James Riley - Recent posts
Viewing all posts which authors have tagged ‘James Riley’.
You can also subscribe to this tag's feed.
Portland and Vancouver have done well in preparing for their sophomore seasons. (Getty
Images)
Yesterday I took a look at the 10 clubs from the Eastern Conference in how they've done so far
this winter. Naturally right after the post was put up one of those clubs went out and signed a
DP.
Today, we'll look at the nine clubs from the Western Conference to see how they've been doing so
far this winter.
Seattle Sounders FC signing Adam Johansson fills the hole at right back left open from the loss
of James Riley, but Technical Director Chris Henderson sees him as adding more to the role rather
than a like-for-like swap;
I think losing James Riley, a seasoned veteran in our league, it's tough to lose
James.
A couple days after seemingly every news outlet in Sweden announced the signing, the Seattle
Sounders made it official: Adam Johansson has joined the team on a multi-year deal. Johansson has
played most of his professional career with Swedish power IFK Goteburg and has seen semi-regular
time with the Swedish national team since making his international debut in 2009 against the United
States and playing in three World Cup qualifiers that year.
Photo by Michael Janosz/ISIphotos.com
For a team coming off of a championship run, the Los Angeles Galaxy have had plenty of major
moving parts over recent weeks.
Between Landon Donovan going back to Everton on a short-term loan, Juninho returning to Sao
Paulo, Donovan Ricketts being dealt to the Montreal Impact, Sean Franklin re-signing and David
Beckham, well, still making a decision, the Galaxy remain the talk of MLS deep into the
offseason.
Last year we started a project to talk about players based on their tools. The idea was to get
an outfield position neutral judgement of players based on seeing how they behave on or off the
ball when the team either possesses or defends as well as how they use their physical attributes.
The scale is an average starting center midfielder set at all 6s while a replacement level player
would be straight 5s.
When the Seattle Sounders lost James Riley in the expansion draft there was some real concern
about how Seattle would fill the void let by the dependable veteran's departure.
The Sounders have reached an agreement with Swedish right back Adam Johansson, according to the
club website of Johannson's current club, IFK Goteborg.
It appears the Seattle Sounders have made their first move toward filling their hole at right
back, signing Swedish defender Adam Johansson, according to this article in the Gothenburg Post.
Erik Friberg first alluded to the signing with a tweet in which he said: "Congratulations Sounders
for your new Sweeede.
Even for the most faithful Seattle Sounders supporters among us, this has been a bit of a rough
off-season. The numbers fairly illustrate why: Nine players that were part of the team during the
final game of the season are no longer here. Those players represent more than 14,000 minutes of
all-competition playing time or about 29 percent of the total minutes played by the team.
By CALEB SONNELAND
The Philadelphia Union continue their busy offseason by adding Costa Rican defender Porfirio
Lopez from Chinese side Dalian Haichang.
Lopez, a 26-year-old left back, was most recently on loan at Costa Rican side Alajuelense, where
he was a part of the team's back-to-back Apertura and Clausura championship teams.
Swedish midfielder Erik Friberg became the latest Seattle Sounder to depart this off-season,
moving to Swedish club Malmo on Monday in a transfer announced by the Sounders.
Friberg played 26 matches for Seattle, recording a goal and assist for the Sounders.
The off-season has been a busy one for the Sounders, who had already lost goalkeeper Kasey
Keller to retirement, James Riley and Tyson Wahl in the expansion draft, as well as Nate Jaqua and
Pat Noonan in the re-entry draft.
The Sounders have lost more players this season than any previous MLS off-season. That's without
the official losses of Pat Noonan and Nate Jaqua who could still be drafted in Stage Two of the
Re-Entry Draft on Monday. But there have been three retirements, the odd departure of Miguel
Montano with basically no compensation, the expansion draft loss of James Riley and the trade of
Tyson Wahl for allocation money have Seattle with plenty of openings.
December 2nd is becoming a day of retirements it seems. Earlier today the Terry Boss retirement
became official, and now Taylor Graham is also retiring. Graham's MLS career may be one easy to
pass over in history, but if there is one thing he was and always will be is a Sounder. Over the
past several years with the team in two iterations playing for Adrian Hanauer and Brian Schmetzer
he won the Defender of the Year, twice was was names to the First Team in the USL as well as the
Humanitarian of the Year in 2009.
After a couple of weeks off, we're back at it! We want to thank you for your patience and as we
navigate the holiday season we will most likely be on a bi-weekly schedule until closer to
preseason.
This week we talk about the loss of players James Riley and Tyson Wahl. As you probably know,
Riley was selected by Montreal Impact in the expansion draft and immediately traded to Chivas USA
and Wahl was traded to the Impact for allocation dollars.
