Revolution at New York Red Bulls, 4.28.12

Thierry Henry scored the lone goal in this game, in the seventh minute, on a breakaway. He ran hard down the left side of the field, outmuscling physical New England center back Stephen McCarthy. Henry created just enough space to get the outside of his right foot on the ball, sending it over a helpless-looking Matt Reis, who was caught off his line.

The goal was typical of Henry’s MLS goals so far this year, a product of strength, skill and guile that few players in the world, let alone MLS, possess. It was also, of course, a valuable goal, particularly so since Henry would fall to the ground untouched less than fifteen minutes later with a strained hamstring and have to leave the game. (He’s apparently out for three to four weeks.) Without Henry on the field, New York instantly became less dangerous and alluring; in fact New England was on the front foot for most of the last hour of the game.

The aftermath of Henry’s goal against New England was also consistent with some of his other MLS goals this year. Henry jogged to the end line, barely acknowledging the fans, took an angry-looking kick at the corner flag, then trotted up the sideline, his teammates hugging and patting him as if they were ineffectual ghosts who couldn’t penetrate his reality. Given his long history playing for Arsenal and Barcelona, it must be very tough for Henry to get excited about scoring against the likes of the New England Revolution. But the contrast between his reaction to the goal against the Revolution and his goal for Arsenal in January against Leeds in the FA Cup (when he ran over to Arsene Wenger to give him a hug) is remarkable nonetheless.

But I know: it’s a little hard on a guy to criticize him for not celebrating with enough alacrity when he’s playing so well. The goal against New England was Henry’s ninth of the young season, which leads MLS. And anyone who cares about the quality of play in this league will join me in wishing him a quick recovery. As for one of New York’s other DPs, Rafa Marquez, I think the MLS disciplinary committee should have suspended him for more than three games for tackling and kicking Shea Salinas. In any case, I don’t miss Marquez’s uninspired play one bit.

And as for the Revolution, they looked mostly punchless after their long layoff, failing to score a goal against a rookie goalkeeper with no prior clean sheets and a back line with eleven MLS starts between them. It was the Revolution’s third straight loss, and they remain stuck on six points after seven games played. Clyde Simms and Kelyn Rowe had uncharacteristically ineffectual games. And Benny Feilhaber—who came on for Rowe to begin the second half—found himself all alone in front of the goal and on the end of a perfect Shalrie Joseph cross in the 77^th minute. But he sent his header virtually the only place he could to ensure that the ball wouldn’t hit the back of the net—directly to New York keeper Ryan Meara. That miss, an exceptionally bad free kick in the 62^nd minute, and getting stripped of the ball two (or three?) times by Dax McCarty combined to make this game one that Feilhaber will want to quickly forget.

Feilhaber nearly redeemed himself in the 88^th minute, creating space for himself at the edge of the box, getting the ball onto his much-preferred right foot, and ripping a shot on goal. Meara made a good save, but New York got lucky when the rebound narrowly missed falling to the feet of A.J. Soares, who’d pressed forward from his center back position. Soares, by the way, had an excellent game for the Revolution, consistently beating Kenny Cooper in the air. And speaking of goal-scoring opportunities, Saer Sene had his best and most consistent game yet for the Revolution, hustling, tracking back and nearly scoring shortly before the half on a composed, skillful run through the defense. His shot on that sequence hit the post. He had others.

So the Revolution created some chances, and they held the ball considerably more than New York after Henry left the game, but I hope the New England players don’t kid themselves into thinking they got cosmically jobbed. This was a depleted Red Bulls team full of rookies and fill-ins, a team that should not have held a rested New England team to zero goals. In other words, the game made last year’s dismal season seem horribly fresh and this season’s early, promising victory over the Galaxy seem distant.