MLS Red Bull New York

New York Red Bulls Weekly Update

Published on February 6, 2012 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Red Bull New York News Release


RED BULLS PEN ROOKIE RYAN MEARA

The New York Red Bulls announced Feb. 6 that they have signed newly acquired rookie goalkeeper Ryan Meara.

"Ryan is a talented, young goalkeeper who we think can develop into a solid contributor," said New York General Manager and Sporting Director Erik Soler. "We are happy to sign him to his first professional contract and also are content to bring in another local player to the first team."

The Red Bulls drafted Meara out of Fordham University with the 31st overall pick in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft. The Crestwood, NY native enjoyed an impressive career at Fordham, registering 31 shutouts in 74 total appearances for the school. In 2011, Meara posted a .862 save percentage which ranked sixth overall in the NCAA Division I and surrendered just 0.65 goals per game on the way to being named the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year and All-Atlantic 10 Conference First Team. In 2010, Meara played for the Newark-based Jersey Express S.C. of the Premier Development League and was voted the league's goalkeeper of the year. Meara was born in Yonkers, NY.

CLUB SIGNS 2010 TEAM MVP JOEL LINDPERE TO NEW CONTRACT

The New York Red Bulls announced Jan. 31 that it has signed midfielder Joel Lindpere to a new, multi-year contract. Lindpere, the team's 2010 Most Valuable Player, is coming off a 2011 campaign which saw him start all 34 regular season games, a franchise record.

"Joel has been an important part of our progress over the last two seasons and has become one of our most popular players because of his work rate, performance and commitment to the club," said New York General Manager and Sporting Director Erik Soler. "We wanted to reward him with a new contract to recognize his efforts and are excited that we agreed to a new contract with him. We look forward to having him as a Red Bull in the coming years, as we aim to win the MLS Cup."

"I am very happy to continue my career as a Red Bull," Lindpere said. "I have enjoyed my time in MLS over the past two seasons. The support from the fans has been sensational and I hope to help bring a MLS Cup to New York this season."

The Red Bulls signed Lindpere from Norwegian Tippeligaen side, Tromso, in March 2010. In his first season in MLS, Lindpere led the team with six assists and was named the team's Most Valuable Player. He was also a finalist for MLS Newcomer of the Year. Last season, Lindpere set club records in games played (34) and minutes played (3,048), recording seven goals and seven assists. He also has two postseason goals to his name.

At Tromso, Lindpere made 75 appearances from 2007-09 and scored five goals. The 30-year-old joined Tromso from Estonian club, FC Flora Tallinn. Lindpere had three different stints with FC Flora, from 2000-01, 2002-04 and 2005-06. In between, Lindpere also featured for Estonia's FC Valga from 2001-02 and Bulgaria's CSKA Sofia from 2004-05. He started his career in Estonia as a 15-year-old at JK Nomme Kalju in 1997 before moving onto Lelle SK for two years.

After making his international debut in 1999, Lindpere has been a stalwart for the Estonian National Team, earning 76 caps and scoring six goals.

RED BULLS-REAL SALT LAKE KICKOFF TIME MOVED

The New York Red Bulls and Real Salt Lake announced today that the kickoff time for the MLS Regular Season match between the two teams on March 17 at Rio Tinto Stadium has been moved to 10:00 PM ET. It was originally scheduled for 9:00 PM ET. Local broadcast information will be announced at a later date.

RED BULL THIERRY HENRY JOINS ARSENAL FC ON LOAN; NOTCHES 228TH GOAL FOR ARSENAL

The New York Red Bulls reached an agreement Jan. 6 to send forward Thierry Henry to English Premiership Club, Arsenal FC, on a loan that will see New York's captain return to the Red Bulls by the middle of February.

Henry scored his second goal since re-joining Arsenal, netting the final goal in the Gunners' 7-1 rout of Blackburn Rovers last Saturday. Henry entered the match for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the 68th minute, and finished off his chance in the 90th minute. It was his club-leading 228th goal in all competitions.

Henry returned to his former club on Monday, Jan. 9 in a FA Cup Third Round match against Leeds United, coming on as a 68th minute substitute. The Frenchman made his impact felt just 10 minutes after coming onto the pitch, controlling an Alex Song through ball and curling it past goalkeeper Andy Lonergan, recording the game's only goal in a 1-0 victory.

