RICHMOND, Va. – The Richmond Kickers are pleased to announce the signing of former Inter Miami, Tacoma Defiance, and Haitian U-23 national team defender Denso Ulysse for the remainder of the 2021 season, pending league and federation approval.
“Denso is a dynamic wide player who defends well and can get forward in the attack,” said Chief Sporting Officer and Head Coach Darren Sawatzky. “He played in Seattle so I was familiar with him from his time playing with the Tacoma Defiance. We look forward to his impact in the group.
“We talk a lot about the culture we work daily to maintain and grow. Denso fits into the competitive group here and he is someone you have time for. We are happy to add his character, work rate, and team-first approach as we hunt the playoffs.”
Ulysse joins the Kickers following a successful beginning to his professional career in the USL Championship that included call-ups to the Haitian U-23 national team and Inter Miami trading for him to be a part of the club’s inaugural roster. The 22-year-old is excited to begin the next stage of his career with the Kickers as the Reds make their push for a spot in the 2021 USL League One playoffs.
“I signed with Richmond because the Kickers are a team with a lot of potential in the league,” Ulysse said. “I’m glad to be a part of this team and I’m grateful for this opportunity.”
The Gonaïves, Haiti native began his professional career with Real du Cap before moving to the United States to join the then Seattle Sounders FC 2 which later rebranded as Tacoma Defiance.
Playing for the Sounders’ affiliate from 2017-2019 in the USL Championship, Ulysse proved to be a patient, tenacious, and lightning-fast defender as a young professional. In 2017, he started 14 of 15 appearances while logging 1,290 minutes and he successfully executed nearly 84 percent of his tackles while winning over half of his duels.
Starting 28 matches in 2018, Ulysse led the team in minutes played that season with 2,466. The defender grew in confidence in the attacking end as he executed 20 key passes, 15 crosses, and two (2) assists. He drew the attention of opposing defenses as he won 38 fouls on his way to logging 20 shots with eight (8) on frame. Following the conclusion of the 2018 season, Ulysse earned All-League Second Team honors and was named the number 7 USL Championship “20 under 20” player.
The 2019 season would see Ulysse rack up 12 more starts in 15 appearances for Defiance while earning his call-ups to the Haitian U-23 team as the team worked to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. For his club side, he would finish the season winning more than half of his duels as well as 57 percent of his aerial duels. Soon after the conclusion of the USL Championship season, Ulysse would be acquired by Inter Miami for its inaugural season.
While he did not have the opportunity to feature for the MLS side during the 2020 season, he used the opportunity to learn and enhance his experience gained throughout his career.
“It felt great when I played in Haiti because it was my dream to play professionally and for the national team. My experience in Seattle growing as a player in that system was awesome. I didn’t have a chance to play when I was in Miami but I still learned invaluable professional lessons as a player in the club.
“My strengths are my competitiveness and my ability to stay disciplined, motivated, and concentrated. I’m here to help the Kickers achieve their goals and I’m going to work hard for that.”
The Kickers’ next match is on the road, Saturday night, in Madison, Wi. to face Forward Madison for the second time this season. Kickoff is slated for 8:00 p.m. EST. The match will air live on WTVR CBS 6.3 (Comcast 206, Verizon FiOS 466) and streamed on ESPN+. Fans can also listen in Spanish on the radio on WULT 94.1FM/1540AM.
TRANSACTION: Richmond Kickers have signed defender Denso Ulysse for the remainder of the 2021 USL League One season on September 9, 2021.
