Thierry Henry Era Ends For New York Red Bulls

Nov 23, 2014; Harrison, NJ, USA; New York Red Bulls forward Thierry Henry (14) leaves the field at the end of the second half of the Eastern Conference Championship at Red Bull Arena. The New England Revolution won 2-1.Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

All is quiet in the streets of Harrison, N.J. and perhaps all five boroughs of New York City…unless you support New York City FC. The meme, the phenomenon, the folly known as Metro Playoff Fever ended in Foxborough, Mass. as Mike Petke’s New York Red Bulls said a fond farewell to one of its most celebrated players: Thierry Henry, who may be departing to a club in his native France or elsewhere. It was a sad ending to a season that saw the Red Bulls go through so much, but fall one goal short of a dream journey out west and a more fitting sendoff for TIti.

New York opened the 2014 campaign off on the wrong foot, going winless in their first six matches. A 4-1 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps on Mar. 8 at BC Place Stadium in Harrison, N.J. was followed up by a trio of 1-1 draws, a 2-2 draw with the Montreal Impact at Stade Saputo on Apr. 5, and a 1-0 loss to D.C. United at RFK Stadium on April 12. The month of March was the only month where New York failed to register a single victory.

The Red Bulls did recover to go on a four-match unbeaten run between Apr. 16 and May 4, highlighted by their 4-0 shutout win over the Houston Dynamo at Red Bull Arena. May would see the Red Bulls hit rock bottom with a three-game losing streak, including a 5-4 goal festival defeat to Chicago on May 10 at home, a 2-0 loss to Toronto FC at BMO Field on May 17 and a 2-1 loss to the Portland Timbers in Harrison, N.J. on May 24.

New York would then go on another unbeaten run from May 27 through July 12, highlighted by a 2-0 win over the New England Revolution on Jun. 8 at Gillette Stadium and a 4-1 pasting of the Columbus Crew on Jul. 12. The Philadelphia Union would put a damper on things, rolling past the Red Bulls 3-1 on Jul. 16 at PPL Park in Chester, Pa. before New York went on a three-game unbeaten run.

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The month of August would be a hit-and-miss week. Victories at home over New England (2-1, Aug. 2) and Montreal (4-2, Aug. 23) were coupled with shutout losses on the road against Chicago (1-0, Aug. 10) and D.C. (2-0, Aug. 31). September was a different story, with the Red Bulls going 3-1-1, their lone loss being their worst of the season, a 4-0 smashing by Bruce Arena’s Los Angeles Galaxy at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. on Sept. 28. Finally, October saw the Red Bulls clinch a spot in the postseason with wins over Houston (1-0, Oct. 3), Toronto (3-1, Oct. 11) and Sporting Kansas City (Oct. 26.)

Speaking of Peter Vermes’s Sporting Kansas City, that was who the Red Bulls would face in the Knockout Round on Oct. 30 at Red Bull Arena. A late brace from Bradley Wright-Phillips, who tied the MLS single-season goalscoring record set by Roy Lassiter and Chris Wondolowski, secured a date with D.C. United in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Most pundits thought that D.C. United, who punched their ticket to the 2015-16 CONCACAF Champions League, would roll past the Red Bulls and Thierry Henry.

They were wrong. In the first leg at Red Bull Arena on Nov. 2, goals from BWP (40′) and Peguy Luyindula (73′) gave New York a 2-0 lead going into the second leg. D.C. United did win the second leg 2-1 but Luyindula’s 57th minute goal at RFK Stadium In Washington, D.C. on Nov. 8 was enough to send New York through to a date with the New England Revolution in the 2014 MLS Eastern Conference Championship.

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In the first leg, Wright-Phillips scored in the 27th minute but it was not enough as the Revolution defeated New York 2-1 on Nov 23. In the second leg, Tim Cahill, who filled in for the suspended Wright-Phillips, scored in the 26th minute and Luyindula continued his form in the 52nd minute, but New England’s Charlie Davies stole the show and single-handedly eliminated the Red Bulls on a 2-2 draw that saw the Revs win the Eastern Conference.

Next year is going to have its share of challenges for New York. The Red Bulls, who will be referred to as the Red Bulls next season in future MLS Multiplex reports to distinguish from Jason Kreis’s New York City FC, will have to deal with finding a replacement for Thierry Henry. Also, the rise of NYCFC means that the Red Bulls have direct competition in their market. Another player that could be gone is Tim Cahill, who may be on the move after seeing his minutes reduced this season.

Finally, there are some other players that could be on their way out or retained, including Kosuke Kimura, Armando, Luyindula, Jamison Olave, Damien Perrinelle, Ibrahim Sekagya, Michael Bustamante, Ruben Bover, Saer Sene, and of course, Wright-Phillips. Bobby Convey and Richard Eckersley could be taken off the books next year unless they take a pay cut.

Notable team members that should return include defenders Ambroise Oyongo and Chris Duvall; goalkeeper Luis Robles, midfielder Dax McCarty, and winger Lloyd Sam. Two homegrown players, Dan Metzger and Sean Davis, could be retained as well as part of a move to incorporate more homegrown talent to next year’s roster.