2023 (Seattle): Kitahara made his MLS debut as a substitute against Sporting Kansas City on March 26, in addition to starting all 10 of his appearances for Tacoma Defiance, recording one goal and one assist.
2022 (Tacoma): Kitahara started 12 of this 15 appearances for Tacoma in 2022. He recorded three goals and one assist during the regular season. He also helped create the game-tying goal in the dying moments of the team’s opening MLS NEXT Pro postseason match against Houston Dynamo 2 (September 25), which Defiance won in penalties.
2021 (Tacoma): Kitahara started eight of 11 appearances in 2021 before being loaned to Pinzgau Saalfelden in Austria, where he made an additional 17 appearances and 15 starts.
2020 (Tacoma): Kitahara made starts in 13 of his 14 appearances, playing a total of 1146 minutes across the 2020 campaign.
2019 (Tacoma): Kitahara appeared in and made his first start for the Defiance against Real Monarchs on September 18, 2019. He also logged one more appearance, also a start, against Fresno FC on October 6, 2019.
Has been involved in USYNT and JNT programs.
Kitahara joined the Club via Sounders Discovery program from Seattle United in 2016 and has been a success story ever since. He was a member of the U-14 squad that won the Youdan Trophy after defeating Everton FC in penalty kicks in 2017. Kitahara was integral in the Academy’s Generation adidas Cups and USSDA national championship. In 2018, he was awarded Sounders Academy Humanitarian of the Year for his volunteer work in Seattle and Japan.