"It is unreal to be honest. But when it comes to Arsenal my heart will always do the talking," the World Cup, European Championship and UEFA Champions League winner said at the time of the loan announcement.

"Once I knew the plan behind it I was OK with it. I am not coming here to be a hero or prove anything. I am just coming here to help. People have to understand that. Marouane (Chamakh) and Gervinho are going to the Africa Cup of Nations so I was asked to fill in the gap. It is a loan deal and I'll be on the bench most of the time. If I can make the bench that is! The boss has a team here already who are doing something good. I am just going to be part of the squad.

"I want to send a message to the fans of New York Red Bulls as well. I always said I would not play in Europe again. But it is hard for me when it comes to Arsenal. I am not coming here for the whole season, I will be back and I want to win the MLS Cup with the Red Bulls. I hope it is win-win situation where I can help Arsenal and come back fit for the MLS season."

"We believe that this is a beneficial move for all parties involved," said Red Bulls General Manager and Sporting Director Erik Soler. "From our perspective, we believe that Thierry will have the prime opportunity to develop his match fitness playing with Arsenal in preparation for our MLS regular season campaign. We are personally thrilled that Thierry has earned this chance to rejoin and help his former club and look forward to seeing him in preseason camp in February."

Henry was the Red Bulls' 2011 Most Valuable Player, taking home the club's Golden Boot after scoring a team-high 14 goals in the regular season. The Frenchman, who made the MLS All-Star Team and was part of MLS' season-ending Best XI, played in and started 26 games, logging 2,266 minutes and registering four assists in his first full season in the League. He also notched his first career MLS Cup Playoffs goal in New York's 2-0 victory over FC Dallas on Oct. 26 in the Wild Card round. His 14 regular season goals ranked third-best in MLS this season.

Henry was with Arsenal from 1999-07, becoming one of the side's all-time great players. The French marksman was the top scorer in the English Premiership (2002, 2004-06) a record four times and helped Arsenal win the Premiership championship in 2002 and 2004. The 32-year-old also helped lead his team to three English FA Cups and claimed the European Golden Boot in 2004 and 2005.

Henry will return to the New York Red Bulls in the middle of February and rejoin his teammates for their final weeks of preseason ahead of the team's season opener on Sunday, March 11 against FC Dallas at 3:00 PM ET at FC Dallas Stadium. The match will be televised live by NBC Sports Network "" the first MLS game broadcasted by the League's new national partner, NBC.

RED BULLS, MLS AGREE TO TRANSFER FEE WITH BOLTON WANDERERS FC FOR TIM REAM

On Jan. 26, the Red Bulls announced that Major League Soccer and English Premiership side, Bolton Wanderers FC, agreed to a transfer fee for Red Bulls defender and United States National Team international Tim Ream. Ream has agreed to personal contract terms with Bolton, earned United Kingdom visa approval and passed a physical. The transfer terms were not disclosed.

"We are extremely happy for Tim. He has worked very hard since he joined Major League Soccer and became a Red Bull and we firmly believe that this opportunity will be beneficial to him and the Red Bulls. This was a difficult decision for us as a club, but at the end of the day, we could not turn down this opportunity to help Tim's development as a player. He has become a mature professional during his time here and we will fully support him as he moves to Bolton. He will always be welcome at Red Bull Arena," said Red Bulls General Manager and Sporting Director Erik Soler.

"While we will miss Tim and his contributions both on and off the field, this deal also presents us with a significant amount of financial flexibility heading into the 2012 MLS season. We are confident that we will be able to add quality players that will strengthen the squad to help us towards our goal of winning MLS Cup this year."

"I want to thank the Red Bulls and their fans for their tremendous support over the past two years. The club gave me an unbelievable opportunity to play in Major League Soccer and I would not have been in this position without the team and league's backing. I will always cherish my memories playing for New York," Ream said. "This was a hard decision for me considering the fact that I enjoyed playing for the Red Bulls and was looking forward to the upcoming MLS season. However, after consulting with those closest to me, I decided that this was a once in a lifetime chance that I could not pass up."

Ream recently completed his second season for the Red Bulls. The St. Louis, MO native started 28 games, only missing time because of international commitments with the U.S. National Team. His play in 2011 was recognized as he was named to the MLS All-Star Team for the first time in his career. His sophomore season in professional soccer followed a terrific first year for the 24-year-old in 2010, as Ream was a finalist for MLS Rookie of the Year. Ream played every minute of the team's 30 regular season games, helping the club to a single-season franchise record of 13 shutouts.

