Pride can be a hell of a motivator, and on a rainy and miserably night at Red Bull Arena, it was enough to motivate an international star with an incredible resume to dig deeper and remind us of just what he can do.
The dirt was already starting to hit the casket of Henry's career after he limped through the first month of the MLS season, but on Saturday he moved with purpose, created countless chances and served as the driving force in New York's emphatic 3-0 win against San Jose.
Yes, he missed his share of good chances, but the Frenchman was all over the field, working to set up a goal and ending his own goal drought with a thundering header to close out the scoring.
Henry had been booed by New York fans at times for his earlier misses, a product of his struggles this season, which might have explained his angry celebration following his goal, which consisted of him telling some of his own fans to be quiet before slamming his chest and pointing adamantly at the name on the back of his jersey.
The message was clear. In case you forgot, he's still Thierry Henry, and he can still play.
The passion and the quality of play Henry showed was a far cry from the lethargic and ineffective performances of the first month of the season, and if he is truly ready to be the sort of impact player he was brought to New York to be, then the Red Bulls have to once again be considered Real Salt Lake's stiffest competition for the league title.
As impressive as Henry's breakout game was, the star striker had to share the headlines with English forward Luke Rodgers, who scored two goals and set up Henry's finish. Red Bulls head coach Hans Backe made the curious decision to bench U.S. national team striker Juan Agudelo and start Rodgers, who had looked underwhelming to that point in the season, but Rodgers responded in impressive fashion, earning MLS Player of the Week honors in the process.
Rodgers' performance, coupled with Henry's, will make Backe's lineup decisions that much tougher. He isn't likely to complain though, not with many of his starters expected to miss matches this summer during the Gold Cup. If Henry can keep playing with passion and purpose, those weeks in June won't seem as daunting, and Henry won't have to keep reminding people who he is.
Davies does it again
Charlie Davies earned his first start for D.C. United against Toronto FC and responded with a dynamic performance that produced one goal and helped D.C. post a vital 3-0 road win against Toronto FC.
Davies notched his league-leading fifth goal from the run of play rather than the penalty spot like three of his previous goals, and his mobility was clearly a factor in unsettling a vulnerable Toronto defense.
D.C. head coach Ben Olsen had to be happy with Davies' performance, but may have been even happier to see midfielder Chris Pontius score two goals. Coming off a year plagued by injuries, Pontius has really started to come on strong and has played well enough to keep Designated Player Branco Boskovic on the bench.
Galaxy wins without stars
Playing without Landon Donovan, David Beckham and Juninho, the Los Angeles Galaxy figured to struggle in the final game of a long road trip, but instead delivered one of its best games of the season in a 2-1 win against Chicago.
The Galaxy's midfield depth was on full display, with the trio of Miguel Lopez, Paolo Cardozo and Michael Stephens working well in place of LA's missing stars. It shouldn't come as a surprise that a Bruce Arena side could adapt without its top players. The Galaxy has actually done well when missing its best, as evidenced by last season's strong run without Beckham (then on loan with AC Milan before being injured) and Landon Donovan (away at the World Cup).
Los Angeles will gladly welcome Donovan, Beckham and Juninho back, though. All three will be key to the Galaxy closing the gap that already exists between LA and first-place Real Salt Lake.
MLS Player of the Week
Portland winger Kalif Alhassan was a terror in both of the Portland Timbers' victories last week, including a pair of nifty assists in the Timbers' 3-2 win against FC Dallas. The quick and shifty Ghanaian midfielder has formed a good tandem with right winger Jeremy Hall to give the Timbers dynamic flank options, creating space for forwards Kenny Cooper and Jorge Perlaza.
MLS Rookie of the Week
New England didn't win either of its games last week, but rookie A.J. Soares continues to impress as a starting centerback for the Revolution. The first senior taken in the draft, Soares has played well enough to force veteran Ryan Cochrane to the bench, and he was steady in the back yet again vs. Houston, which manage one goal on a fluke play.
MLS Team of the Week
Portland Timbers. Riding a tangible home-field advantage, the Timbers opened Jeld-Wen Field with a pair of high-scoring victories last week. Beating a struggling Chicago side for its first win was good, but the real convincing result was beating a strong FC Dallas team, 3-2. Surrendering multiple goals in each win was a bit troubling
