By Mazvita Maraire Posted on

Sounders FC fortify backline sign defenders Travian Sousa and Leo Burney

The Seattle Sounders added some depth to Major League Soccers best defense in 2024. The announced the signing of defenders Travian Sousa and Leo Burney. Two will join a back line that allowed a league-low 35 goals . Centerback Jackson Ragen finished third in the League Defender of the Year voting. Ragens mate Yeirmar Gomez Andrade was named the squad’s best defender of the year for a third consecutive year and landed on the MLS Best XI Team for 2024.

A BRIGHT FUTURE AHEAD OF THEM AND THE ORGANIZATION

If all goes according to plan, the two signees will provide depth and completion to the backline. Sousa signs a contract for the 2025 season with club options in 2026 and 2027, while Burney inks deal for the 2025 season with club options in 2026, 2027 and 2028. Sousa has spent the last three seasons with Tacoma Defiance, Seattle’s MLS NEXT Pro affiliate, making 68 appearances with three goals and 10 assists.

Burney, a Sounders FC Academy product, recently finished a decorated collegiate career at University of Pennsylvania where he was a two-time Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year. The 24th Homegrown Player in club history, Burney also played for local USL League Two team Ballard FC from 2022-2024, helping the club win the USL League Two Championship in 2023.

“We are excited to add Travian and Leo to the team,” said Sounders FC General Manager and Chief Soccer Officer Craig Waibel. “While both players took a unique route to this point, each are a testament to the development system we have in place here. Both Travian and Leo add a skillset that I’m confident will bolster our roster as we head into the new season.”

Sousa, 23, originally signed with Tacoma Defiance prior to the 2022 season, the inaugural year of MLS NEXT Pro. The Lathrop, California native became a mainstay in the starting lineup, making 27 appearances (23 starts) including playoffs in 2024, scoring a goal against The Town FC (April 25) while adding four assists. From 2022-2023, Sousa made 41 appearances (27 starts) for Tacoma (including postseason), scoring two goals and tallying six assists. Prior to joining Defiance, Sousa played for Hamburger SV in Germany from 2019-2020 before spending the 2021 season with Oakland Roots SC and Sporting Kansas City II.

“Signing Travian and Leo to the First Team is a testament to their hard work and dedication at every stage of their soccer journeys,” said Sounders FC Head Coach Brian Schmetzer. “Both players have shown promising growth and have earned this opportunity. I’m excited to see how they continue to push themselves at this level.

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