New York acquired Ream after drafting him in the second round (18th overall) in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft out of Saint Louis University. He played four seasons at Saint Louis and was named the 2009 Atlantic 10 Conference Defensive Player of the Year. On the international level, Ream has earned seven caps for the U.S., making his senior team debut when he started in a 1-0 win over South Africa on Nov. 17, 2010 in Cape Town.

DEFENDER WILMAN CONDE JOINS THE RED BULLS

The New York Red Bulls announced Jan. 30 that they obtained the right of first refusal for 2009 MLS Best XI defender Wilman Conde from the Chicago Fire in exchange for allocation money. New York has agreed to personal terms with the out-of-contract Conde and he will be added to the team's roster pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate.

"One of our offseason priorities was to solidify our defense and adding Wilman certainly does that," said Red Bulls General Manager and Sporting Director Erik Soler. "During his stint in Major League Soccer, Wilman quickly established himself as one of the League's top defenders and he will play an immediate role in our back line. He is strong, physical and experienced and he will be a tremendous addition to our club."

Conde was most recently with Mexican First Division side, Atlas de Guadalajara of the First Division, where he made 13 appearances and scored two goals. Prior to joining Atlas, Conde was a major contributor to the Chicago Fire from 2007-10. Over his three-plus seasons, Conde played in 73 games, starting in 66 and tallied four goals and four assists. Conde backstopped the Fire to three-straight postseason appearances from 2007-09 and was named to the MLS All-Star Team twice and earned a spot in the 2009 MLS Best XI.

The 29-year-old came to MLS from Colombian club, Millonarios, where he appeared in 33 matches from 2006-07. Conde started his career in 2000 with Deportes Quindio and moved onto Colombia's Deportivo Cali a year later, where he stayed from 2001-05. He was also with Colombian side Cortulua (2004) and Ecuadorian club Aucas (2005) on loan stints.

RED BULLS SIGN GOALKEEPER JEREMY VUOLO

The Red Bulls signed goalkeeper Jeremy Vuolo Jan. 25. The 25-year-old spent 2011 with Finnish side AC Oulu after a standout career at Syracuse University. Vuolo will be added to the team's roster pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate. Per league rules, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The Downingtown, PA native began his professional career in 2011 with then Finnish First Division (Ykkönen) side, AC Oulu. Vuolo played in 24 matches for the club, earning 11 clean sheets while helping the team to a third place finish.

"After doing extensive scouting, we believe that Jeremy has a very bright future ahead of him and can compete at the MLS level," said Red Bulls General Manager and Sporting Director Erik Soler. "He had a very good year playing professionally in Finland and brings many great attributes to the table. We expect that he will compete for a starting spot this year."

At the collegiate level, Vuolu spent his senior season at Syracuse University after three successful years at Hartwick College. As a senior in 2010 for Syracuse, Vuolo started 15 games and was named as a finalist for the LOWE's Senior Class Award for the nation's most outstanding student-athlete. He was named the team's Most Valuable Player after ranking fourth in the Big East Conference in saves and saves per game.

Vuolo spent his first three college seasons at Hartwick College, starting 53 of a possible 55 matches. As a junior in 2009, he had a breakout season in which he compiled a 10-4-4 record and a 0.84 goals against average with seven shutouts. His excellent play in 2009 earned him the All-Mid American Goalkeeper of the Year award as well as First Team All-MAC honors, and he was named the team's Most Valuable Player.

Before college, Vuolo was a standout at Downingtown West High School while also appearing at the club level for FC Delco, Spirit United Club and the Reading Rage of the PDL.

NYRB TO PLAY PUMAS IN ARIZONA AT RED BULL RETO DEL SOL ON FEB. 23

New York will face Pumas UNAM in a friendly match on Thursday, Feb. 23 in Red Bull Reto del Sol, or "Challenge of the Sun." This will be a follow up to last year's Red Bull Reto del Sol match, which pitted the Red Bulls vs. Club Atlas de Guadalajara. The 2012 game will be played at Chase Field, in downtown Phoenix, with doors opening at 6:00 p.m. local time and kick-off slated for 8:00 p.m. More information is available at www.redbullusa.com/retodelsol.

