New York Red Bulls Face Questions After Thierry Henry Departure, Playoff Exit

It came as no surprise when it was announced that Thierry Henry would not return to the New York Red Bulls on Monday. The Frenchman will leave as a club legend, even after the team failed to lift the MLS Cup for the 19th consecutive year. With Henry's inevitable parting with the club now official, the questions that New York faces this offseason have become clearer. The answers to those questions, on the other hand, remain as unclear as ever. With New York City FC joining Major League Soccer next season, there is significant pressure on the Red Bulls to remain relevant. The answers to these five questions will shape the future of the Red Bulls and determine how the quest for continued relevance fares.   Who will the Red Bulls protect in the expansion draft? On December 10, NYCFC and Orlando City SC will take part in a 10-round expansion draft to help fill out the rosters of the newly minted MLS clubs. In short, the Red Bulls can protect 11 players from being taken by either expansion club, with Connor Lade, Matt Miazga, and Santiago Castano automatically protected due to their homegrown status. Surely, six of the 11 spots will be taken by Luis Robles, ...

The All-Time 5 Best MLS Cup Finals

Major League Soccer has a unique playoff format. It tests the coaches, player fatigue and squad depth. The winner of the MLS Cup is usually one of the most disciplined, intelligent and deepest teams. With the 2014 MLS Cup being contested on December 7, Bleacher Report looks at the five best finals in the league's history. They'll be judged mainly on entertainment value, drama and the impact on the league now. Here are the five best MLS Cup finals in history.Begin Slideshow

5 Possible Destinations for Thierry Henry

On Monday Thierry Henry announced he would be leaving the New York Red Bulls after four-and-a-half years, per the Independent.  The Frenchman played his 135th and final game for the Red Bulls at the weekend when they lost to New England Revolution in the Eastern Conference Championship play-off. The World Cup winner has yet to decide on where he will now take his talents, but here are five possible destinations.Begin Slideshow

MLS Team of the Weekend from Conference Final 2nd Legs

Thanks to star performances from key players, the New England Revolution and LA Galaxy clinched spots in the December 7 MLS Cup Final.  New England advanced out of the Eastern Conference on a 4-3 aggregate after a 2-2 home draw with New York, while LA took advantage of the away-goals rule to advance on a 2-2 aggregate from the Western Conference.  In the matches at CenturyLink Field and Gillette Stadium, a few stars and some unexpected role players rose to the occasion to help their respective sides stay alive in the hunt for the MLS Cup. Continue reading on for a look at the MLS Team of the Week from the Conference Final second legs. Begin Slideshow

What’s Next for Thierry Henry and the New York Red Bulls?

Thierry Henry has announced that he's leaving the New York Red Bulls, per the team's official website. This news comes just days after he was eliminated from the MLS playoffs by the New England Revolution and brings up questions about the Frenchman's next endeavor and the club's future. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger recently stated that he'd like to bring back Henry as a coach, via ESPN FC. The 37-year-old forward has also stated that he'd like to see the Gunners win the Champions League as a member of Wenger's staff, per Chris Waugh of the Daily Mail. However, there have also been rumblings of Henry playing in France. Bordeaux coach Willy Sagnol said he'd love to sign his former France teammate (h/t Robin Bairner of Goal.com). There's also the possibility of Henry going back to Monaco, the club where he began his professional career. Even PSG was linked with the ex-Arsenal man along with the team from the principality, per Jack De Menezes of The Independent. What's certain is that Henry will make a decision fairly soon. He posted a statement on his Facebook page shortly after it was announced that the French legend was leaving the Red Bulls. He claimed that he will "take ...

