Top Stories

Henry set for debut as New York Challenge kicks off tonight

Thierry Henry 1 (ISIphotos.com)

Photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com

Thierry Henry is set to make his debut for the New York Red Bulls tonight when the Red Bulls take on English club Tottenham in tonight's kickoff of the New York Challenge (8pm, Fox Soccer Channel).

Henry is scheduled to play the first half tonight at Red Bull Arena against a familiar foe in Tottenham, the London arch-rival of Henry's former club, Arsenal.

The Red Bulls will look to rest some starters for tonight's match, especially with a second New York Football Challenge match awaiting on Sunday against big-spending Manchester City.

Tonight's match should offer a glimpse of just what sort of impact Henry can have in the New York market because tonight's Red Bulls-Tottenham match wasn't exactly selling a ton of tickets before Henry was unveiled last week. Now, with Rafael Marquez looking more and more like the team's third Designated Player, tonight could be the best measure of what Henry's individual impact can be at the turnstiles.

Just how fit Henry is remains to be seen. He hasn't even had a full week of training with the club since joining a week ago, but the upcoming matches against Tottenham and Manchester City should help with his fitness.

If you can't get to a television to watch tonight's match on Fox Soccer Channel, you can watch the live stream on SBI tonight along with our live commentary so stay tuned.

Will you be attending Henry's debut tonight? Think Red Bull Arena will sell out? Looking forward to the New York Football Challenge?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Another thing I think people outside of NYC don’t really understand are the number of events occurring every evening in NYC. I was offered free tickets to last night’s game, but I had an event that I couldn’t back out of (and wouldn’t have wanted to back out of for most anything). In this situation, the best of both worlds would be to record the game and watch it at home later.

    Reply
  2. I’m pretty sure, for people who actually like soccer, this ^^ is exactly the reaction we are all trying for.

    Have fun, Gus, and welcome to MLS-fanhood.

    See? That wasn’t hard.

    Reply
  3. Going to to be in the front row — bought the tickets before Henry was announced — with a friend who is a lifelong Spurs fan and never thought he’d see them here in the US.

    Reply
  4. Veetle will be the exclusive world-wide Internet broadcaster of the New York Football Challenge live from the Red Bull Arena. The live stream will be provided free, and in HD quality.

    Visit http://www.veetle.com/redbull on the game day. The games will be streamed live worldwide except the UK. Past tournament games will be playing the week prior to the Challenge.

    iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch user can watch using Safari

    Just visit Veetle.com in Safari on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch and you’ll be able to watch the games live for free.

    Reply
  5. Red- not sure what you mean by “serious” but NY is 6 out of 16 teams in attendance and averaging 40+% over last years numbers. I just think it’s a little silly to think that signing one or two players is going to completely erase their first 15 years of being an awful franchise. The NY area also has 9 professional teams in the 4 major sports, and a lot of other things competing for peoples attention. In NY to simply be known is a accomplishment. As for the new stadium, while it is easier to get to it is not a place people in NY travel to often, and many probably don’t realize just how easy to get to it is yet. Finally, I don’t think you can completely ignore the fact that their name is the New York Red Bulls, for some it is kind of difficult to identify with a team that’s named after an energy drink. I think people are moving past this but it did leave a bad taste in a lot of peoples mouths. It’s easy to say NY has all these people so we should be doing better with attendance, and that’s prob true to an extent, but you also have to realize the differences between NY and other cities as well as the checkered history of the team.

    SoccerAtl- obv I’m a New Yorker and a Mets fan 🙂

    Reply
  6. Does anyone recall what Ives has for the over under for Henry 12? If he passes that I will gladly eat crow. and yes I am insane so don’t feed me 🙂

    Reply
  7. You’re insane. Do you think JPA is in better shape? He started for Barca up until last season. He’s one of the greatest goal scorers of all time. You think a little bit of heat and the MLS players are going to slow him down? Can’t wait for you to eat those words.

    Reply
  8. It’s much easier to get to than the NY Jets or NY Giants games. 😉
    Seriously taking the path is no different than taking the subway into queens or brooklyn. I would love for there to be a soccer stadium with the boroughs and not on Randals Island. But they won’t really be that much easier to get to than RBA.

    Reply
  9. In a few weeks when we all realize that Henry is not even MLS quality, can’t handle the heat or physical play then what?

    Reply
  10. or Verizon… or anyone else it seems. I think there is one guy next door to the FSC broadcast center getting it in HD.

    Reply

Leave a Comment