New York Red Bulls forward and captain Thierry Henry will be wearing the armband of a much different team on Wednesday evening at Sporting Park in Kansas City. Henry, in his third straight MLS All-Star Game appearance, will captain the MLS All-Stars against Italian side AS Roma, it was announced by Sporting Kansas City and All-Stars head coach Peter Vermes.
Henry was named to the All-Star Team along with nine other players by way of fan voting. In 18 starts, this season he leads the Red Bulls with seven goals and is tied for first in assists with five. At the pre-match press conference, Henry spoke about playing against Francesco Totti, MLS, and playing in Kansas City.
Totti, the legendary Italian striker, will lead his club on Wednesday against the MLS All-Stars. Totti will be going up against some familiar faces, having played against Henry in the past and being good friends with Montreal’s Marco Di Vaio. Totti is not only the captain of Roma, but he is also the face of the club. Playing with Roma since 1993, the Italian native is the top active Serie A goalscorer and is ranked second all-time in league history with 227 goals.
“I have a lot of respect for Totti,” Henry said on Monday at the pre-match press conference. “When you talk about Roma, you think about Francesco Totti, and when you talk about Francesco Totti, you think about Roma. I’ve had to battle so many times against him. I have maximum respect for him.”
Henry was also asked about his appreciation for MLS and said he has learned to “appreciate the league.” He talked about what playing a team like AS Roma does for the league and its’ players.
“That’s one of the most important things that when we play Roma on Wednesday, obviously we want to win. But, if they turn around and say we saw some great players and excellent play, that speaks volumes for the league.”
Henry also added praise for Sporting Kansas City midfielder Graham Zusi and Vermes, who were both at the press conference.
“The two guys by my side, you know what Graham is capable of and I’m a big fan of Peter and the way his team plays.”
When asked about playing in Kansas City, Henry said he looks forward to being cheered on by the fans on Wednesday evening, but expects it to be a different reception when his New York Red Bulls face Sporting KC on Saturday in a top-of-the-Eastern Conference battle at 6:30 PM ET. (TV: NBC Sports Network)
“There are some great fans here in Kansas City who will support the All-Stars. And then I’m playing here again on Saturday, and I’m sure it will be different for me then.”
