A couple of days ago, Barcelona striker Thierry Henry agreed to a deal with American side New York Red Bulls following the World Cup in South Africa. Henry, who has led the English Premier league in goals scored four times in his career, is currently under contract with Barcelona of La Liga in Spain, so there is no certainty as to when the Frenchman would make his debut under the lights of New York City.
What does this mean for Major League Soccer?
Honestly, it's bigger than David Beckham signing with the Los Angeles Galaxy in January 2007.
Beckham was the pretty-boy star of the Galaxy during his MLS tenure, but in my opinion, he was outshadowed on the field of play by teammate Landon Donovan, arguably the best American player of our generation.
Beckham brought the celebrity spotlight to the league, but he forgot to bring with him the crosses that made him the world's best footballer for several years. He also feuded with Donovan, and eventually lost the support of his own fans in Los Angeles.
Henry is still a good enough player to come in and dominate MLS if he so chooses. At 32, he may not be as fast as he was five years ago with Arsenal, but he is still nimble on his feet and can find the net. He has scored 49 goals in 116 appearances with Barcelona.
Henry would step into a situation where he could be the immediate leader of his team. Only Juan Pablo Angél is close in name recognition on a squad that has sorely underachieved thus far during the 2010 campaign. He would provide the goal scoring necessary to push New York towards a playoff run.
While many fan's of American soccer still have a bitter taste in their mouths following the departure of Beckham to AC Milan, the signing of Henry would re-energize a club desperately in need of some help, and continue to make MLS more relevant to soccer fans across the world.
However, I must caution, it is imperative that Henry find success in MLS, whether it be leading the league in goals or winning a championship. He needs to prove to the rest of the world that this isn't a publicity stunt, and that he intends on improving American soccer.
If he can do that, Henry may very well be one of the most influential players the league has ever seen.
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