As it’s been a while since we’ve checked in with our former players now playing professionally across the globe, we figured it was due time to provide an update! Here’s what a handful of former Reds have been up to over the past few months:
Hassani Dotson – Minnesota United FC (Major League Soccer)
Dotson has had a career year for Minnesota United FC so far, playing in 22 out of the club’s 24 games. Holding down a starting defensive midfield role, Hassani is among the league leaders in pressures, interceptions, blocks, and aerial duels won amongst midfielders. He’s also added one assist and two goals, including this late stunner against LAFC.
Doston was also called up for the U.S. Men’s National Team for Olympic Qualifying in March, scoring twice off the bench against Honduras.
Khiry Shelton – Sporting KC (Major League Soccer)
Shelton has been a key cog in Sporting Kansas City’s prolific attack this season. They lead the Western Conference with 43 goals scored, and Khiry has contributed a goal-creating action in 10 of them, including two goals and six assists. He’s split time at left, right, and center forward this season and has only been left on the bench once all year.
Matt Bersano – San Jose Earthquakes (Major League Soccer)
Matt Bersano is still with the San Jose Earthquakes, who are fighting for a playoff spot in the MLS Western Conference. While Bersano is yet to make an appearance, he has been with the Quakes’ organization since 2017, also spending time on loan at their former affiliate club Reno 1868 FC.
Luis Barraza – New York City FC (Major League Soccer)
Barraza made his long-awaited MLS debut earlier this season for NYCFC, making a total of five starts after a brief loan spell with USL Championship squad Oakland Roots SC, for whom he made two appearances. He earned two clean sheets and three wins in those five MLS starts with a save percentage of 70.0 as he filled in for MLS legend Sean Johnson, even tallying an assist in one of those victories! Read more about Luis’ journey to become a pro player and his first MLS appearances here.
Akeem Ward – Oakland Roots SC (USL Championship)
Ward has 17 starts in 20 total appearances for USL Championship side Oakland Roots SC in 2021 after moving across the country from North Carolina last year. Akeem has played both left and right back for the Roots, who are in their first year at the USL Championship level.
Nick Moon – Indy Eleven (USL Championship)
Moon has three goals and three assists this season for Indy Eleven, where he’s in the midst of his second season. Moon has been the regular starter at right midfield, but has also filled in at right back.
Amer Sasivarevic – Free Agent
Amer Sasivarevic is without a club while recovering from ACL surgery but hopes to be back on the pitch next season. He most recently played for Oklahoma City Energy FC in the USL Championship.
Matthias Binder – Wiener Neustädter SC (Austrian Regional League East)
The Austrian midfielder has featured in 8 of his team’s 9 league games so far, tallying two goals. He also played the full 90 in his club’s First Round Austrian Cup defeat to Austrian Bundesliga side SK Austria Klagenfurt and scored in their preseason match against Russian powerhouse CSKA Moscow in June.
Ximo Miralles – UD Logroñés (Primera División RFEF – Spain)
The Spanish netminder joined UD Logroñés on a transfer from CD Numancia in late July. Prior to the move, he featured prominently in Numancia’s preseason match against La Liga titleholders Atletico Madrid, making a point blank save in the 54th minute before his side fell in a penalty shootout after the game ended in a 1-1 draw. Unfortunately, Miralles has not yet been able to make his debut with his new club due to a muscular injury suffered during the preseason.
Will Seymore – Finn Harps (League of Ireland Premier Division)
Seymore has remained a fixture in the Harps’ midfield since he joined them on a free transfer last February, making 26 starts with one substitute appearance in the 2021 season. He scored his first goal with the club on July 2nd against Drogheda United, and has tallied two assists, one in league play and one in the FAI Cup. Finn currently sit in 7th place with 8 matches left to play.
Joel Rydstrand – CD San Roque de Lepe (Segunda División RFEF – Spain)
The Swedish central midfielder has featured in all four matches for CD San Roque de Lepe, earning two starts and making two appearances off the bench. After the Andalusian club got off to a rough start to the season with two straight losses, they’ve rebounded with a draw and a win the past two weeks.
Álex Pantoja – CD Guadalajara (Tercera División RFEF – Spain)
Despite the serious ACL and meniscus injuries he suffered in January, CD Guadalajara rewarded Pantoja with a one-year contract extension in June. He continues to rehab his knee and hopes to be ready for action around mid-season.
José Terrón – UC Cartes (Tercera División RFEF – Spain)
Terrón has remained with UC Cartes, whom he joined last season, for another year and has played every minute for the Cantabrian club so far through two games, one loss and one draw.
Francesco Tiozzo – UD Adriese 1906 (Serie D – Italy)
The former Lane United FC and University of Portland defender has played the full 90 minutes in both of UD Adriese’s matches to start the season, a 1-1 draw versus Clodiense in the opener and tough 1-0 defeat Cjarlins Muzane.
OTHER FORMER REDS’ NEWS
Ricky Lopez-Espin
After a successful 2020 season with USL League One club Fort Lauderdale CF in which he scored 7 goals in 16 appearances, the former striker has hung up his boots (at least for now) and moved into the broadcasting booth for ESPN! You can catch him calling USL Championship games live for ESPN+. Lopez-Espin already has a handful of games under his belt and reports that he is “Enjoying it tons!”
Kyle Coffee
Following two seasons with USL Championship side Real Monarchs in which he scored 9 goals in 37 appearances and helped them lift the league title in 2019, Coffee decided it was time to move on to the next chapter in his life and joined the Dixie State University coaching staff as an Assistant Coach of the men’s soccer team ahead of the 2021 season.
Jaret Townsend
Townsend announced his retirement from professional football on November 30, 2020, after competing for Sporting Kansas City II during the 2020 season. He has returned to school and is currently working towards his MS in Data Science from Eastern University.