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) | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1998–2001 | Colorado Rush | ||
| 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) | |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2018–2019 | Cascadia | 6 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2024– | Ballard FC | ||
† Appearances (Goals). |
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James Riley (born October 27, 1982) is an American former soccer player. He played as a defender. Today, he is 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, Seattle Sounders FC, and LA Galaxy. He also led the Cascadia soccer team as captain in the 2018 ConIFA World Football Cup.
Contents
Playing Career
College and Early Teams
James Riley played college soccer at Wake Forest University. He also played for amateur teams like Carolina Dynamo and his hometown team, Colorado Springs Blizzard. These teams were part of the USL Premier Development League.
Professional Soccer Journey
The New England Revolution picked Riley in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft. He quickly showed his skills, playing in different defensive spots and even scoring a goal in his first year. He became a regular starter for the team from 2006 to 2007.
In 2007, the San Jose Earthquakes chose Riley in the MLS Expansion Draft. He played 24 games for them. After that, the Seattle Sounders FC picked him in another expansion draft in 2008. Riley stayed with Seattle until 2011. During his time there, he helped the team win the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup three times in a row.
After leaving Seattle, Riley was chosen by the Montreal Impact in the 2011 MLS Expansion Draft. However, he was quickly traded to Chivas USA. In 2013, he moved to D.C. United. With D.C. United, Riley won his fifth U.S. Open Cup title in 2013. He made a key play in the final game, blocking 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. 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 his team get a 1–1 draw. The Rapids decided not to keep him after the 2015 season.
Riley returned to professional soccer for a short time in 2018. He signed with the Tacoma Stars, an indoor soccer team in the Major Arena Soccer League.
Life After Playing
Riley officially announced he was retiring as a player on June 23, 2016. Before that, he had already started a new role. He became the director of player relations for Major League Soccer (MLS).
In April 2018, Riley also joined the broadcast team for the Seattle Sounders. He helped commentate on their games and those of their affiliate team, Seattle Sounders FC 2.
On May 1, 2018, it was announced that Riley would be the captain for the Cascadia official soccer team. This team played 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 just won the USL League Two championship.
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.
Honors and Awards
New England Revolution
- Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: 2007
- Major League Soccer Eastern Conference Championship: 2005, 2006, 2007
Seattle Sounders FC
- Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: 2009, 2010, 2011
D.C. United
- Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: 2013
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
