James Riley (soccer) facts for kids
Riley in 2010
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| 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) |
| 2018–2019 | Tacoma Stars (indoor) | 2 | (1) |
| Total | 268 | (6) | |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2018–2019 | Cascadia | 6 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2024– | Ballard FC | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of November 26, 2019 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of June 9, 2018 |
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James Riley, born on October 27, 1982, is an American soccer player who used to play as a defender. He is now the head coach for USL League Two club Ballard FC.
Riley played for eleven seasons in Major League Soccer (MLS). He was part of teams like the New England Revolution (2005–2007), San Jose Earthquakes (2008), Seattle Sounders FC (2009–2011), Chivas USA (2012), D.C. United (2013), LA Galaxy (2014), and the Colorado Rapids (2015). In 2018, Riley was the captain of the Cascadia soccer team in the ConIFA World Football Cup.
Contents
Playing Soccer
College and Early Teams
James Riley played college soccer at Wake Forest University. He also played in a league called the USL Premier Development League. During this time, he played for the Carolina Dynamo and his hometown team, the Colorado Springs Blizzard.
Professional Career Highlights
Riley was chosen by the New England Revolution in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft. He played well in his first year, trying out different positions and even scoring a goal. He continued to be an important player in defense for the team in 2006 and 2007.
In 2007, the San Jose Earthquakes picked Riley in the MLS Expansion Draft. He played 24 games for them. After that, the Seattle Sounders FC chose him in the 2008 MLS Expansion Draft. He stayed with Seattle until the end of the 2011 season. During his time there, he helped the club win the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup three times in a row.
After leaving Seattle, Riley joined Chivas USA in 2012. He then moved to D.C. United in 2013. With D.C. United, Riley won his fifth U.S. Open Cup title in 2013. In one exciting moment during a game, he blocked a shot that could have sent the game into extra time.
Later, Riley joined the LA Galaxy as a free agent. On March 6, 2015, he signed with the Colorado Rapids. In 2015, he played 17 games for the Rapids and scored one goal. This goal came in the last minutes of a game against his former team, San Jose, helping the Rapids get a 1–1 tie.
Riley returned to professional soccer for a short time in 2018. He signed with the Tacoma Stars, an indoor soccer team.
After Playing Soccer
James Riley officially stopped playing soccer on June 23, 2016. Before that, he was named the director of player relations for MLS. In April 2018, he also started working as a broadcaster for the Seattle Sounders and their affiliate team.
On May 1, 2018, Riley was announced as the captain for the Cascadia official soccer team. He led the team in the 2018 ConIFA World Football Cup in London.
More recently, on January 10, 2024, Riley became the head coach for Ballard FC. This team had won the USL League Two championship before he joined.
Personal Life
James Riley was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado. His father was African American and his mother was Korean. His parents separated when he was very young. Riley and his sister were raised by their mother in the Denver area.
Career Statistics
Club Games
| 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 |
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Seattle Sounders FC | 2009 | Major League Soccer | 28 | 0 | 5 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | 35 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 27 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 1 | ||
| 2011 | 29 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 0 | ||
| Total | 84 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 110 | 1 | ||
| Chivas USA | 2012 | Major League Soccer | 32 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | – | 35 | 0 | ||
| D.C. United | 2013 | Major League Soccer | 21 | 0 | 5 | 0 | – | – | 26 | 0 | ||
| LA Galaxy | 2014 | Major League Soccer | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Colorado Rapids | 2015 | Major League Soccer | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 17 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 73 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 84 | 1 | ||
Awards and Achievements
With New England Revolution
- Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: 2007
- Major League Soccer Eastern Conference Championship: 2005, 2006, 2007
With Seattle Sounders FC
- Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: 2009, 2010, 2011
With D.C. United
- Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: 2013
With LA Galaxy
- MLS Cup: 2014
Individual Awards
- Prost Amerika's Sounders FC Player of the Year: 2009
- MLS W.O.R.K.S. Humanitarian of the Month: October 2010
See also
In Spanish: James Riley para niños