Thierry Henry Leaves New York Red Bulls: Latest News on Iconic Striker’s Future

Thierry Henry has played his last game for New York Red Bulls after it was announced the French striker won't be heading back to the MLS franchise in 2015. The football world awaits his next move. Continue for updates.   Thursday, Dec. 4 Parlour Predicts Henry Reunion Former team-mate Ray Parlour has predicted Henry will link back up with Arsenal now that his time is done with the New York Red Bulls. TalkSPORT's Alex Varney quotes Parlour saying: I think he will definitely get involved with Arsenal. I certainly believe, one day, if he really wants to be a manager, he will be manager of Arsenal. He was such an intelligent player. Arsene Wenger used to have a meeting on a Monday with the players after a game and Thierry would always have his say. He would make some great points, not just about forwards, but about defending and how we defend as a team. He always had that charisma to be a manager. And look at his name around the world. People would want to play for him and he would attract big players.   Wednesday, Dec. 3 Henry Targets Arsenal Role, PSG Play Down Interest Henry has confessed it would be a Christmas gift should Arsenal come calling for his services. Quoted ...

MLS Cup Final 2014: Early Predictions for Revolution vs. Galaxy

It's not often that a sports legend has the chance to go out on top. When one of those opportunities comes around, you don't want to miss it. Los Angeles Galaxy star and U.S. soccer hero Landon Donovan is one game away from winning the 2014 MLS Cup and wrapping up an amazing playing career with a final piece of silverware. Donovan, who is the all-time leading goalscorer in MLS history, announced he would retire from the game at the end of the 2014 season back in August. Standing in his way are the New England Revolution, a resolute squad that boasts midfield stars in Jermaine Jones—a U.S. national team stalwart—and Lee Nguyen, who slotted home 18 regular-season goals this year. The Galaxy are in the final thanks to a second-half goal from Juninho in a 2-1 road loss to the Seattle Sounders—winners of the Supporters' Shield—that leveled the scoring on aggregate at 2-2 and sent Los Angeles through via the away-goals rule. New England defeated the New York Red Bulls 4-3 on aggregate in their two-leg Eastern Conference Final. The second match was a dazzling affair, a 2-2 draw at Gillette Stadium that could very well have been the final game for Red Bulls and ...

5 Things We Learned from MLS Playoffs

The 2014 MLS Cup is now set and Major League Soccer fans couldn’t have asked for a better matchup in the championship game. After two blistering series, the final game of the 2014 MLS season will feature the LA Galaxy hosting the New England Revolution. The Revolution advanced on a 4-3 aggregate over the New York Red Bulls after a spirited second leg in Foxborough, Massachusetts and the Galaxy advanced on away goals after tying the Seattle Sounders 2-2 over two legs. Here are five things we learned from this weekend’s games.Begin Slideshow

Seattle vs. LA Galaxy: Winners and Losers from MLS Game

The LA Galaxy advanced to their ninth MLS Cup Final in franchise history by way of a crucial away goal scored in the 54th minute by Juninho. Bruce Arena's side lost the second leg of the Western Conference Final to Seattle 2-1, but they went through on a 2-2 aggregate thanks to the away goal.  The Galaxy will now face New England in a rematch of the the 2002 and 2005 finals, both of which were won by LA. Here's a look at the winners and losers from the second leg of the Western Conference Final. Begin Slideshow

MLS Cup Playoffs 2014: Seattle Sounders vs. LA Galaxy 2nd Leg Score and Reaction

The Seattle Sounders both won and lost in their MLS Cup Playoffs showdown with the Los Angeles Galaxy on Sunday night.  The Sounders won the game 2-1, but the Galaxy advanced to the MLS Cup based on aggregate goals and the tiebreaker of road goals scored. Los Angeles extended its winless streak away from home to six matches, but that is a concession it will gladly make to face the New England Revolution in the MLS Cup. Los Angeles won the first leg 1-0, so Seattle was backed into a corner entering play Sunday. The Sounders had to win by at least two goals to advance, although a 1-0 victory would have been enough to put the series into extra time. A one-goal win by the Sounders in which the Galaxy also scored would send Los Angeles through based on road goals scored. That is exactly what happened. The Sounders got a boost before the game even started thanks to their raucous home fans. MLS doesn't quite inspire the same type of passion as European soccer does in most locations, but that cannot be said about Seattle fans. The MLS Twitter feed captured the fans getting ready for the game outside the gates:  Goalie Stefan Frei commented ...