Thierry Henry, Chicago Blackhawks, Manny Pacquiao and Friday's Top Sports Buzz
Thierry Henry broke out of his slump last night, scoring two goals in New York's victory over Chicago, however, since his career is winding down, could the striker find himself back at Arsenal in some capacity once his days are done?
Meanwhile, the Chicago Blackhawks did a a number on the Vancouver Canucks, pounding the top-seeded team in the Western Conference into the ice, in the process of edging closer in the series. Are the defending champs still done, or can the Blackhawks actually win this series?
Finally, we'll be talking about Manny Pacquiao, who is preparing for his fight with Shane Mosley, but is the champion fighting lesser opponents and should he improve his choice of foe when he inevitably beats Mosley? We'll discuss.
We'll also be talking about all of those stories and more, so if you have any thoughts, be sure to leave them in the comments below.
U.S. fans stir Henry's memories of 'great European nights'
(CNN) -- New York Red Bulls striker Thierry Henry told CNN the atmosphere generated by fans inside the club's stadium reminded him of the "great European nights" he experienced in his days playing soccer for Arsenal and Barcelona.Henry -- who was a former captain of the English Premier League team from north London -- joined the American side from Spanish champions Barca in July 2010.
The 33-year-old praised the noise created supporters by in the 25,000-seater Red Bull Arena during the New Jersey-based outfit's Major League Soccer (MLS) playoff defeat to San Jose Earthquakes in November.
"The game, which unfortunately we lost, against San Jose, it was amazing," Henry said.
"It reminded me of some great European nights. The crowd was going crazy; the only thing is we lost so it wasn't a great ending. But when the stadium is full, it is pretty loud.
It reminded me of some great European nights. The crowd was going crazy
--Thierry Henry
--Thierry Henry
The one-time Juventus forward experienced north London derbies during his time with Arsenal and also played in the fixture known as "El Clasico" for Barca, against arch rivals Real Madrid.
"You don't have a big derby, so therefore you don't hear the same songs you hear in England.
"I remember when I used to play in the Premier League I would be like 'Are they really singing this? Wow!' But it gets you into the game and gets you fired up.
"I knew they were loud here, but I remember playing in Toronto, in Houston, in Chicago and thinking 'That's like a proper away game'. You could feel the tension, it's great."
Henry, who was also a member of Les Bleus' victorious Euro 2000 squad, is Arsenal's all-time leading goal scorer with 226 goals during an eight-year spell wth the 13-time English champions.
And the Essone-born star admitted he would love a return to the club he joined from Juve in 1999 once his playing days are over.
"I love the game so much, I feel like I need to give back to the game for what it has already given me.
"I would love to go back to Arsenal. I just love the club; I'm not even saying that to try and be loved, I just love the club ... I would love to come back."
Although Henry wants to remain within football when he hangs up his boots, the graduate of France's famous Clairefontaine academy is unsure whether he will move into coaching.
"Being a boss, it's a hell of a task. The pressure that the guys are under sometimes, I don't know if I could handle it right now. But I would love to be in the game."
Hans Backe's Red Bulls are currently fourth in the MLS's Eastern Conference after eight games, with Henry finding the net for the first time this season in Saturday's 3-0 win over San Jose.
New York ascending to high bar
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Thierry Henry scratched his beard and snapped at the questions as they poured in. The surly Frenchman was in no mood to talk about himself, or his beard, or even about a New York Red Bulls attack that just dropped four goals on D.C. United on Thursday night.
Henry was curt, almost angry really, but that persona has emerged just as he and his team have risen from a slow start to show the form expected of a team considered one of the best in MLS.
The latest display came in a 4-0 win against D.C. United at RFK Stadium, a venue that had a history of being a house of horrors for the team known formerly as the MetroStars.
Not this time around. Not with a motivated Henry and not with a loaded Red Bulls attack that was just too much for a young D.C. defense to handle.
D.C. United made the mistake of trying to play soccer with the Red Bulls, trying to attack and not just bunker. Previous opponents, like Seattle, Philadelphia and San Jose have kept numbers back in an attempt to contain New York's high-powered offense. D.C., riding high off a 3-0 mauling of Toronto FC, figured it could go toe-to-toe with New York at home.
D.C. learned quickly that this is a far different New York team than the one D.C. teams have been beating for years.
New York dominated possession and shredded the D.C. defense on the strength of great wing play and Henry's clinical finishing. Teemu Tainio was a rock in the middle yet again while New York's wide players overwhelmed the flanks.
This was the type of performance expected of the team most likely to pose a real threat to an unbeatable-looking Real Salt Lake side.
So why was Henry so serious after the match? His struggles in the season's opening weeks led to criticism from both fans and the media, something that has clearly bothered Henry, as evidenced by his angry celebration when he finally scored his first goal of the season last week. This week, he scored twice, and celebrated with his teammates, but his attitude after the match was that of someone still upset with being so quickly labeled as a flop in the making.
The reality is Angry Henry has been a much better Henry, and perhaps the criticism he's so upset about has actually lit a fire under a player who looked lethargic and ineffective early in the season. He credits his recent success with simply feeling better physically, but you can sense that he's playing with a chip on his shoulder, and the result is a motivated and dangerous Henry.
Three goals in two matches, and two Red Bulls blowouts later, Henry won't have to worry about having his ability questioned anytime soon, and New York's early offensive struggles look like a thing of the past. Now, instead of concerns about a mis-firing offense, the Red Bulls biggest issue seems to be finding playing time for three forwards who could all be starting.
Luke Rodgers got the nod ahead of Juan Agudelo for a second straight match and was once again active and dangerous. Agudelo came off the bench late and stated his own case for a return to the starting lineup with a jaw-dropping goal.
D.C. United didn't come away with points, or even a goal, but did earn respect from New York for really trying to go at them, and the reality is D.C. had as many chances as New York. Red Bulls head coach Hans Backe, as well as Henry, praised D.C. for playing well, and Henry's most gracious post-match comment was stating D.C. didn't deserve to lose 4-0.That was little consolation for a young team that was just blown out at home. Charlie Davies took some of the blame upon himself for not doing better against New York's defense, but it was pretty clear that there was plenty of blame to go around.
Ultimately, the reality of Thursday night's match was that the Red Bulls are a talented and experienced group starting to play up to their potential, while D.C. United is a talented, but young team, still prone to inconsistency and the mistakes that young teams tend to make.
D.C. will improve as its young players mature. As for New York, the latest blowout victory simply keeps the bar set high for the most expensive team in MLS, a team that is good enough to pose a very real challenge to Real Salt Lake's title as strongest team in MLS.
Ives Galarcep is a senior writer for FoxSoccer.com covering Major League Soccer and the U.S. national team.
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