Former UVA soccer star Meola OK after heart attack

From Staff Reports

Former Virginia soccer All-American Tony Meola, who was a goalkeeper on the U.S. national team in the World Cup, suffered a heart attack on Thursday, one day before his 56th birthday.

Meola told “The Athletic” on Saturday that he “will be OK.” The former Wahoo also told “FrontRowSoccer,” that “if I get one of you to go to the doctor and get a checkup, this was all worth it for me. I’m going to be fine in a week, but I should have been smarter.”

The New Jersey native, who came to UVA on a baseball/soccer scholarship, played for Bruce Arena from 1988 to 1989 and won the Hermann Trophy as a freshman in 1988.

Meola left Virginia after the ‘89 season to pursue a career on the U.S. national team. He also lettered for Dennis Womack’s UVA baseball team as a third baseman his freshman year.

Meola played for the U.S. team in the World Cup in 1990, 1994 and 2002, the first two times as starting goalie, the latter as reserve. He posted 35 clean sheets over 101 career caps.

He also played five seasons in two separate stints in the MLS for the MetroStars/Red Bulls, and six more for Sporting Kansas City. He also played in England for Watford and Brighton & Hove Albion. He has been a TV commentator since he retired from a playing career in 2007.