James Riley (soccer)
![]() Riley waving to the crowd at Qwest Field
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Personal information | |||
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Full name | James Riley | ||
Date of birth | October 27, 1982 | ||
Place of birth | Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States | ||
Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
Playing position | Defender | ||
Club information | |||
Current team
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Free Agent | ||
Youth career | |||
1998–2001 | Colorado Rush | ||
College career | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2001–2004 | Wake Forest Demon Deacons | 82 | (3) |
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2003 | Carolina Dynamo | 12 | (1) |
2004 | Colorado Springs Blizzard | 5 | (2) |
2005–2007 | New England Revolution | 70 | (1) |
2008 | San Jose Earthquakes | 24 | (0) |
2009–2011 | Seattle Sounders FC | 84 | (1) |
2012 | Chivas USA | 32 | (0) |
2013 | D.C. United | 21 | (0) |
2014 | LA Galaxy | 4 | (0) |
2015 | Colorado Rapids | 16 | (1) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of July 2, 2015. |
James Riley (born October 27, 1982) is a retired American soccer defender who spent eleven seasons in Major League Soccer (MLS) with the New England Revolution (2005–2007), San Jose Earthquakes (2008), Seattle Sounders FC (2009–2011), Chivas USA (2012), DC United (2013), LA Galaxy (2014) and Colorado Rapids (2015). He has been the MLS' director of player relations since May 2016.[1]
Contents
Playing career[edit]
College and Amateur[edit]
Riley played college soccer at Wake Forest University, and in the USL Premier Development League with both Carolina Dynamo and his hometown team, Colorado Springs Blizzard.[2]
Professional[edit]
New England Revolution drafted Riley in the second round of the 2005 MLS SuperDraft, and he acquitted himself well in his rookie season, playing various positions and scoring a goal. He continued to keep himself in the mix in defense, starting the majority of the games in 2006 and 2007.
Riley was selected by the San Jose Earthquakes in the 2007 MLS Expansion Draft and subsequently made 24 appearances for the team before being taken by the Seattle Sounders FC in the 2008 MLS Expansion Draft. He stayed with Seattle through the 2011 season, helping the club win three consecutive U.S. Open Cup championships.
Riley was left exposed by Seattle in the 2011 MLS Expansion Draft and he was selected by expansion side Montreal Impact in the November 23, 2011 draft.[3] He was then immediately traded with allocation money to Chivas USA for Justin Braun and Gerson Mayen.[4] Riley was traded to D.C. United on February 14, 2013 for a 2015 Supplemental Draft pick.[5]
Riley won his 5th US Open Cup title in 2013 with D.C. United. In the sixth minute of stoppage time there was on open header in the box from Álvaro Saborío that Riley was able to deflect onto the cross bar to prevent extra time.[6]
After his release from D.C. United, Riley trialled with and was eventually signed by LA Galaxy.[7]
On March 6, 2015, he signed with Colorado Rapids. During the 2015 season, Riley made 17 appearances in all competitions, scoring a lone goal on May 8, 2015 against former club San Jose in the third minute of stoppage time to salvage a 1-1 draw. The Rapids declined their option on Riley on December 3, 2015.
Retirement and beyond[edit]
Riley formally announced his retirement as an active player on June 23, 2016.[8] One month prior, he had been appointed the MLS' director of player relations, a position that had been vacant since Ali Curtis became the New York Red Bulls sporting director in December 2014.[1]
Statistics[edit]
Years | Club | Competition | Apps. | Goals |
---|---|---|---|---|
2003 | Carolina Dynamo | USL Premier Development League | 12 | 1 |
2004 | Colorado Springs Blizzard | 5 | 2 | |
2005 | New England Revolution | Major League Soccer | 23 | 1 |
2006 | 20 | 0 | ||
2007 | 27 | 0 | ||
2008 | San Jose Earthquakes | 24 | 0 | |
2009 | Seattle Sounders FC | 28 | 0 | |
2010 | 27 | 1 | ||
2011 | 29 | 0 | ||
2012 | Chivas USA | 32 | 0 | |
2013 | D.C. United | 21 | 0 | |
2014 | LA Galaxy | 4 | 0 | |
2015 | Colorado Rapids | 2 | 0 |
Honors[edit]
New England Revolution[edit]
- Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (1): 2007
- Major League Soccer Eastern Conference Championship (3): 2005, 2006, 2007
Seattle Sounders FC[edit]
- Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (3): 2009, 2010, 2011
DC United[edit]
LA Galaxy[edit]
Individual[edit]
- Prost Amerika's Sounders FC Player Of The Year 2009
- MLS W.O.R.K.S. Humanitarian of the Month for October 2010
References[edit]
- ^ a b Stejskal, Sam. "Longtime MLS defender James Riley brings player's voice to league office," Major League Soccer, Thursday, June 23, 2016.
- ^ Carolina Dynamo All Time Roster
- ^ Greg Lalas (November 23, 2011). "Ching, Mapp headline Montreal expansion draft picks". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
- ^ Greg Lalas (November 23, 2011). "Montreal take Riley, ship him to Chivas for Braun, Mayen". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
- ^ Goff, Steven. "D.C. United acquires James Riley". Washington Post. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
- ^ Soccer, US. "D.C. United Earns Third Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Championship with 1-0 Victory Against Real Salt Lake". Retrieved October 2, 2013.
- ^ Serrano, Adam (February 22, 2014). "bolster their defense with the addition of veteran outside back James Riley". LA Galaxy. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
- ^ Nelson, Matthew. "Former Sounder James Riley Retires," FanSided, Thursday, June 23, 2016.
External links[edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to James Riley. |
- 1982 births
- Living people
- African-American soccer players
- American soccer players
- Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's soccer players
- Carolina Dynamo players
- Colorado Springs Blizzard players
- New England Revolution players
- San Jose Earthquakes players
- Seattle Sounders FC players
- Chivas USA players
- D.C. United players
- LA Galaxy players
- Colorado Rapids players
- American people of Korean descent
- Soccer players from Colorado
- New England Revolution draft picks
- Premier Development League players
- Major League Soccer players