Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/USA Today Sports

By DAN KARELL

Ryan Meara is on the move, but isn’t going very far.

New York City FC confirmed Thursday that the New York Red Bulls are sending Meara on a season-long loan to the expansion club in exchange for winger Sal Zizzo, who was selected by NYC FC earlier on Wednesday in the MLS Expansion Draft. Meara will join Josh Saunders and pending signing Akira Fitzgerald in the squad.

It’s a bit of a homecoming for the 24-year-old Meara, who played his high school and college soccer at Fordham University, which is just a few miles north of NYC FC’s home next season of Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

Per a report, Meara won’t be allowed to play against the Red Bulls during his loan, and the Red Bulls will keep his and Sal Zizzo’s rights.

Since returning from the serious hip injury in June 2013, Meara has played second fiddle to Luis Robles for the Red Bulls, instead starting regularly for the reserves and in cup competitions, such as the U.S. Open Cup and the CONCACAF Champions League.

Here are some more notes to catch you up around MLS:

GEHRIG RETURNS HOME WITH TRADE TO FIRE

Eric Gehrig isn’t the only MLS player returning to his hometown team this week.

Just hours after Orlando City drafted Gehrig in the MLS Expansion Draft from the Columbus Crew, Orlando City turned around and sent Gehrig’s MLS rights to the Chicago Fire in exchange for the Fire’s natural second round draft pick in the 2016 MLS Draft.

Gehrig is currently out of contract, but it’s expected that he’ll sign with the Fire. If he doesn’t sign, the Fire will retain his MLS rights indefinitely should he choose to return to the league.

“Honestly, there aren’t any words to give justice to how thrilled I am to come back to Chicago,” Gehrig said in a statement. “The Fire have been in my blood since I was a kid in the stands at Soldier Field watching Piotr Nowak and Josh Wolff. I’ve worked hard throughout my career, this is something I’ve always had in the back of my mind and I can’t believe it’s actually happening.”

In his fourth year in MLS, all previously with the Crew, Gehrig started 15 times in 22 games, playing mostly as a right back. It was the most games-played and starts for Gehrig in his MLS career.

NYC FC TRADE LOVITZ BACK TO TFC

Daniel Lovitz was a New York City FC player for only a few hours.

Not long after being taken in the fourth round in the MLS Expansion Draft, Lovitz was traded back to Toronto FC by NYC FC in exchange for an undisclosed amount of allocation money.

“Our goal was to come out of the expansion draft with our team intact,” TFC general manager Tim Bezbatchenko said in a statement. “We did our homework and took measures to ensure that would happen prior to the draft. To that end, we accomplished what we set out to do, and now our full attention can set on improving the team for next season.”

Lovitz, a rookie winger, started five times in 18 games for TFC last season, recording three assists in all competitions.

FORMER FIRE DP SET FOR MOVE TO LIGA MX

A deal is in the works to bring Juan Luis Anangono to Mexico, following a disappointing spell with the Chicago Fire.

Anangono, who signed as a Designated Player in July 2013, never settled with the Fire and only scored four goals in 28 appearances. After finding himself out of the starting lineup, the Fire loaned Anangono back to his native Ecuador last July to play for LDU Quito, where he’s scored 11 times in 24 appearances.

Now according to reports in Mexico, Anangono is nearing a move to Universidad de Guadalajara for the upcoming Clausura season.

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What do you think of these reports? Do you like the Meara loan? Think he’ll be the starter for NYC FC? What do you think of the Gehrig trade?

Share your thoughts below.