Riley arrives to revive San Jose
Former Revolution defender provides stability to expansion team
Riley was correct. After spending the first three years of his career with the Revolution, the Wake Forest product had been claimed by the San Jose Earthquakes in the expansion draft that provided the returning California organization with the basis of its squad for the 2008 season.
Initially, he admits, Riley was disappointed to be departing New England. Normally, when a player leaves a club, it is a result of the wish of one or both parties. In this instance, however, neither side had a desire to break up the relationship.
"My (end-of-season) exit interview was fantastic with the Revolution," said Riley. "Steve Nicol said he was really pleased with me both on and off the field and that he would love to have me back. So I was disappointed (to be leaving) at first. It's a fantastic club with great fans and I loved my time there."
Even as Riley sat down with Nicol following the Revs' third consecutive run to an MLS Cup final, he was aware that the club had not included him on their list of players that would be protected from moving west, meaning that San Jose's move to claim him was not a total surprise.
Though his disappointment at leaving New England was tangible, Riley is keen to point out that those feelings should not be seen as being disrespectful to his new club, for which he is very excited to play. As a young player, he was coached in his home state of Colorado by Paul Bravo, the current director of soccer for the Los Angeles Galaxy, who worked with Frank Yallop at that club. The link meant Riley thought that he could be a player in whom San Jose had interest, though he had no contact from the Earthquakes prior to his selection.
Thus, after putting his time in New England behind him, Riley says he grew more and more excited about the next chapter in his career. Having played in tournaments during his youth in California and made an official visit to Santa Clara University before opting to attend Wake Forest, he had some knowledge of the area. However, he admits that in the early days, he knew little about his new home and continues to get used to it today.
"As soon as I heard about the move, I was straight onto Wikipedia to learn a bit more about the city and surrounding areas," Riley said. "Since I arrived, I have found (California) is quite low-key and has some fantastic people. I love the vibe and feel of the place."
The next part of Riley's transition was to pack up his car and start the long coast-to-coast journey. With more than 3100 miles separating Boston and San Jose, there was plenty of time to think and Riley says he is glad he took the extended he did time to make his move.
While continuing to settle into his new surroundings, preseason offered a familiar constant to Riley, who was joined on the training field by a collection of players who, as well, had been recently displaced by the expansion draft. The collective upheaval the group has gone through, he believes, has made moving to a new team a little easier.
"Transition into camp has been fantastic under Frank. He demands a lot from us and is a players coach just like Steve Nicol," Riley said. "He has brought in a group of players that have been around the block and who know the league and what it takes to win. They demand the best out of themselves and each other."
Riley added that a feature of the Earthquakes squad is that it contains a number of players who will have bigger roles at their new club than on their previous teams. This is especially true for Riley, who became known for his versatility during his time in New England but who rarely played more than a handful of games in one position.
"(In preseason) I've been starting on the right of defense, which is definitely my preferred side. Versatility is a great thing for any player and if you can challenge for playing time in a number of positions that can definitely help you. I consider myself to be able to play anywhere in the back. Having said that, a consistent spot in the side is great."
In San Jose's 4-4-2 system, Riley has been developing a partnership on the right flank with Ronnie O'Brien, who is playing for his second expansion team in as many years, having been with Toronto FC in 2007. The duo are just two of the new Quakes that were left exposed by their old club, a fact that, admits Riley, is a spur to them.
"It's not something you think about every day but it is in the back of your mind," he said. "I think you do have to walk around with a chip on your shoulder because nobody likes to be unprotected and you do think about what you have given to the club you were with."
The reality of playing in a growing league, however, means that expansion does happen and will inevitably lead to club losing key roster members. With no particular axe to grind, Riley is focusing on doing his best for San Jose and has enjoyed his first preseason on the west coast, during which he has been encouraged by what the league's newest side has been able to accomplish from their first game, which came against their predecessors and current MLS champions.
"We didn't really know how significant our first games against Houston were at the time but (0-1 and 0-0 results) showed that we were willing ready to battle and that we could compete against a championship team. It was a fantastic testament to the guys that we have," he said.
San Jose's strong preseason showing has continued, the Quakes winning the Carolina Challenge Cup over the weekend -- which has traditionally been a harbinger of good things to come in the season ahead. With the season opener against the Galaxy looming this weekend, Riley is confident that he is on a team that has the experience and ability among its ranks to immediately be competitive in the league.
"I think we have a very good nucleus of guys. We could be deeper of course but I think we have 13 to 15 legitimate guys that could be around for a while and we are starting to get some chemistry," Riley said. "I know I've learned a lot from the guys I played with in New England and try to follow their example with the younger guys we have here."
The emotion of the Earthquakes' return to San Jose is certain to provide Yallop's side with a start to the season that will not soon be forgotten. However, the importance of early success must not be seen as more vital than the team's long-term goals which are, says Riley, to be as relevant in October and November as they are in April.
"It's important we start well but, at the same time, we know it's a long season. We want to experience a lot but don't have any lower goals than any of the established teams just because we are an expansion side. We think the guys we have are more than capable of challenging," he said.
Andrew Hush is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
