Thierry Henry to MLS. Eventually

By: Laurie | November 27th, 2007

Barcelona striker Thierry Henry may not be the scoring god he once was in his earlier Arsenal years, but the guy’s still got it. He recently broke Michel Platini’s record and became France’s all-time leading goal scorer with forty-two career goals. Then he notched a couple more for good measure to hold off France’s new young scoring studs awhile longer. (Karim Benzema, I’m lookin’ at you.)

The guy is thirty, though. Rumor has it that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger let him leave Arsenal because Arsene did a scientific study and discovered that Titi spent a fair percent less time running on the field than he had in his younger days.

But he was still good enough for a $32,000,000 transfer fee to Barcelona, where his contract runs till he’s thirty-four. And he’d still make hash out of any MLS defense.

Yes, MLS. Because that’s where our Titi would like to end his career.

(On an irrelevant note, one of my French soccer blogs recently got a hit from the US looking for “titis.” I don’t think it was someone looking for Thierry Henry info. I think it was an American twelve-year-old who can’t spell.)

But at any rate. Thierry Henry recently called Sports Illustrated’s Jonah Freedman and gave him an interview. Got that? Titi called Jonah. To me that means he’s serious about this MLS thing. At least eventually. One quote:

SI.com: You recently said you wouldn’t mind playing in America some day. Why?

Henry: I just love America, everything about it. The way you think, the sports — basketball, American football — there’s always some sports to watch, something to do. Since I was young, I’ve always had it in the back of my mind that I wanted live there. Some players want to finish their careers in Australia, the Middle East or back at the club where they started. For me, it’s America. I don’t know when it’s going to happen, I just know I’ve been wanting to do this since I was young.

You have no idea how much I love the idea of Thierry Henry playing in the US. But how would this work, exactly? And especially, how would someone who’s not known for suffering fools well, and who was once described by an anonymous France teammate as having a melon énorme, fit into MLS, world of the Salary Cap, which tends to limit the number of high-level players on a team?

I have no idea. But I can’t wait to pull up a chair and get some popcorn and watch it happen.
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tenaciouslee

Ditto to Laurie and Abby. Good call on the whole alienating the rest of the team... maybe he'll mellow out and be less bigheaded by then.
Abby

I can’t see him wanting to live here, Abby (WAY too urbane!!), but you and me both!

That's why I have to kidnap him, of course.

I agree with Ian- someday, I'd like to see MLS as a viable challenge, but we can't expect it to be there yet. These things take time. Not even the major European leagues were built this quickly, and we don't want it to become the NASL all over again.
Ian

Sabin - I agree in principle, but the fact is that it's going to be a lot more than four years before European players dream of coming to the States to play football. If that ever happens, it's a long way off. The MLS is growing very well, despite its mismanagement at almost every level. Hopefully, it will someday be a major world league, but that's a long-term goal at best. It's already more than a pasture for European retirees, and the quality of the league will improve, but a couple of big names like Henry make it more realistic that some of the up-and-coming American players have a chance to play pro soccer in the US while making more money per year than the ticket guy at the stadium.
Doni

From TFA: He wants to move here because we don't know who he is. I can understand why the quality of life that privacy brings would be a major attraction for a celebrity.
Laurie

Sabin, I don't necessarily disagree with you, although I personally don't have a problem with players like Henry showing up when he's 34-ish and playing a few years. He'll still play at a high level.

The problem I have is that given the MLS financial structure, a player like TH14 would take up so many of the financial resources from a team that could otherwise be used to bring in that other talent you speak of. And yet Titi would increase that Butts In Seats factor that's so important.

It is a dilemma.
Sabin

I'd like to see Henry come here three years ago when he was more relevant. To me, the MLS shouldn't be an all-star studding ground; rather, it should be where the US's chance at soccer prominence is born; a place where players who used to dream of an EPL career dream of playing. Frankly, I think US soccer fans want more from the MLS than aging heroes. If not, then at least I do.
Shane

By then the MLS will have higher caps and more availability for bigger stars to play. I'm telling you now, Henry won't be alone when he comes. R10 will be with him and where theres an R10 theres a K22.
Laurie

Although of course I want to kidnap him and make him play in Seattle.

I can't see him wanting to live here, Abby (WAY too urbane!!), but you and me both!
Abby

I can see him in New York easily. It would be so awesome. Although of course I want to kidnap him and make him play in Seattle.
Ian

That would be fantastic for the league, even if he's 35 or so when he makes the move. If he really wants to come here, he's probably already figured it will be a step down in terms of quality, and probably in terms of pay, but Beckham's not exactly slumming money-wise, and if Henry keeps up his scoring for the next four years, he'll still be that level of signing.
Tab

I'd like to see TH14 play in the MLS too... I guess MLS is becoming the place where great international players come to die... >