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Report: Meara called in by Ireland U-21s (UPDATED)

Meara (Getty Images)

It would appear that Ryan Meara's rise from unheralded college goalkeeper to New York Red Bulls starter is just the beginning of his whirlwind year. 

According to the Irish Independent, Meara has declared his intent to play for Ireland and he will be called into the country's Under-21 national team later this month.

(UPDATE: According to MLSSoccer.com, the Red Bulls have denied Ireland's request for Meara, and he will remain with the club during the international break for World Cup qualifiers. New York was not required to release Meara for the youth competition.)

"We've been following him for a couple of months and then when he started their season as No. 1, that was a big statement," Ireland Under-21 coach Noel King said. "He's a big lad with good hands, and he's a strong kicker."

According to the Independent, the 21-year-old Meara, who was born in the United States but reportedly qualifies for Ireland through his grandparents, would join the Ireland U-21s at the end of the month for a friendly against Denmark and a 2013 U-21 European championship qualifier against Italy on June 4. He is coming off a strong performance over the weekend, making five saves to secure his first clean sheet in a 1-0 victory over New England.

The Red Bulls are not obligated to release Meara for the Ireland camp, but they won't have any games during the stretch in which he would be called upon by King.

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What do you think of this developement? Do you think the Red Bulls will/should release Meara for the camp?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I look at this situation (and others like Najar and Faguendez) as wins for the US. It only serves to demonstrate there is good talent in the US and it’s worthwhile for the top teams to invest time and money finding and developing it. More eyes on American talent (citizen or not) means more opportunities for players to get into the toughest playing environments and further develop their games.

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  2. For dual nationals, it is sometimes (literally) like choosing between your mother and your father. Rossi was born here, but everything I’ve read said his family was planning on returning to Italy anyway. No need to hate on him because the rules say you have to chose and no turning back.

    I expect Meara’s choice was more opportunistic than emotional, but there’s no need to harbor any resentment toward the guy. He won’t be cap tied for a while, so there’s always a chance we get him back.

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  3. “Well then, if he wants to go play for someone else than Umurrica, then screw him.”

    Some of you guys are doing a smashing job of making us all look like dumb hicks. There’s nothing wrong with national pride, but we need to take it down a notch.

    There’s a lot more to this than just a team wanting a goalkeeper for a friendly. Who knows why they tried to call him up, OR why NYRB turned them down?

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  4. That pretty much sums it up. If you’ve got no shot with the US by all means try your luck elsewhere. If you would start and call yourself an American then you should play for the US. If you call yourself American why would you play for another country? That makes no sense at all… This is why everyone hates Rossi.

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  5. Mr. Vic,

    In order to play for the US, under FIFA rules, you have to have an American passport.

    I am assuming you are a native born American because you clearly do not understand how difficult it is to get a US passport if you are not native born.

    It is possible that getting a passport for any number of other countries is much easier.

    But if you are concerned about how “easy” it is for others to play for the US, you are sadly misinformed.

    In fact, the stringent requirements for getting a US passport still has the USMNT at a disadvantage relative to many other countries in this era of dual nationals.

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  6. I said acquainted. Not cap tied. Even though he won’t be playing in this upcoming qualifier with the Ireland U21s (since NYRB won’t release him), I believe that since he is over 21, if he were to have played in this U21 Euro Qualifier or if he plays in any other Ireland official match at some point, that he would have to file a one time switch to play for the USMNT.

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  7. Really? I suppose you gents didn’t watch the Olympic qualifying. Hamid and Johnson looked like keepers from the Honduran 4th division.

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  8. If Cooper and Wolff’s trips to the B.2 weren’t enough, as well as plenty of history of mediocre Americans in the German minors who can’t cut it when they come back, the performances of Yelldell and Robles in goal when given their chances based on German B.2 efforts underline that there’s the B.1 and then….everything else. Just being in Germany or being part-German doesn’t make you awesome…..[right, Wooten fans?]

    I’ll be interested to see what transpires with Meara because he’s not that awesome and Ireland might now have no chance to see him before a U21 Euro-tourney short of a senior callup. Something may have to give…does NYRB really need a 1.7 GA/game keeper every week? Does Ireland really give a darn? A friendly might have seemed a harmless callup to try the kid but now you might have to roster him for the big show sight unseen……hmmmm, will they do it? How bad you want to steal our thunder?

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  9. 1. wah wah wah. The rule is that if you are a citizen and not cap-tied, then you can play. wah wah wah. Get over it. This is a country of immigrants, stolen from the natives by immigrants, built by immigrants and grown by immigrants.

    2. Guess what. If you are married long enough and live here long enough, you will be eligible for citizenship. Get over it. It’s a good rule which can protect spouses and children in some circumstances.

    3. Let’ say I lived outside the USA due to work for several years. Would it be fair to my son and daughters to say you can’t play for the USA because you were outside the country for too long? Guess what; they don’t have another passport.

    The stupidity that goes on here…

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  10. Not if your father was an American serving in the military on an American military base stationed in Germany…this makes more sense than someone who is granted citizenship thru marriage ie Darlington Nagbe come Dec ’12.

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  11. You guys are sad individuals. USA #1. If I can’t make that team, then I look elsewhere. If you choose Spain or Italy over USA, you are a tool and a disgrace. You deserve Rossi hate.

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  12. So when we see USA vs Portugal we actually see USA vs Portugal instead of USA/Germany/Norway vs Portugal/Brazil. I remember in 1994 when USA did well people said these are mostly foreigners on the USA team doing well. If we do well with players born and raised in a different country, American critics will have a valid point. I’m not saying we shouldn’t play foreigners if others do it, however, Fifa should make better standards.

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  13. implied in the above comment is that you could play for the USMNT . . . but if the USMNT rejects you (like this goalie), no harm no foul.

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  14. feel sorry for you bud. But with freedom comes the right to make choices that others don’t agree with. Me personally, a person playing for a country they weren’t born, raised or even lived in is like leaving your wife to shack up with your buddy’s wife.

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  15. why would you hate a guy that has zero chance to play for the USMNT? if he could start (or even compete) for the national team, and chose to go somewhere else . . . he would be a traitor, at this point he is just a guy trying to improve his career.

    Nothing wrong with that.

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