11 April 2006 - Meola Returns, His Ponytail Stays Home

On 11 April 2006, goalkeeper Tony Meola returned to the US national team to earn his 100th cap after a four-year break.

Meola joined the national team in June 1988. Later that summer, he replaced Los Angeles Heat keeper David Vanole as the full-time starter and manned the posts for the US in the 1990 and 1994 World Cups. He captained the side for the 1994 tournament, including their dramatic 2-1 win over Colombia. His trademark ponytail made him the face of US football, but after the tournament, he decided to try out for the NFL's New York Jets as an kicker, then briefly pursued an acting career.

He returned to the national team in 1999, but had fallen to their third-choice keeper behind Brad Friedel and Kasey Keller. Although manager Bruce Arena--who had coached Meola at the University of Virginia--selected him for the 2002 World Cup squad, Meola did not see the pitch during the tournament.

In 2006, Arena recalled Meola to the squad for a friendly against Jamaica that ended 1-1. It was his last national team appearance, but it made him the ninth player, and the only goalkeeper, to reach the 100-cap milestone for the US.

15 October 2000 - There's A Saying About Defense And Championships

On 15 October 2000, Kansas City won the MLS Cup over Chicago in a battle of the league's stingiest defense against its most powerful offense.

The two teams ended the season level on points at the top of the table, with Kansas City conceding a league-low 29 goals and Chicago scoring a league-high 67. Kansas City claimed the top spot, however, with a goal differential of +18 to Chicago's +16.

They met at RFK Stadium in Washington for the MLS Cup Final, where Kansas City took an early 1-0 lead with an eleventh-minute goal from Danish striker Miklos Molnar, who had joined them from Sevilla earlier that year and was making his last appearance before retiring. Chicago, led by the season's top scorer Ante Razov, pressed forward in search of an equalizer, but were constantly stymied by the Kansas City defense and goalkeeper Tony Meola, who had kept an MLS-best twenty clean sheets through the season, including four in the MLS Cup playoffs.

Despite a flurry of Chicago chances in the last ten minutes, Kansas City held firm to notch their twenty-first shutout of the year. Meola, who had already won the league's most valuable player, best goalkeeper, and comeback player of the year awards, was named the MLS Cup MVP as well.

18 July 1994 - Meola Makes A Change

On 18 July 1994, US goalkeeper Tony Meola switched sports when the New York Jets announced his signing. But the move was only temporary.

Meola earned his first cap for the US in 1988 and became the first-choice keeper in 1990. He captained the team through the 1990 and 1994 World Cups. After the latter, however, he decided to move into American football. He tried out for the Jets in mid-July and the club signed him to the squad, with general manager Dick Steinberg saying that "with experience and some technique work, he has the potential to be solid NFL kicker."

His time with the team proved limited, however, as he was cut in August. He quickly moved back into his original sport, playing for the Buffalo Blizzard (1994-95) and Long Island Rough Riders (1995) before joining the MetroStars for the first MLS season.

He rejoined the US national team in 1999 and ended up with an even 100 caps before his retirement in 2006.

20 April 1996 - The MetroStars Fall

On 20 April 1996, the NY/NJ MetroStars lost their MLS home opener when they conceded an own goal with just thirteen seconds left.

Based in Giants Stadium, the MetroStars were the informal successor to the Cosmos and, as such, carried high expectations. With stars such as midfielder Tab Ramos and goalkeeper Tony Meola, most observers tipped the MetroStars to challenge for the league title in that first season. But an opening-day away loss at Los Angeles dampened some of that enthusiasm.

They returned to Giants stadium for their home opener, with a crowd of almost 47,000 turning out to see them take on the New England Revolution. The teams battled to a scoreless standstill for most of the match, which, under the rules at the time, would have sent them into a shootout. But just moments from the end of regulation, New England's Darren Sawatzky sent in a shot that Meola parried into the path of MetroStars defender Nicola Caricola. Caricola tried to clear it, but succeeded only in floating it over Meola's head and into the goal, gifting New England the 0-1 win.

The MetroStars went on to finish the season with a record of fifteen wins (three of which were shootout wins, worth only a single point) and seventeen losses. That was still enough to qualify them for the MLS Cup, but they lost in the first round to eventual champions DC United.

11 April 2006 - Meola Returns, His Ponytail Stays Home

On 11 April 2006, goalkeeper Tony Meola returned to the US national team to earn his 100th cap after a four-year break.

Meola joined the national team in June 1988. Later that summer, he replaced Los Angeles Heat keeper David Vanole as the full-time starter and manned the posts for the US in the 1990 and 1994 World Cups. He captained the side for the 1994 tournament, including their dramatic 2-1 win over Colombia. His trademark ponytail made him the face of US football, but after the tournament, he decided to try out for the NFL's New York Jets as an kicker, then briefly pursued an acting career.

He returned to the national team in 1999, but had fallen to their third-choice keeper behind Brad Friedel and Kasey Keller. Although manager Bruce Arena--who had coached Meola at the University of Virginia--selected him for the 2002 World Cup squad, Meola did not see the pitch during the tournament.

In 2006, Arena recalled Meola to the squad for a friendly against Jamaica that ended 1-1. It was his last national team appearance, but it made him the ninth player, and the only goalkeeper, to reach the 100-cap milestone for the US.