After a couple of weeks off, we're back at it! We want to thank you for your patience and as we
navigate the holiday season we will most likely be on a bi-weekly schedule until closer to
preseason.
This week we talk about the loss of players James Riley and Tyson Wahl. As you probably know, Riley
was selected by Montreal Impact in the expansion draft and immediately traded to Chivas USA and
Wahl was traded to the Impact for allocation dollars.
The losses of James Riley and Tyson Wahl have Seattle Sounders FC adding allocation money only
at this point. It is also rather apparent that their biggest low-budget success of 2011, Mauro
Rosales, will be extended at a significantly higher figure, which should be announced very soon.
There will also be a new keeper, likely with a budget number that is fairly large considering that
the current leading candidate is Michael Gspurning, another situation we expect to be resolved
shortly.
Among the Montreal Impact's expansion draft selections last Wednesday was defender James Riley from
the Seattle Sounders. The Impact then traded him to Chivas USA for for forward Justin Braun and
midfielder Gerson Mayen. Mayen had been on loan to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers for part of the
season playing 9 games and scoring one [.
Certainly, I would like to thank everyone involved with my success, which includes all of the
SSFC fans and supporters, especially the ECS and Gorilla FC. I would also like to sincerely thank
the Seattle Sounders club, front office/support staff, coaches, and trainers. Thank you to my
marketing manager Rich Martin.
Some of this is recounting from Twitterisms some, you just couldn't make up:
Seattle Sounders: B+
Fucito, not cruising anywhere...
Good day to you Sounders fans. Two years ago Sebu Le Toux couldn't quite get on the field for
Sigi Schmid's first team. Off he went to the Philly Union in their expansion draft and nearly
captured an improbably MLS MVP award (of far from it, but you get the picture.
Por tercer año seguido el Seattle Sounders ha sido victima del Reclutamiento de Expansión
(Expansion Draft), esta vez por el nuevo equipo de la MLS el Impact de Montreal. El club canadiense
tomó al defensor derecho James RILEY en su lista de 10 jugadores que le empezarán a dar forma a
su plantel para el [.
Por tercer año seguido el Seattle Sounders ha sido victima del Reclutamiento de Expansión
(Expansion Draft), esta vez por el nuevo equipo de la MLS el Impact de Montreal. El club canadiense
tomó al defensor derecho James RILEY en su lista de 10 jugadores que le empezarán a dar forma a
su plantel para el [.
STARTERSWhere the fuck is Waldo? Hideous new USA shirts uncovered by Todo Sobre Camisetas
-All these other countries got decent looking shirts, but not us.
That five thoughts on the expansion draft post seemed to work pretty well yesterday, so with
time short and you (maybe? hopefully?) interested, here are five more on how the Montreal Impact
might be the new evil geniuses of Major League Soccer.
And they might just be that. Because right now Montreal looks evil, re: Brian Ching, and they
look like geniuses, re: Justin Braun.
That five thoughts on the expansion draft post seemed to work pretty well yesterday, so with
time short and you (maybe? hopefully?) interested, here are five more on how the Montreal Impact
might be the new evil geniuses of Major League Soccer.
And they might just be that. Because right now Montreal looks evil, re: Brian Ching, and they
look like geniuses, re: Justin Braun.
The Montreal Impact did not draft any New England Revolution players in this year's MLS
Expansion Draft, despite some valuable options being left up for grabs. Darrius Barnes, Ryan Guy,
and designated player Milton Caraglio were among the Revolution players left unprotected coming
into this draft, which would have been significant losses had they been chosen.
The Montreal Impact started the 2011 expansion draft with a controversial move, selecting Houston
Dynamo forward Brian Ching over the player's objections. Ching let it be known before the draft
that he planned to retire rather than leave Houston. In the only trade move, Montreal drafted
Seattle's James Riley and sent him to Chivas USA for Gerson Mayen and Justin Braun.
Goat guy: former Sounders favorite James Riley will bring experience and a winning attitude
next season to Chivas USA's back four, which badly needed strengthening, after arriving via a trade
today with Montreal (AP Photo).
Perhaps the most surprising thing to me about today's now-completed Expansion Draft - no players
from the MLS champion Galaxy were among the 10 selected by the Montreal Impact.
As the Montreal Impact look to build for their 2012 season they made two Seattle Sounders
related moves during the expansion draft to help their team. First they selected James Riley only
to later ship him to Chivas USA for two players - Justin Braun and Gerson Mayen. After the
expansion draft the Impact announced that they also traded for Tyson Wahl.
The 2011-12 offseason for Major League Soccer is underway today as the 19th club the Montreal
Impact made their ten selections in the Expansion Draft.
