Xavi Gnaulati

Xavi Gnaulati
Gnaulati with Monterey Bay in April 2025
Personal information
Full name Xavi Milad Gnaulati
Date of birth (2005-01-22) January 22, 2005
Place of birth San Diego, California, United States
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position Central midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Tacoma Defiance
Number 32
Youth career
2010–2023 San Diego Surf
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021–2023 San Diego Loyal 6 (2)
2024–2025 Monterey Bay 41 (2)
2026– Tacoma Defiance 0 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of October 29, 2025

Xavi Milad Gnaulati (born January 22, 2005) is an American soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Tacoma Defiance.

Early career

Xavi Gnaulati was born and raised in San Diego County, California, playing youth soccer for San Diego Surf and winning the State Cup Championship with them in 2014.[1] On July 1, 2023, Gnaulati scored in the final to help Surf win the ECNL National Championship.[2]

Club career

San Diego Loyal

In April 2021, Gnaulati joined San Diego Loyal in the USL Championship and their inaugural USL Academy team, Loyal Select.[3][4][5] He first played for the club in a training match against MLS side LA Galaxy in March 2021 and made his public debut as a substitute in a friendly match against Liga MX side Club Tijuana on July 10.[6][7][8]

Gnaulati made his professional debut for San Diego Loyal on April 6, 2022, during the 2022 season, at the age of 17 under manager Landon Donovan in the Loyal's inaugural U.S. Open Cup match against NISA side Albion San Diego, starting the match and playing 79 minutes before being substituted for Alejandro Guido in a 2–1 win.[9][10]

Gnaulati with the San Diego Loyal in February 2023

Gnaulati made his first appearance of the 2023 season in his following competitive match for the club, winning a penalty as well as providing a secondary assist for a 2–0 win during their 2023 U.S. Open Cup opener against Albion San Diego on April 5, 2023.[11] Following a substitute appearance in a friendly match against German Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund on July 27, Gnaulati signed his first professional contract with San Diego Loyal the following day on July 28.[12][13][14]

Gnaulati was given his USL Championship debut on August 9, 2023, at the age of 18 against Loudoun United at Torero Stadium during the 2023 season.[15]

Gnaulati scored his first professional goal on September 20, scoring a brace in the 90th and 90+3rd minute of a league game in a 3–2 comeback win against Monterey Bay FC at Cardinale Stadium.[16][17] He was subsequently named in the Team of the Week for his performance.[18]

Monterey Bay

Gnaulati became a free agent following the folding of San Diego Loyal after the 2023 USL Championship season. He joined Monterey Bay FC on December 6, 2023, on a one-year contract, with an option for a second year, ahead of the 2024 USL Championship season.[19] He scored his first league goal for the club on October 10, 2024 against Sacramento Republic, winning the league's Goal of the Week award for his long-range strike.[20] After an impressive impact in his first season, Gnaulati's contract was extended ahead of the following 2025 season.[21] He scored his first goal of the 2025 season on March 19, 2025, scoring a brace in the U.S. Open Cup against San Francisco Soccer Football League side International San Francisco.[22] In the following U.S. Open Cup match, he scored a goal against NPSL side El Farolito on April 1, 2025, bringing his tally to three goals in two cup matches for the season, and becoming joint top scorer of the 2025 U.S. Open Cup.[23]

Tacoma Defiance and Seattle Sounders

Gnaulati was transferred from Monterey Bay to MLS Next Pro club Tacoma Defiance, the reserve side of MLS club Seattle Sounders, on January 9, 2026 ahead of the 2026 season, for a "significant fee with future incentives."[24] He scored his first league goal for Tacoma Defiance on July 12, 2026 against San Jose Earthquakes II.[25][26] Gnaulati was named to his first matchday squad of parent club Seattle Sounders on August 12, 2026 for a Leagues Cup match against Liga MX side Chivas de Guadalajara, and was named to his first MLS matchday squad in the following match on August 16 against Cascadian rivals Vancouver Whitecaps, remaining an unused substitute in both matches.[27][28]

International career

Youth

In January 2019, Gnaulati was called up for the United States under-14 camp in Carson, California.[29] He was called up again for a United States youth team camp in May 2021.[30][31]

Career statistics

As of October 23, 2023[32]
Club Division Season League Cup Other Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
San Diego Loyal SC USL Championship 2021 00—0000
2022 00100010
2023 62200082
Career total 62300092

