HARRISON, N.J. – A backheel. A sombrero. A golden ball played over the top.
Thierry Henry was a highlight reel unto himself.
Henry helped lift a New York Red Bulls team to a 2-0 victory on short rest over rivals D.C. United on Sunday in the first leg of their Eastern Conference semifinals series – and he did so with a performance that was just as game-changing as it was impressive.
The 37-year-old attacker not only pulled off a pair of nifty flicks that few players in MLS can, but assisted on both of the club’s goals in a thorough triumph at Red Bull Arena to put New York in a favorable position to advance to the Conference Championship.
“Today was vintage Thierry,” said goalkeeper Luis Robles. “I think everyone that was watching the game – whether they were participating or watching – saw remnants of what he’s been doing for years.
“There was a stretch in that game where I thought it didn’t matter who we played. As long as Thierry’s playing like this and we continue to support him the way he is, we’re going to be difficult to beat.”
Added midfielder Dax McCarty: “When No. 14 is feeling in the mood, you can’t stop him. He’s been in the mood the last couple of weeks. He’s, like I said before, as close to unstoppable as there is in this league.”
Playing on the left flank in head coach Mike Petke’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, Henry first set up Bradley Wright-Phillips’ opener in the 40th minute.
The Red Bulls captain collected a pass on the right side of the penalty area and, with his back to his onrushing teammates, delivered a stunning backheel that Peguy Luyindula smartly shielded away from his mark to allow an open Wright-Phillips to fire home.
The accuracy and pace with which the ball was played was key, and made it seem as if Henry had eyes in the back of his head.
“A lot of people would have would have done the backheel but not had no clue what was behind them,” said Petke. “He certainly knew exactly what was there.”
Henry then proceeded to hit an incredibly accurate diagonal pass to Luyindula for the insurance goal in the 73rd minute, finding his veteran compatriot all alone to allow him to slip a shot through Bill Hamid’s five-hole.
Sandwiched in between those two decisive plays was a skillful sombrero over DC midfielder Davy Arnaud that led to a chance for Wright-Phillips. A clever and remarkable move, it demonstrated just how far Henry is willing to dig into his back of tricks to power New York on a deep postseason run and, perhaps, end his career on a strong note.
“Nobody really knows what he wants to do or what his plan is,” said McCarty regarding Henry’s uncertain future. “Maybe he does know and maybe that’s part of his motivation to make sure that he proves that he’s still pretty damn good. … It’s easy to see that this year, especially, and in this postseason he’s been not only our vocal leader, but also a leader by example and he’s not a guy to take lightly when he’s playing like he is now.
“I think the best example of that is after the last game against Kansas City, he gathered everyone in a huddle after the [2-1 win] and he said, ‘Look, we’re not done. We haven’t accomplished anything yet. This is a grind, the playoffs, and we have a long way to go if we want to have a successful season.’
“To me that’s the mark of a true captain.”
While Henry hasn’t indicated one way or the other what he’s leaning towards in terms of his future, the way he is playing right now suggests that he could continue for another couple years at the minimum. He even left the game to chants of "Henry" and "One more year" when substituted in the 81st minute.
“I have a good idea. I think everyone here has a good idea,” said Robles. “Ultimately he’s the one that’s going to make the decision, so he could just be bluffing.”
Franco Panizo covers the New York Red Bulls for MLSsoccer.com. He can be reached by email at Franco8813@gmail.com.
