Harrison, NJ -  Thierry Henry made his Red Bull debut last night in front of a reported crowd of 20,000 people at the amazing Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey and he did not disappoint !  Henry scored on a cross from Joel Linpere in the 25th minute !

Henry has a rich history in Europe and the English Premier League where he spent much of his illustrious career.  His has been considered one of the best players in the world for many years and helped France win the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

He is immediately considered the best player to ever play in the MLS.  While most people know David Beckham, most soccer fans know that he was known more for his off field marketing than his on filed abilities.  Henry has long been seen as one of the elite players in the world and it will be interesting to see his impact on the MLs and the Red Bulls.

Henry received a very warm welcome from the Red Bull Arena crowd.

As Long Island soccer fans, what is almost as important is the fact that 2 Long Islanders were Captains of Last night's Red Bull game !

Mineola's Carlos Mendes started the game as Captain !  and lead the team through exercises as seen below, including Henry !  

Carlos Mendes leads the charge as Captain of the Red Bulls

In the second half, Long Island's own, Mike Petke replaced Mendes in the backfield and as Captain.  Petke is in the Top 10 players in MLS History for games played with over 300 and hold the MetroStar / Red Bull record for appearances by one player.

Long Island's Mike Petke gets ready to lead the Red Bulls

See the rest of the Barclays New York Challenge as the Red Bulls play Manchester City this Sunday in a double-header at Red Bull arena...should be awesome !

Sunday, July 25 @ 1:00 PM ET
(one ticket for both matches)
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Sporting Lisbon
New York Red Bulls vs. Manchester City