New deals for Meara, White, Tarek
December 20, 2019 (Official Press Release)

The New York Red Bulls announced today that the club has signed goalkeeper Ryan Meara, forward Brian White and defender Amro Tarek to new MLS contracts.

"We are pleased to reach agreements with Ryan, Brian and Amro," said Red Bulls Sporting Director Denis Hamlett. "As we look to improve our team with new additions, it is also important to make sure we solidify our existing roster and build out our core. We know the value of all three players and we expect all three to be contributors for us in 2020 and beyond."

Meara, 29, is the club's longest-tenured player. The 2012 second-round pick made an immediate impact as a rookie. The New York native earned the No. 1 role in preseason and started 18 games. He posted 9-5-4 record and 1.50 goals-against-average, while setting the shutout record for rookie goalkeepers, tallying 321 shutout minutes.

Meara underwent season-ending hip surgery on August 23 during his rookie season where Luis Robles took over the starting role for the next seven seasons. As the primary backup for New York over the next six seasons, he went 2-1-1 in regular season play when called on for a spot start. Meara most notably helped the Red Bulls to the 2017 U.S. Open Cup Final, tallying two shutouts in five matches, including a career-best seven-save performance with a penalty-kick save in the PK round against Philadelphia in the Round of 16.

White, a Flemington, NJ, native, finished 2019 as New York's second-highest goal scorer and MLS' sixth-highest American scorer.

White, a 2018 MLS SuperDraft first round selection, has had two strong professional seasons with the Red Bulls organization. The Duke graduate's rookie season saw eight goals and five assists in 23 USL Championship matches, which included a performance never seen before in either USL Championship or MLS with a goal, an assist and save in a single match against Richmond Kickers on July 13, 2018. White also added his first career MLS goal against Houston on August 29.

Following Bradley Wright-Phillips injury early in 2019, White filled in well as New York's No. 9 with nine goals and two assists in 1,345 minutes played. He opened up his 2019 scoring ledger as a substitute against SKC for BWP, which he scored the equalizer in the 75th minute. White then rattled off eight goals in a 15-match span as a starter.

Since his freshman year at Duke University, White has recorded 61 goals in 143 matches. He tallied 23 goals in 73 matches at Duke, 17 goals in 14 matches with New York Red Bulls U-23, 11 goals in 26 matches with NYRB II and 10 goals in 24 matches with the Red Bulls.

Tarek, acquired via trade with Orlando City SC last offseason, made 20 appearances for New York and was named the team's Newcomer of the Year. Tarek showed well in his first season at New York, helping New York to five clean sheets as a starter. The Red Bulls were 10-6-3 in MLS play when Tarek started a match. The Egyptian international also chipped in one goal and one assist.

Prior to MLS, Tarek featured with Wadi Degla during the 2017-18 season, amassing 10 starts and 21 appearances. He made his senior team debut in the Egyptian Premier League at 22 years old for El Gouna FC on January 9, 2014. Overall, Tarek made 83 combined appearances for three different Egyptian Premier League teams (Wadi Degla, El Gouna, Enppi) and accrued 7,033 minutes played.

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