The most talked-about DP signing finally gets to make his big splash.
Thierry Henry will make his New York Red Bulls debut against his long-time rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Red Bull Arena on Thursday night (8:30 p.m. ET, Fox Soccer Channel) in what the Frenchman calls a special day.
It’s a debut that’s been a long time coming. TheWall Street Journal describes the love affair that Henry has had with the city of New York.
Following the kickoff of the Barclays New York Challenge, fans can tune in to the heated MLS rivalry between the Los Angeles Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes, who will meet in the Thursday ESPN2 Game of the Week (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2 & ESPN Deportes).
The San Jose Earthquakes, and Bobby Convey in particular, are miffed at the fact that not one member of the squad was deemed deserving enough to make the All-Star Game, where LA's Bruce Arena will serve as manager.
Arena got another look at his All-Star opponent for the match on July 28, Manchester United. On Wednesday he watched the Philadelphia Union battle the Red Devils toe-to-toe in a slim 1-0 defeat to the Red Devils. Listen to post-game reaction from the match, as Sir Alex Ferguson praised Philadelphia’s performance.
Manchester United wake up this morning to news that the club is the most valuable sports franchise in the world, according to Forbes.
In another EPL-MLS battle on Wednesday, an experimental Toronto FC side took Bolton Wanderers to penalty kicks in their Carlsberg Cup showdown, which also saw the return of American Stuart Holden in a Bolton jersey.
However, it was the debut of Toronto FC’s Designated Player, Mista, which will be the highlight for TFC fans.
Penalties were also needed in the Football at Fenway showdown between Celtic and Sporting Lisbon. It was the first match at Fenway since a memorable soccer showdown in 1968.
There were competitive matches on Wednesday night as D.C. United got on the board early in defeating the Harrisburg City Islanders and setting up an all-MLS semifinal round.
The Houston Dynamo ensured a USA-Mexico showdown in both SuperLiga semifinals as they battled to a victory over Puebla on Wednesday in a controversial match which saw both teams reduced to nine men and Dominic Oduro unsure how he was ejected.
The Dynamo’s win rendered the second SuperLiga match meaningless. But Chivas USA used its final game to continue to bring along its newcomers, with Giancarlo Maldonado getting his first goal for the Goats in a 1-0 win over Herculez Gomez and Pachuca.
The rumors of a third Red Bulls DP continue to swirl and on Wednesday they may have taken a turn for the better with one report indicating the signing is closer than it seems.
New York is not only in the DP market. In fact, the Red Bulls have a young Brazilian midfielder in camp who will likely see time in the Barclays New York Challenge this weekend.
A Uruguayan World Cup player, Álvaro Fernández, is now being linked to a specific club in MLS, which has already commented on the situation.
It’s just their second season in MLS but the pressure is high in Seattle with every player’s job said to be on the line.
Another overseas import could be Stern John, who is said to be contemplating a return to MLS, and specifically with the Columbus Crew, which would seem like it would not be outside the realm of possibility.
If Real Salt Lake is looking to make a move on the international transfer market, they now have the flexibility to do so after Colombian Jamison Olave vacated an international slot.
The Martin Jol to Fulham drama has reached its conclusion. Step right up Bob Bradley.
Another rumored move to England that is also growing in intrigue is the reported interest of Manchester City in the Galaxy’s Landon Donovan with a newsworthy development on Wednesday.
One American based in Scotland is looking forward to playing UEFA Champions League soccer this season.
Finally, former LA Galaxy defender Tony Sanneh has stayed busy helping Haitian youth impacted by the earthquake that struck their country.
