Twitter
    Sportspress Northwest
    • Football
    • Baseball
    • NCAA
    • Hockey
    • Soccer
    • Basketball
    Twitter
    Sportspress Northwest
    Twitter
    Home » Sounders lose Riley in expansion draft; trade Wahl
    King5

    Sounders lose Riley in expansion draft; trade Wahl

    SPNW StaffBy SPNW StaffNovember 23, 2011Updated:October 5, 2012No Comments3 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Reddit LinkedIn Email
    Share
    Facebook Twitter Reddit LinkedIn Email
    The Sounders lost defender James Riley to Montreal Wednesday in the MLS expansion draft. / Kyle Scholzen, Sportspress Northwest

    Sounders FC knew it was likely to lose a good player, but they also lost a team leader and community asset when Montreal claimed popular defender James Riley, 29, in the MLS expansion draft Wednesday. Following the pick, Riley was traded to Chivas USA for Justin Braun and Gerson Mayen.

    He started a career-high 29 matches last season and appeared in 38 games across all competitions.

    “It’s not surprising that James Riley was picked by Montreal,” said coach Sigi Schmid said in a club statement. “He’s been our starting right back for three years and a quality player. We knew it would be a risk to not protect him. He’s a veteran who can step in and help a defense right away.”

    This was the third time the expansion draft moved Riley. He spent his first three MLS seasons with New England before being selected by San Jose in the 2008 draft. In 2009, he was chosen by Seattle, where he one goal and five assists, starting 83 of 84 matches. He was voted the club’s Humanitarian of the Year in 2010 and 2011 and was also named the club’s Defender of the Year in 2010.

    Montreal, which begins play in March, also traded traded with Seattle, acquiring defender Tyson Wahl for allocation money.

    Of Wahl, Schmid said: “Tyson has been solid contributor, earning more minutes with each season. We’ll miss his value to our team, but this trade enables him to be a full-time starter and the allocation money will help us maintain the high quality in our team.”

    Montreal’s first pick was Brian Ching from Houston. The Impact also took former Sounder Sanna Nyassi, who was taken from Seattle in last year’s expansion draft.

    The Sounders announced earlier they had protected forwards Fredy Montero and Sammy Ochoa; midfielders Osvaldo Alonso, Brad Evans, Alvaro Fernandez, Erik Friberg, Lamar Neagle, Mauro Rosales and Steve Zakuani, and defenders Jeff Parke and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado.

    Montreal selected 10 unprotected players, with the provision that no team can lose more than one.

    NEW TURF: The Seahawks and Sounders announced earlier that a new FieldTurf surface will be installed at the Clink in early February. The original turf was installed in 2008 and was worn. The arrival of the University of Washington football team for the 2012 season hastened the decision.

    The first major action on the new field will be March 7, when the Sounders host Mexico’s Santos Laguna in the first game of a CONCACF Champions League quarterfinal.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Reddit LinkedIn Email

    Related Posts

    Frei out, but Sounders’ Dutra helps with the save

    May 21, 2021

    Thiel: Sounders begin ruthlessly a return climb

    April 17, 2021

    Imagine: Sports events with fans. What a thing

    March 11, 2021

    Comments are closed.

    • Follow @Art_Thiel on Twitter
    Use our affiliate link on Amazon

    Subscribe to Our Weekly Roundup

    Get the top stories sent to your inbox every Thursday.

    Art Thiel on KNKX 88.5FM

    Kirsten Kendrick's Q. & A. with Thiel can be heard every Friday during Morning Edition at 5:45am and 7:45am and again that same day on All Things Considered at 4:44pm. It also airs Saturday at 9:35am.

    Listen now!
    Latest Posts

    A few musings about sports journalism as the unwinding begins

    February 18, 2022

    Carroll’s staff makeover seeks to get Wilson back in the game

    February 16, 2022

    Arizona loss unmasks truths about Hopkins, UW hoops

    February 15, 2022

    Rams win a survivors contest called the Super Bowl

    February 14, 2022
    Twitter
    • Football
    • Baseball
    • NCAA
    • Hockey
    • Soccer
    • Basketball
    © 2025 Sportspress Northwest

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.