Kalani Kossa-Rienzi

Kalani Kossa-Rienzi (born June 27, 2002) is an American soccer player who plays for the Tacoma Defiance in MLS Next Pro.

Early life
Kossa-Rienzi played youth soccer with Mavericks SC. 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.

College career
In 2020, Kossa-Rienzi began attending the University of Washington, where he played for the men's soccer team. He recorded an assist in his collegiate debut on February 4, 2021, against the Northwest Eagles. On September 24, 2021, he scored his first collegiate goal in a 2–0 victory over the Portland Pilots. At the end of his sophomore season, he was named an All-Pac 12 Honorable Mention. In 2022, he was named to the All-Pac 12 First Team and the All-Far West Region Second Team. Ahead of his senior season, he was named to the Pac-12 All-Preseason Team. At the end of the season, he was named to the All-Pac 12 First Team and the All West Region Second Team. He was also invited to the MLS College Showcase. Over his four seasons, he scored six goals and added 11 assists in 76 appearances.

Club career
In 2023, Kossa-Rienzi played with the Crossfire Red in the National Premier Soccer League.

At the 2024 MLS SuperDraft, Kossa-Rienzi was selected in the first round (23rd overall) by the Seattle Sounders FC. After participating in pre-season with the first team, he signed a contract with their second team, Tacoma Defiance, in MLS Next Pro in March 2024. 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.