New York Red Bulls goalkeeper Ryan Meara has announced his official retirement from professional soccer. Meara played 12 seasons with the New York Red Bulls, the most by a single player in franchise history.
“We are very grateful to have had Ryan in our organization for as long as we did,” said Head of Sport Jochen Schneider. “Ryan exemplifies everything we look for in a player and is an incredible human being on and off the field – we will miss him very much and we wish him the best in the next chapter of his life.”
Meara, 34, was selected by the Red Bulls as the No. 31 overall pick in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft. He made 44 career MLS appearances, where he posted 10 career MLS shutouts. In 2024, Meara made eight appearances across all competitions, where he posted a 2-1-5 mark and recorded four shutouts. He has recorded 20 shutouts across all competitions in his career, which ranks fourth place in franchise history for most shutouts.
During his first season with the club, Meara was named the starting goalkeeper and made 18 starts for the Red Bulls. He posted a 9-5-4 mark and set a new shutout record for a rookie goalkeeper posting 321 straight shutout minutes. Meara was sent on loan to NYCFC in 2015, where he made one appearance. He made his return to the Red Bulls in 2016, where he earned his first career CONCACAF Champions Cup shutout on August 3, 2016, against Antigua. Meara also featured for New York Red Bulls II during their 2016 USL Championship Title winning season. He helped NYRB II win two penalty shootouts to make it to the USL Championship Final for the first time in franchise history and led them to a 5-1 win over Swope Park Rangers.
The Yonkers, N.Y. native appeared in all five matches during the Red Bulls’ 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, where they advanced to the Final for the second time in franchise history. He recorded two shutouts against NYCFC and the New England Revolution during the run. In 2018, Meara played in three matches in place of Luis Robles and owned a 1-1-1 mark with one shutout and 12 saves.
“I am extremely proud to have spent almost all of my career with the New York Red Bulls, when you spend so many years with one club it becomes so much more than just a team you play for,” Meara said. “This club and the fans have become a second home to myself and an extension of my family. There is no doubt I will miss playing but I’m very excited for the next chapter and to be a fan of this great club.”
Meara made 13 starts and posted a 5-3-3 mark during the 2020 MLS season, he also recorded three shutouts. The goalkeeper recorded eight saves during his first career MLS Cup Playoff appearance against Columbus Crew on November 21, 2020, which is tied for second place for the most goalkeeper saves in a playoff match in franchise history. Meara ends his playing career as the all-time leader in franchise history in U.S. Open Cup appearances (17) and U.S. Open Cup shutouts (7). He was a member of the 2013 and 2018 Supporters Shield winning teams and helped the club secure their first-ever Eastern Conference Championship in 2024.