Red Bull Reto del Sol will once again bring professional soccer to the Valley of the Sun, with some of the top players in the United States and Mexico participating, including Rafa Márquez, Thierry Henry, Juan Agudelo, Martin Bravo, EfraÃ-n Velarde and DarÃ-o VerÃ"ne. The Red Bulls, who finished the 2011 season by advancing to the Western Conference Semifinals, will go up against Primera DivisiÃ"n Team Pumas UNAM. Pumas, widely regarded as one of the most popular clubs in Mexico, are champions of the 2011 Clausura tournament, having won their seventh championship against Monarcas Morelia.

"We are looking forward to returning to the Phoenix area to face Pumas, an elite Mexican side that will provide us with a big test," said Red Bulls General Manager and Sporting Director Erik Soler. "We had a good match against Atlas in 2011 playing in front of a great crowd and we look forward to competing in a similar atmosphere at this year's Red Bull Reto del Sol."

In 2011, Red Bull Reto del Sol took place in Glendale, AZ, pitting the Red Bulls vs. Atlas, and drew more than 23,000 spectators. After a scoreless first half, the Red Bulls went down 0-1 when Atlas player Edgar Pacheco put up a ball that was inadvertently deflected into the net by New York defender Tim Ream. However, former Atlas star and current Red Bull Márquez converted a penalty kick in the 89th minute, earning New York a 1-1 draw.

Tickets for Red Bull Reto del Sol are now on sale, starting at $20 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000 and online at ticketmaster.com. Tickets are also available at usual tienda locations in the Phoenix area and at the Chase Field box office in person or via phone at 480-339-5000. For additional information please log on to www.azchasefield.com.

RED BULLS ANNOUNCE PRESEASON TRAVEL SCHEDULE

The club released their preseason travel plans leading up to the start of the 2012 MLS Regular Season. The team's preseason tour includes stops in Mexico and Arizona before it returns to the New York area in early March ahead of its opening match of the 2012 season against FC Dallas on Sunday, March 11 at 3:00 PM ET at FC Dallas Stadium (TV: NBC Sports Network).

The Red Bulls reported to preseason camp on Monday, Jan. 16 at Red Bull Arena. On Monday, Jan. 30, the team departs for Riviera Maya, Mexico before returning to the New York area on Wednesday, Feb. 15. A full match schedule in Mexico will be released at a later date. The team embarks on its final trip of the preseason on Monday, Feb. 20, when it departs for Arizona to take part in the 2012 FC Tucson Desert Diamond Cup.

New York will kick off the competition on Wednesday, Feb. 22 as it faces Real Salt Lake, and continues on Saturday, Feb. 25 against Eastern Conference rival, the New England Revolution. The Red Bulls' third match of the tournament is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 29 versus the defending MLS Cup Champion Los Angeles Galaxy. The competition concludes with the championship and third place matches on Saturday, March 3. The following day, the Red Bulls return to the New York area, concluding the preseason travel schedule.

This is the second straight year that the Red Bulls will spend preseason in both Mexico and Arizona. Please contact the Red Bulls Communications Department regarding media availability.

Below is a breakdown of the preseason schedule:

2012 New York Red Bulls Preseason Schedule

Monday, Jan. 16: Team reported to preseason camp at Red Bull Arena

Monday, Jan. 30: Team departs for Riviera Maya, Mexico

Tuesday, Feb. 7: Red Bulls vs. FC Dallas Preseason Match

Wednesday, Feb 15: Team returns to New York area

Monday, Feb. 20: Team departs for Arizona

Wednesday, Feb. 22: Red Bulls vs. Real Salt Lake "" Desert Cup

Thursday, Feb. 23: Red Bulls vs. Pumas - Red Bull Reto del Sol

Saturday, Feb. 25: Red Bulls vs. New England Revolution "" Desert Cup

Wednesday, Feb. 29: Red Bulls vs. Los Angeles Galaxy "" Desert Cup

Saturday, March 3: Desert Cup Finals and Third Place match

Sunday, March 4: Team returns to New York area

Sunday, March 11: Red Bulls vs. FC Dallas at FC Dallas Stadium at 3:00 PM ET (TV: NBC Sports Network)

Check out the Red Bull New York Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Major League Soccer Stories from February 6, 2012


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central