http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/news/_/id/5378712/french-striker-thierry-henry-signs-deal-new-york-red-bulls

Quote :

"SECAUCUS, N.J. -- Stop the rumors about French striker Thierry Henry joining the New York Red Bulls. He's here. The 32-year-old former Arsenal and Barcelona player signed a multiyear contract on Wednesday and he is expected to make his Red Bulls' debut on July 22 in an exhibition against Premier League club Tottenham. Henry Henry "Some people might think I am going to go there for vacation -- I do actually go there for vacation -- but it won't be for vacation this time," Henry said in a video interview on the club website. "I'm a competitor and I don't like to lose." Henry was released by Barcelona last month after scoring just four goals last season. "This marks an exciting new chapter in my career and life," Henry said. Henry will be introduced at a press conference on Thursday at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. "Thierry is not only a world class player who will undoubtedly improve our squad, but he has shown most importantly throughout his career that he is a winner," said Erik Soler, general manager and sporting director of the Red Bulls. "He has made it clear to us that he is committed in the short and long term to help in our vision of making our organization the premium franchise in Major League Soccer." With France, Henry won the World Cup in 1998 and the 2000 European Championship, but sparked outrage last year when his handball during a playoff match helped to deny Ireland a spot at this year's World Cup. At the finals in South Africa, France went out at the group stage after the team was beset by a player protest. Henry guided Arsenal to the Premier League title in 2002 and 2004 before leaving in 2007 to join Barcelona, where he won six trophies in 2009 -- the Champions League, the Spanish league, the Copa del Rey, the Spanish Supercup, the UEFA Supercup and the FIFA Club World Cup. The Red Bulls, who previously were known as the MetroStars, have a history of signing star players in the twilight of their careers. Italian Roberto Donadoni played for them in 1996 and '97, Brazilian great Branco was with them in 1997, German Lothar Matthaus in 2000 and Frenchman Youri Djorkaeff was here in 2005 and '06. None of them led the team to a title. Red Bulls leading scorer Juan Pablo Angel welcomed Henry's arrival, which was announced just days after New York played a 0-0 tie with D.C. United. "I think it means everything for the industry in this country," Angel said. "He's arguably one of the best players in our generation. He's a player that has won everything he could possibly win in this sport and he's still fit. I think it's an honor to have him here. He's going to be a tremendous addition to the league, to the Red Bulls." There have been rumors for almost two years that Henry would one day join the Red Bulls. A year ago, he said he wanted to play in the United States and the door opened recently when he parted ways with Barcelona after a season in which he lost his starting job. "We have been hearing about it for years now, for it to finally come to fruition is a good thing for the team," Red Bulls midfielder Seth Stammler said. "I'm sure it's good for him for the next step in his career. He's won championships at all levels. To come over here and not prove himself to the world in soccer, but take our team to the next level and hopefully get a championship here will be a good step for him and obviously great for the organization." Henry wasn't a factor in the World Cup. He was not good enough to start for a French team that disgraced itself on and off the field. However, the Red Bulls hope a combination of Angel and Henry up front can finally lead them to a title. "It's kind of wild to think about it," rookie defender Tim Ream said. "Coming in, I knew I was going to be playing with Juan Pablo and I knew what kind of player he was. You put those two together it's pretty incredible. Front two, there is not much you can say about them. They are just spectacular players.""

7/14/2010 1:01:26 PM

This will fail.

7/14/2010 1:02:58 PM

yeah but even if "has been" players are coming to the MLS at the end of their careers, its still good for the MLS.

7/14/2010 1:04:43 PM

saw this earlier

threadworthy?

7/14/2010 1:06:44 PM

its soccer

so no

7/14/2010 1:08:46 PM

this makes me happy. I still love watching him play, so I will watch MLS games when the Red Bulls are playing

7/14/2010 1:18:50 PM

Too bad Beckham is hurt and Donovan may leave for Europe. If Donovan stays then LA vs NY would be a pretty big final. It would be kind of cool to have NY vs LA turn into what Boston vs LA is to the NBA Finals.

7/14/2010 1:21:14 PM

Still confused that his name is pronounced "On ree"

7/14/2010 1:21:50 PM

Quote :

"It would be kind of cool to have NY vs LA turn into what Boston vs LA is to the NBA Finals."

that is utterly impossible



[Edited on July 14, 2010 at 1:23 PM. Reason : dumbest thing I've read today]

7/14/2010 1:22:28 PM

how is that confusing?

7/14/2010 1:22:57 PM

ITS HEN REE

7/14/2010 1:31:13 PM

message_topic.aspx?topic=596528

7/14/2010 1:34:54 PM

Henry is such a likable guy that I might actually watch an MLS game just to see him play. Plus his first game is against the Spurs which hopefully will invoke some old EPL passion.

