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CAPTIONS
Galaxy 2, Fire 0
Fans of the Fire wave flags. (Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images /July 8, 2012)
Fans of the Fire wave flags. (Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images /July 8, 2012)
HARRISON, N.J. -- He hadn't scored a goal since April 28, so New York Red Bulls star Thierry Henry knew that drought had to end soon.
Henry broke a scoreless deadlock in the 71st minute, leading the Red Bulls to a 1-0 victory over the Fire in a rare Wednesday afternoon contest. It was Henry's 10th goal of the season, but his first since April 28, when he scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win over New England.
"I needed to get back into a rhythm, because I haven't been playing much lately," said Henry, who has missed six games this season with hamstring and calf injuries. "I'm getting better, but to get better, I need minutes. I hadn't scored in a while, so I needed to do something to win the game."
Playing in temperatures that read 106 degrees during the game, the highest mark ever recorded on a July 18 in New Jersey, Henry didn't want to sit out the game, even after being given the opportunity by head coach Hans Backe.
"The boss asked me if I wanted to play," Henry said. "I told him that I needed to play."
The Red Bulls improved to 10-5-5 overall, and are in second place in the MLS Eastern Conference standings with 35 points. They trail front-running Sporting Kansas City by just one point.
With the win, the Red Bulls remain the only team in MLS that hasn't lost at home, improving to 6-0-3 at Red Bull Arena.
The Fire, which has dominated the Red Bulls franchise over the years and owned a 6-1-3 record over the Red Bulls since 2008 and a 29-11-4 mark all-time, fell to 9-7-4 overall, and stayed in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with 31 points.
With the game being played at a snail's pace due to the oppressive heat, Henry finally got the Red Bulls on the board in the 71st minute.
Rookie Connor Lade, who entered the match only a few minutes prior, made a fine play at midfield to move the ball up field.
"I'm a big Connor Lade fan," Henry said. "He's a big energy guy. As soon as he came on, the game changed. He was twisting, turning, jumping, getting into their faces. He always gives us a big lift."
Lade fed newcomer Sebastian Le Toux, who made a perfect 35-yard cross to Henry. The French superstar settled the ball with his chest, then put it to his left foot. The shot was from a tough angle, but Henry managed to get it high off the post and past Sean Johnson for the game's lone goal.
"We wanted to win this game," Henry said. "I got a great pass from Seb and it was striker's instinct. It was one of those things. Sometimes, they go in. Sometimes, they don't."
Playing in just his second game with New York, Le Toux saw Henry make the move to goal.
"A forward like him knows how to score," said Le Toux, acquired last week in a trade with Vancouver. "He knows what to do in space. He made a great touch with his chest and it was a beautiful goal."
Lade appreciated hearing the kind words from the soccer legend.
"That's a huge compliment coming from Thierry," Lade said. "It's not something you hear every day. He's a great leader and a great talent. I want to be able to please him, because when he's happy, the team does well."
After Henry's goal, the Red Bulls held control, but their collective hearts skipped a beat in the 84th minute, when a header from Gonzalo Segares appeared to be headed past Red Bulls goalie Bill Gaudette, but an alert Brandon Barklage was at the goal line and headed the ball away to keep the Fire off the scoreboard.
The heat was so intense that Red Bull defender Wilman Conde had to change his cleats in the middle of the first half. The heat and humidity also was a factor in the game's slow pace, with many of the players standing around instead of making any long distance runs with the ball.
Henry broke a scoreless deadlock in the 71st minute, leading the Red Bulls to a 1-0 victory over the Fire in a rare Wednesday afternoon contest. It was Henry's 10th goal of the season, but his first since April 28, when he scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win over New England.
Playing in temperatures that read 106 degrees during the game, the highest mark ever recorded on a July 18 in New Jersey, Henry didn't want to sit out the game, even after being given the opportunity by head coach Hans Backe.
"The boss asked me if I wanted to play," Henry said. "I told him that I needed to play."
The Red Bulls improved to 10-5-5 overall, and are in second place in the MLS Eastern Conference standings with 35 points. They trail front-running Sporting Kansas City by just one point.
With the win, the Red Bulls remain the only team in MLS that hasn't lost at home, improving to 6-0-3 at Red Bull Arena.
The Fire, which has dominated the Red Bulls franchise over the years and owned a 6-1-3 record over the Red Bulls since 2008 and a 29-11-4 mark all-time, fell to 9-7-4 overall, and stayed in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with 31 points.
With the game being played at a snail's pace due to the oppressive heat, Henry finally got the Red Bulls on the board in the 71st minute.
Rookie Connor Lade, who entered the match only a few minutes prior, made a fine play at midfield to move the ball up field.
"I'm a big Connor Lade fan," Henry said. "He's a big energy guy. As soon as he came on, the game changed. He was twisting, turning, jumping, getting into their faces. He always gives us a big lift."
Lade fed newcomer Sebastian Le Toux, who made a perfect 35-yard cross to Henry. The French superstar settled the ball with his chest, then put it to his left foot. The shot was from a tough angle, but Henry managed to get it high off the post and past Sean Johnson for the game's lone goal.
"We wanted to win this game," Henry said. "I got a great pass from Seb and it was striker's instinct. It was one of those things. Sometimes, they go in. Sometimes, they don't."
Playing in just his second game with New York, Le Toux saw Henry make the move to goal.
"A forward like him knows how to score," said Le Toux, acquired last week in a trade with Vancouver. "He knows what to do in space. He made a great touch with his chest and it was a beautiful goal."
Lade appreciated hearing the kind words from the soccer legend.
"That's a huge compliment coming from Thierry," Lade said. "It's not something you hear every day. He's a great leader and a great talent. I want to be able to please him, because when he's happy, the team does well."
After Henry's goal, the Red Bulls held control, but their collective hearts skipped a beat in the 84th minute, when a header from Gonzalo Segares appeared to be headed past Red Bulls goalie Bill Gaudette, but an alert Brandon Barklage was at the goal line and headed the ball away to keep the Fire off the scoreboard.
The heat was so intense that Red Bull defender Wilman Conde had to change his cleats in the middle of the first half. The heat and humidity also was a factor in the game's slow pace, with many of the players standing around instead of making any long distance runs with the ball.
