It’s not quite the
David Beckham-to-L.A. transaction revisited, but football royalty
Thierry Henry has made the move to North American soccer. He’s now a proud member of the
New York Red Bulls of
Major League Soccer. For Henry, it’s a chance to follow in the footsteps of Beckham in terms of raising his profile on this side of the pond. Up until now, his U.S. exposure has been confined to World Cup performances and a Gillette commercial.
Landing in the most exciting American city is no accident. The Red Bulls pursued Henry for months and the French forward was looking for a change as well. Henry has signed on for four-and-a-half years, plenty of time to prove the naysayers wrong. He’ll turn 33 next month and is coming off a somewhat disappointing season.
How will he do? Will he put the Red Bulls over the top in their quest for an
MLS title? The answers will become clearer from July 22 on, the date of Henry’s first Red Bulls match. SBR oddsmakers post the following
sports prop odds:
Will Thierry Henry score at least one goal in his Red Bulls debut?
Yes 2/1
No 2/5
How many total goals will Thierry Henry score this season with the Red Bulls?
Over 9.5 3/2
Under 9.5 4/7
Odds on the New York Bulls winning the MLS championship
2/1
“The acquisition of Thierry Henry is an attempt by the Red Bulls to be considered as yet another elite New York sports team,” declares
Steve Ricci,
SBR Oddsmaker. “They want to be judged in the same breath as the
Yankees and
Giants. The truth is, they were already a pretty good team before Henry got there.”
Ricci doesn’t believe Henry will make a significant difference on the pitch. “Henry didn’t exactly light it up at the World Cup and he hasn’t been a major offensive force in soccer for a couple of years. Add in the fact that he has to adjust to a new continent and we just don’t see him having a great impact this season.”
Not everyone agrees with Ricci.
"I certainly think Henry will score over 9.5 goals this season," says Stewart Cogglin, Soccer Writer for About.com. "I think he could be a massive success and people in Europe have been too quick to write him off."
Henry will play in the final 16 regular season games for the Red Bulls, plus playoffs, giving him plenty of opportunity to rack up goals and impress his new team’s fans. It remains to be seen whether or not the prolific striker still has a little magic in his formerly golden leg.