Last week, the Swope Park Rangers announced the signing of two-time MLS Cup winning defender Tommy Meyer. In four years with the LA Galaxy, the St. Louis native made 57 appearances across three competitions (MLS, U.S. Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League), tallying a solitary goal and assist.
A collegiate standout at Indiana where he was named an All-Big Ten selection his senior year, Meyer was drafted by the Galaxy in the first round (19th overall) of the 2012 MLS SuperDraft.
In LA’s 2012 season opener, Meyer started as the lone rookie in central defense in a lineup that contained David Beckham, Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan as the Galaxy fell 3-1 to Real Salt Lake.
After making eight regular-season appearances in 2012, an injury to AJ DeLaGarza meant that Meyer started and played every minute for LA in the MLS Cup Playoffs. On November 7, with LA trailing 1-0 after the first leg of their Western Conference Semifinal series with San Jose, the Galaxy pulled out a 3-1 win at Buck Shaw Stadium to advance. In the 30th minute, with LA 1-0 ahead, Meyer fed Donovan in the midfield who in turn slipped through Keane to score and put the Galaxy ahead on aggregate.
He continued his run in the side for the rest of the postseason and helped LA to a 3-1 win over the Houston Dynamo in MLS Cup 2012.
In an impressive rookie season with LA, Meyer also opened his scoring account by netting the first goal in a 4-0 CONCACAF Champions League win over the Puerto Rico Islanders on August 30.
After a quiet 2013 season where Meyer made 11 overall appearances, including seven in MLS play, he set career-highs in regular-season appearances (12) and starts (10) the following year. Nine of his 10 starts came between May 18 and July 20, helping LA go 5-2-2 in that stretch before also making two appearances in the MLS Cup Playoffs as LA beat New England in MLS Cup 2014 to claim their fifth title.
In his final season with LA, Meyer spent the opening stretch of the season with the first team, appearing in MLS, Open Cup and Champions League play, before playing for LA Galaxy II in the USL in the closing stages of their campaign.
With the Galaxy participating in the International Champions Cup that summer, Meyer made appearances in friendly games against both Club America and UEFA Champions League holders Barcelona – beating Gerard Pique to a corner kick to score against the latter.
In addition to his club accolades, Meyer played at the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup for the U.S. after spending two years with the U.S. Under-17 Residency Program and also appeared for the U.S. U-20s.