Honours

San Diego Surf

References

  1. ↑ "Comeback kids clinch soccer crown". San Diego Union-Tribune. 2014-03-14. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  2. 1 2 "ECNL Boys Playoffs: San Diego Surf win U19s | Club Soccer | Youth Soccer". TopDrawerSoccer.com. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
  3. ↑ "San Diego Loyal sign 4 local players". FOX 5 San Diego. 2021-04-14. Archived from the original on 2021-05-23. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  4. ↑ "16-YEAR-OLD SAN DIEGO PLAYER GNAULATI SIGNS WITH SD LOYAL • SoccerToday". SoccerToday. 2021-04-16. Archived from the original on 2022-04-07. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  5. ↑ Slane, Bill (2021-04-15). "The Coast News Group". The Coast News Group. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  6. ↑ "'Mind-Blowing' Fortune: Loyal Teen Signee Scored Goal vs. MLS Galaxy". Times of San Diego. 2021-04-07. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  7. ↑ "San Diego Loyal Plays to 1-0 Loss in Friendly with Club Tijuana in Night of Fútbol at USD". OurSports Central. 2021-07-10. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  8. ↑ "SD LOYAL SC FOLLOWS UP XOLOS GAME WITH ORANGE COUNTY SC MATCHUP • SoccerToday". SoccerToday. 2021-07-14. Archived from the original on 2022-01-28. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  9. ↑ "ASC San Diego vs. San Diego Loyal SC - Football Match Line-Ups - April 6, 2022 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  10. ↑ @SanDiegoLoyal (April 7, 2022). "Allow us to introduce ourselves..." (Tweet). Retrieved 2023-03-06 – via Twitter.
  11. ↑ "SD Loyal Advances to U.S. Open Cup Third Round After 2-0 Win vs. Albion San Diego".
  12. ↑ "Loyal's starters hang with German powerhouse in nationally-televised match at Snapdragon Stadium". 28 July 2023.
  13. ↑ "SD Loyal Signs Loyal Select Player Xavi Gnaulati to Professional Contract".
  14. ↑ "San Diego Loyal signs Encinitas high schooler Xavi Gnaulati to professional contract". 28 July 2023.
  15. ↑ https://twitter.com/SanDiegoLoyal/status/1689459937804722176
  16. ↑ https://www.uslchampionship.com/montereybay-sandiegoloyal-2345967
  17. ↑ "Pro Soccer: Union suffer crushing loss to San Diego". 21 September 2023.
  18. ↑ "USL Championship Team of the Week – Week 29". 26 September 2023.
  19. ↑ "Monterey Bay F.C. Signs 18-Year-Old Former San Diego Loyal SC Midfielder Xavi Gnaulati". Monterey Bay Football Club | USL Championship. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
  20. ↑ "USL Championship Goal of the Week – Week 32". 14 October 2024.
  21. ↑ "Monterey Bay Extends Exciting Young Midfielder Xavi Gnaulati".
  22. ↑ "Pro Soccer: Monterey Bay opens US Cup with four-goal explosion". 20 March 2025.
  23. ↑ "Monterey Bay FC's Open Cup Run Ends". 2 April 2025.
  24. ↑ Wimberly, Taylor (2026-01-09). "Tacoma Defiance bolsters midfield". Sounder at Heart. Retrieved 2026-01-10.
  25. ↑ https://www.mlsnextpro.com/competitions/mls-next-pro/2026/matches/sjvstac-07-12-2026/
  26. ↑ "MATCH RECAP: Earthquakes II 0, Tacoma Defiance 1 | San Jose Earthquakes".
  27. ↑ https://www.leaguescup.com/competitions/leagues-cup/2026/matches/seavsgdl-08-12-2026/lineups
  28. ↑ "MATCH RECAP: Sounders FC Drops 2-0 Home Result to Vancouver Whitecaps FC | Seattle Sounders".
  29. ↑ "Eighty Players Called in for YNT U-14 TID West Region Mini-Camp". www.ussoccer.com. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  30. ↑ McHugh, Alana (17 May 2021). "TWENTY Surf Players Called Up to YNT Camps!". San Diego Surf Soccer Club. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  31. ↑ "YNT Regional ID 2005 - Southern Cal | Club Soccer | Youth Soccer". TopDrawerSoccer.com. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  32. ↑ "USA - X. Gnaulati - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway".
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