7/14/2010 2:59:07 PM

agreed

7/14/2010 3:00:18 PM

Quote :

"that is utterly impossible"

You're wrong. All it would take is for both to win a few league titles and for them to meet in the final once, or twice while continuing to sign poster boys. So yeh, it will take at least a decade for that to happen, but like I said, it could become one of the big matchups in the league.

7/14/2010 3:03:16 PM

i think he means its impossible because the Celtic Laker rivalry has had 30 years to build itself up and it had 2 of the greatest bball players of all time involved during its inception.

[Edited on July 14, 2010 at 3:12 PM. Reason : each MLS team would need to win 6 titles each just to be in the same ball park]

7/14/2010 3:11:51 PM

Also, because this is America and you're comparing basketball to soccer

You're basically saying that if Ambrosia and Kiwi lost 20 pounds and got a makeover, they could compete with Jessica Alba and Scarlett Jo.

7/14/2010 3:14:56 PM

what in the hell are you talking about?

7/14/2010 3:29:01 PM

My point was that this could be the seed for something like Lakers vs Celtics. LA vs NY is setting itself up to become the headliner when it comes to matchups. And yes I know it will take multiple generations of poster boys and more titles to make it a big deal.

7/15/2010 12:44:22 AM

I am troubled. I hate Henry for knocking my beloved Ireland out of the World Cup qualifying. Yet, if I was to give a shit about MLS, I'd have to root for the Red Bulls.

Maybe I should just remain mostly indifferent.

7/15/2010 1:39:52 AM

^^ back pedal much???

7/15/2010 1:42:03 AM

^Cheer for Colorado...at least right now since they have a former NCSU player on their team. That along with the underwear girl on my friends list (lives in Denver) is a reason to cheer for Colorado over NY.

7/15/2010 1:44:38 AM

lock it up. no way this deserves its own thread

7/15/2010 1:56:31 AM

There does seem to be a lot of soccer threads. This could have went in the European soccer thread.

7/15/2010 1:57:30 AM

He's right at about the same age Pele was when he came to NY in the 70s, so I predict that this will get a little more attention for MLS, which is good, but ultimately it still just feels like a ticket gimmick, like when Babe Ruth played for the Boston Braves (not that Henry is like Ruth AT ALL...Pele maybe).

7/15/2010 11:41:21 AM

^^^ just as much as all the other random sports threads that get made. Which is to say a lot of threads get made that probably could have just been part of a discussion in another thread.

[Edited on July 15, 2010 at 2:21 PM. Reason : ]

7/15/2010 2:20:33 PM

people who didn't know anything about soccer expected flashy highlights out of beckham, something he was never going to provide

henry still has the skill to produce tremendous plays in one-on-one/-two/-three situations, especially against MLS defenses

7/15/2010 2:36:09 PM

This is probably the best signing ever for the league. It might actually get some fans that watch European soccer to watch MLS.

7/15/2010 2:49:58 PM

We import enough crap from other countries, do we really need to add old soccer players to the list?

7/15/2010 2:52:21 PM

^^ I'd be inclined to stop if I was flipping through and saw the Red Bulls playing.

7/15/2010 3:05:07 PM

rumblings of Rafa Marquez and possibly even Ronaldinho on the way real soon

7/18/2010 7:42:44 PM

when is he supposed to start playing? nevermind, found it

Quote :

"MYFOXNY.COM - Thierry Henry, the newest member of the New York Red Bulls, is on Monday's Good Day New York. Henry has been a star in international soccer. On Friday, Henry practiced with the Red Bulls for the first time since signing with the MLS team. Henry has not played since the World Cup almost three weeks ago. Henry's first game will be in an exhibition against English Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday night. "You don't even know how happy I am," Henry said. "I was so happy to come here and finally get to see my teammates. Obviously in the past two days I've been doing a lot of stuff, the presentation, some (television) shows, but I came here to play so I was so in a rush to meet the guys." Henry said he will accompany the team to Columbus. Fellow striker Juan Pablo Angel said Henry has a lot of things to do before playing. He needs to adjust to life in the New York metropolitan area and to find a place to live. The final step is getting back into shape. "I will say that he's arguably one of the best players in our generation, his pedigree is second to none," Angel said. "I would probably say that he could be the best player on the field this league has ever had." Veteran defender Mike Petke was impressed with Henry. "He has a certain responsibility and he knows that," Petke said. "But just hearing him talk, it's obvious he wants to play and win, he's very competitive, it's great.""

[Edited on July 18, 2010 at 8:56 PM. Reason : asdf]

7/18/2010 8:54:43 PM

yep. old arsenal guy gets to play rival hot spurs in first game in the MLS... nice subplot there.

