The New York Red Bulls may have found the veteran goalkeeper they've been looking for as reports out of Egypt suggests they've signed El-Hany Soliman. The 27-year-old was playing for Egyptian Premier League side El-Ittihad and has earned 24 national team caps since 2008. The MLS transfer window closes on April 15.
MLS Transfer Rumor: New York Red Bulls Reportedly Sign Egypt’s El-Hany Soliman
Red Bulls reportedly bolster their goalkeeper position by signing Egypt’s El-Hany Soliman.
Assuming the report is accurate, Soliman would almost certainly take over the starting goalkeeper spot once he's considered fit. Rookie Ryan Meara has so far done a decent job and actually leads all of MLS with 21 saves. Whether or not that's a good stat to be leading the league in is another question, though.
Meara currently has a 1.60 goals against average, which is tied for the fourth highest figure. He also has stopped about 72 percent of the shots he’s faced, placing him squarely in the middle of MLS goalkeepers.
Meara’s early season performance aside, this move makes a lot of sense. No team has ever won the MLS Cup with a rookie goalkeeper and Meara was not even considered a top prospect when he was drafted. If the Red Bulls have designs on winning anything this year, finding a veteran was virtually a must.
For more on this signing, be sure to check out Red Bulls blog Once a Metro.
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