Updated February 20, 2026
ETHAN KOHLER AT A GLANCE:
MLS CAREER: Defender joins New England after more than three seasons in Germany...Previously spent time with the San Jose Earthquakes Academy, logging 11 appearances for their MLS NEXT Pro side during the 2022 season.
2022 (with San Jose Earthquakes): Spent the season with San Jose II in MLS NEXT Pro, making 11 appearances…(4/17) vs. NTX: Made professional debut, starting and playing 90 minutes…(6/17) at SLC: Earned first start in defensive midfield, playing 45 minutes and helping collect a clean sheet.
CLUB CAREER OUTSIDE MLS: Owns 72 appearances in professional career, with over 5,000 minutes played...Has tallied three goals and five assists...Signed first professional contract with USL Championship side Oakland Roots SC on January 26, 2023…Appeared in one match for Oakland in U.S. Open Cup play…In June 2023, transferred to German club Werder Bremen…Split time between Werder Bremen II and the U-19 side during the 2023-24 season, collecting 25 appearances and notching three assists…Made 26 appearances for Werder Bremen II in 2024-25, tallying two goals and one assist in over 2,000 minutes…Loaned to 3. Liga side SC Verl for the 2025-26 season…Logged nine appearances for SC Verl, scoring one goal.
SC Verl: Sent on loan to SC Verl for the 2025-26 season…Logged nine appearances for the 3. Liga side, scoring one goal…Made club debut on Aug. 2, 2025 off the bench in a 2-2 draw with SV Waldhof Mannheim…Scored first goal for the club in Westfalenpokal action against TuS Lipperreihe on Aug. 13, 2025…Made final appearance for the club on Dec. 6, 2025 off the bench against TSV Havelse.
Werder Bremen II: Made 32 appearances for the second team over two seasons…Logged eight appearances for Werder Bremen II in 2023-24, helping earn a Bremenliga title and promotion to the Regionalliga Nord…Made first appearance for the second team on Oct. 4, 2023 against TS Woltmershausen…Added 17 appearances for the Werder Bremen U-19 squad in 2023-24…Made debut on Aug. 19, 2023 vs. Wolfsburg U-19…Tallied first assist for the U-19s on Oct. 28, 2023 at SV Meppen U-19…Added an assist on Feb. 14, 2024 vs. VfL Osnarbruck U-19…Notched third assist of the season vs. Hertha BSC U-19 on March 10, 2024…In 2024-25, scored two goals and added an assist in 26 league matches for Werder Bremen II…Provided an assist on Feb. 16, 2025 at Hamburger SV II…Scored first goal of the season on Feb. 27, 2025 at VfB Oldenburg…Netted second goal on May 9, 2025 against SSV Jeddeloh II.
Oakland Roots SC: Signed first professional contract with USL Championship side Oakland Roots SC on January 26, 2023…Did not make a league appearance…Appeared in one match for Oakland in U.S. Open Cup play, tallying the winning assist in a Second Round matchup against El Farolito on April 4, 2023.
INTERNATIONAL (UNITED STATES): Owns 21 youth caps for the United States at various levels…Most recently called up to the U.S. U-21s in November 2025 for two friendly matches against Serbia and Denmark...Part of Marko Mitrović’s roster for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup...Started four matches in the tournament en route to the quarterfinals...Posted 3-0 shutout victories over France and Italy...Made U-20 debut in Concacaf U-20 Championship action against Cuba on July 23, 2024, scoring first international goal…Played 14 games for the U.S. U-20s from 2024-25...Made five appearances for the U-19 team in 2024…Called into the U-19 team in April 2022 for training camp…Logged 18 minutes in international debut vs. England U-19s on March 24, 2024…Earned first international experience with an invite to a Under-14 training camp in January 2019.
PERSONAL: Full name is Ethan David Kohler…Fluent in English and German...Born in Campbell, California to father of German descent and mother of Indonesian descent…Tattoo enthusiast got his first ink at age 17...One tattoo is a meditation symbol, a reminder of meditations with his grandmother...Cooking enthusiast enjoys spending time in the kitchen...Favorite musicians include Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Sade, and Jack Johnson...Graduated with honors from Laurel Springs High School…Originally committed to play college soccer at Stanford before turning pro…Spent three seasons in the San Jose Earthquakes Academy.
