Major League Soccer has announced that Thierry Henry has been suspended for one match, and issued an undisclosed fine, for his actions during Wednesday's match against Sporting Kansas City.
Henry headbutted Sporting KC's Kei Kamara late in the match in an incident that drew no card.
Henry will now miss Saturday's New York Red Bulls match against the New England Revolution, a match he very likely would have skipped anyway because of his disdain for playing on artificial turf.
What do you think of the suspension? Think it's fair? Consider it embarrassing?
Share your thoughts below.
= 6
Not for Henry…or Beckham.
It’s in the MLS bylaws.
Collin is an absolute hack throwing elbows when he goes for a header. He got away with several against NY in the game last month in KC. You all talk about a double standard for DPs; but, what has happened to him — nothing.
Wait a minute… I thought it was KC who were gooning it up, at least according to Cahill…
Gotta wonder what the suspension would be to a regular joe.. More than one game I am sure
For an experienced, good DP, he sure makes some boneheaded mistakes.
Better yet: what would the fine be if Henry headbutted Beckham?
I agree – 1 game is a joke.
Unintentional? How does Henry just “happen” to lose control of his neck muscles at that precise moment? This is a guy who has world class skills to use those same neck muscles to propel a ball coming at him in the air from 30 yards away into the corner of the net while he’s suspended in the air – and he can’t control those same neck muscles when he’s taking a jog into the 6 yard box?
I like how all these “unintentional” things happen when it’s convenient for announcers, when they’ve just tried to impress us with how fantastically world class their skills and control are.
Give me a friggin’ break. I like Shep, but that’s pure fantasy.
+5
I like it. At least Henry cares. Maybe it’ll give that sorry-azz NYRB backline a wake-up call
Well, I say to them………. USA! USA! USA!
There are two sets of rules in MLS…those for the super star DPs and the those for the rest of the players and thats a fact….and those who care and understand see and just shake their heads…time for Garber to move on and bring in a real soccer person….
MLS is the joke of the soccer world and not because of poor play.
I think CJ was speaking about the clip of the incident last year, not the two soundless clips of Wednesday night’s episode.
And yes, Shep was completely wrong in his “analysis”, IMO.
Indeed.
I often feel that Backe and I are watching two different games.
Depends. If it were Beckham: Crushed to death on Beck’s abs. Henry: Incessantly bludgeoned to death as Henry takes progressively dirtier cheap shots at you while alternately apologizing and faking injury himself.
Embarrassment for the league to issue a suspension over that. Clearly the league has extra money to throw away to not have Henry playing in games.
Wonder what the punishment would be for a guy who head butted a superstar like Henry or Beckham?
It seems pretty clear that Backe is not the guy that deals with things like this until they become absolutely impossible to ignore, a la Marquez last year. He’s the lock the barn door after the horses have run off type of guy.
As a RB fan, I sadly say he deserves it. It was blatant; he lost his cool. The club needs to tell Henry that he works for the club, not the other way around. I get the feeling that neither management or Backe have the guts to tell Henry what he needs to hear. In this case, he needs to be told what it means to be a leader, a captain. You control your emotions on the pitch; you don’t attack other players, opposing or your own. He spent the entire night verbally trashing his own teammates and then headbutts Kamara. That’s not championship caliber behavior. Get it together.
An intentional violent attack to the head, and he only gets 1 game?! What a joke! MLS will be better off in the long run if they stop bending rules for big names.
Unintentional? It was during a substitution and Kamara was standing still.
One game? I guess there is a special section in the disciplinary rule book for DPs. Typical MLS.
I loved how Shep Messing called it unintentional. It was so obvious.
In some other leagues, yes. Not all leagues. That’s a regulation set by each individual league, not a FIFA rule.
+4
Suck it Sergio
The league gets to look ‘tough’ on designated players, Henry gets to skip New England, and everyone forgets they were outplayed and lost 2-0 to kansas city. Seems like a win, win, win.
It’s at the discretion of the disciplinary committee. There is nothing set in stone as to what constitutes how many games.
so MLS obviously decided it was intentional (or else no punishment), and then decided to suspend him ONE game for an intentional headbutt.
but will anyone be surprised by this? If MLS can look like they’re coming down on a star player by suspending him for a game he wouldn’t play anyway, that’s a no-brainer for them.
-3
Lenhart should be permanently suspended for having a butthead.
What’s with headbutts and French players?
But what are the rules or standards MLS operates by for discipline?
Maybe that’s only if a red card is shown?
Isn’t the suspension for Violent Conduct 3 matches in other leagues?