Below are the ten players selected:
- Brian Ching (Houston)
- Zarek Valentin (Chivas)
- Justin Mapp (Philadelphia)
- Bobby Burling (San Jose)
- Jed Brovsky (Vancouver)
- Collen Warner (Real Salt Lake)
- Josh Gardner (Columbus Crew)
- Sanna Nyassi (Colorado Rapids)
- James Riley (Seattle Sounders)
- Seth Sinovic (Sporting Kansas City)
Montreal also made a couple deals during the draft as well.
The Montreal Impact didn't waste any time in making a statement in the MLS Expansion Draft.
Despite threats that Brian Ching would retire if selected, the Impact made the Houston Dynamo
forward and captain the first overall pick in Wednesday's draft. In addition to Ching, the Impact
pounced on the chance to grab former Chivas USA and U.
Ever read those posts on SI.com, Fox Soccer, or ESPN.com with the "five thoughts about ..." and
then, well, lo and behold, they offer you five random thoughts about a topic?
Yeah, I always thought they were mailing it in too, too rushed or whatever to come up with a
lede, coherent structure for the column, etc.
With the announcement of the twelve players protected from selection in the Montreal Impact's
expansion draft there are a few players that could be labeled as "key" to the strong 2011 who were
left available for selection. The protected list is heavy on players up the spine was well as wide
midfielders but leaves three fullbacks available as neither of the left backs (Tyson Wahl or Leo
Gonzalez) nor iron man James Riley are protected.
In SB Nation's Mock Montreal Impact Expansion Draft I was asked to predict what the Seattle
Sounders would do. My thoughts change on a daily basis, but of the main questions I had them
protecting both Brad Evans and Erik Friberg. Which leaves two of the three young goal scorers
available. The mock GM picked Mike Fucito.
Our various writers here had a little discussion about what lineup changes we'd want to see. The
thought was to make a lineup card for you that would show a Sounder at Heart preferred lineup and a
Real Salt Lake likely lineup due to the injuries to Jamison Olave and Nat Borchers. With Jason
Kreis not sharing the status of those two besides the decision being held until tonight their side
of the card would be incomplete.
It's almost that time again, folks. Another team is going to enter the hallowed land of MLS and
in doing so they're going to take some of our stuff. And don't kid yourselves. Unless the Seattle
Sounders and the incoming Montreal Impact work out some sort of deal, we're going to lose a player.
Seattle's a tremendously successful and deep franchise and the list of players that have played
significant minutes in big games this season is much more than 11 deep, which is all we get to
protect.
Sigi Schmid put out what looks to be his First XI in a game that didn't matter for the Seattle
Sounders. As preparation for the MLS Cup Playoffs the match against Chivas USA was solid
preparation, except for the possible injury to Mauro Rosales. On goal one Mike Fucito played the
target role drawing three defenders before bouncing the ball out to James Riley who popped it up
and over to Fredy Montero in a one-on-one.
Sigi Schmid's side lacked its best three technical and creative force in the game Saturday night.
Forced to use the natural central midfielders (Brad Evans and Erik Friberg) at the same time and
deploying Pat Noonan as a withdrawn man the Seattle Sounders did not threaten the Philadelphia
Union goal as they typically do.
Winning the Supporters' Shield has been a longshot for quite some time now, but there seemed to
be sliver of hope after the Los Angeles Galaxy lost on Tuesday. Well, we can officially stop
worrying about it after the Seattle Sounders' 2-0 loss to the Philadelphia Union on Saturday. The
Sounders can now finish with no more than 63 points, one fewer than the Galaxy's current total.
The most intriguing thing is that both teams number 10s are gameday decisions. Neither Seattle
Sounders winger Mauro Rosales nor center attacking mid Sebastian Grazzini of the Chicago Fire
played in their last match due to injuries. Both though are on a path that could have them making a
return to the starting XI for the Cup Final.
Seattle's Mauro Rosales and James Riley questionable for USOC Final
Seattle's offense has continued to churn out quality despite missing Mauro Rosales since
September 17th. However, Seattle has conceded at least one goal every game since James Riley went
down at right back.
The seven-year veteran [Riley], who appeared chipper at Sunday's practice session, is also one
of the few Sounders without an established backup.
Some managers in the world will tell you before a match exactly who is going to start and what
shape they are going to use. Others don't have fixture congestion and so their first team minus
injuries is going to get the play - say the New England Revolution. For the Seattle Sounders Coach
Sigi Schmid has depth to make tactical moves (inserting Zach Scott as right back to shut down a
winger) and play near split-squads as he competes in three concurrent tournaments.