7/18/2010 9:20:17 PM

Ronaldinho in the MLS would be sick. He's gotten out of shape from all that partying in Italy so he isn't as competitive as he used to be against European clubs. But in the MLS, he could dominate.

7/19/2010 9:06:21 AM

yes but he is too damn expensive

7/19/2010 10:04:08 AM

Henry took the PATH to the stadium for his debut, that's pretty cool

7/26/2010 10:39:18 AM

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2010/07/26/2010-07-26_red_bulls_closing_in_on_mexican_defender_rafael_marquez_top_manchester_city_in_e.html

I guess I've been in a cave... I didn't know Marquez was going to be coming to play for them as well. I may actually watch some MLS the rest of this summer...

Quote :

"The Galaxy is close to signing Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho as a third DP, according to reports, potentially creating a large gap between the two haves and the 14 have-nots. It's a bi-coastal combination that will define MLS, for better or worse."

Ok, where are they getting this from? I've read this morning that West Ham is going after Ronaldinho.

[Edited on July 26, 2010 at 12:12 PM. Reason : x]

7/26/2010 12:06:32 PM

who? what?

7/26/2010 12:12:24 PM

Henry had a decent goal in his debut, but not nearly as incredible and life-changing as ESPN made it sound

i think it's great the MLS can at least get some players that will bring some recognition to the league

though i doubt this trend ever extends beyond LA and NY

7/26/2010 12:15:14 PM

I think ESPN and the media haven't been making a big enough deal about Henry coming to NY. He's a bigger deal on the field to the league than Beckham was by far


[Edited on July 26, 2010 at 12:37 PM. Reason : my bad, you were talking about the goal, not the signing]

7/26/2010 12:30:53 PM

yeah but, hes not a part-time supermodel either, THAT will get you airtime on ESPN

I completely agree with you, btw

7/26/2010 12:43:21 PM

Quote :

"He's a bigger deal on the field to the league than Beckham was by far"

probably, but henry is just a player and becks is a celebrity. that means a big difference in media attention.

if the mls can pull a beckham/henry/giggs every season, i'm down for it.

7/26/2010 12:46:14 PM

Sportscenter covered NY's match vs. Manchester City(?), or maybe i just saw a highlight in the top 10

but either way, a NY player had a nasty goal and i think they ended up winning

not sure if Henry played or just didn't score

[Edited on July 26, 2010 at 12:48 PM. Reason : are these exhibitions as meaningless as say NFL preseason games? or is NY beating them a big deal]

7/26/2010 12:47:06 PM

city played hardly anyone of note

it means nothing

henry played a half, just like the other day

7/26/2010 1:00:34 PM

Quote :

"that means a big difference in media attention."

yeah, I understand all that for sure

I meant from soccer media and during ESPN soccer broadcasts. Just seems to me like they're treating it like it's just another signing.

7/26/2010 1:02:22 PM

i'd say this is a pretty good sign for the MLS. Henry is by far the most talented player to sign for the MLS, and he still had about 3 years left in the tank at the top flight in Europe. And unlike Beckham, he can score goals, which is really the only thing the casual/new soccer fan is interested in seeing. He'll be in town on the 8th, I might have to check them out. By no means are the flood gates opening, but I gotta say that I have to give the MLS for its slow and steady plans for growth.

an interesting read about MLS academies: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/5219888/ce/us/future-us-soccer?cc=5901&ver=us

[Edited on July 26, 2010 at 2:23 PM. Reason : ]

7/26/2010 2:22:32 PM

good read

i had no idea these training academies even existed

7/26/2010 2:44:11 PM

Quote :

"This is probably the best signing ever for the league. It might actually get some fans that watch European soccer to watch MLS."

His goal showed that he will be fun to watch. I'm glad to see him playing with Angel. Blanco and Angel have been worth their money. The rest of the DPs have been average at best. They were either injured, didn't live up to their expectations, or in the end didn't get along with their coach.

7/26/2010 3:25:53 PM

http://www.thebigmoney.com/articles/judgments/2010/07/25/major-league-soccer-net-worth?page=full

decent read about MLS growth and profitability

7/26/2010 3:40:48 PM

^I'm 30 and remember watching the Germany 4 USA 3 thriller live on ABC at the 1993 US Cup. I read a while back that that was the first soccer game to be shown on tv in the USA without comercial interuption. As for MLS viewership growing with the 18-34 male crowd, we were asking our parents to drive us to the games to watch back when this all started. Now our generation is old enough to drive and makes enough money to buy tickets, or pay a tv provider that carries the games. The generations before us didn't have a lot of the options that we have today.

7/27/2010 12:00:02 AM