.[1] He attended Berkeley High School, where he was named the WACC-Foothill Player of the Year, the North Coast Section Player of the Year, an All-USA Second Team selection, and an All-American, as a junior.[1]
In 2020, Kossa-Rienzi began attending the University of Washington, where he played for the men's soccer team.[2] He recorded an assist in his collegiate debut on February 4, 2021, against the Northwest Eagles.[3] On September 24, 2021, he scored his first collegiate goal in a 2–0 victory over the Portland Pilots.[4] At the end of his sophomore season, he was named an All-Pac 12 Honorable Mention.[5] In 2022, he was named to the All-Pac 12 First Team and the All-Far West Region Second Team.[6] [2] Ahead of his senior season, he was named to the Pac-12 All-Preseason Team.[7] At the end of the season, he was named to the All-Pac 12 First Team and the All West Region Second Team.[8] He was also invited to the MLS College Showcase.[9] Over his four seasons, he scored six goals and added 11 assists in 76 appearances.[10]
In 2023, Kossa-Rienzi played with the Crossfire Red in the National Premier Soccer League.[11]
At the 2024 MLS SuperDraft, Kossa-Rienzi was selected in the first round (23rd overall) by the Seattle Sounders FC.[12] [13] After participating in pre-season with the first team,[14] he signed a contract with their second team, Tacoma Defiance, in MLS Next Pro in March 2024.[15] [16] During the 2024 season, he went on short-term loans with the Seattle Sounders first team, making his first start on May 22 in a U.S. Open Cup match against Phoenix Rising FC in which he scored his first goal for the club, which was the winning goal in a 2–1 victory to help the club advance to the quarter-finals.[17] [18]
| Club | Season | League | Playoffs | Domestic Cup | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Crossfire Red | 2023[19] | National Premier Soccer League | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | – | 8 | 8 | ||
| Tacoma Defiance | 2024 | MLS Next Pro | 11 | 0 | – | – | – | 11 | 0 | ||||
| Seattle Sounders FC (loan) | 2024 | Major League Soccer | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | |
| Career total | 16 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 9 | |||