Signing Thierry Henry in New York adds to league's credibility, says Lenarduzzi
BY MARC WEBER
Major League Soccer has its latest star and the Vancouver Whitecaps hope they have their latest marketing tool.
French striker Thierry Henry, one of the greatest players of his generation, officially moved from Barcelona to the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday.
The Whitecaps jump to MLS, North America's top soccer tier, in March of 2011.
"I think it does as much for our club as it does for the league we're going into," said Whitecaps president Bob Lenarduzzi. "It's added credibility, bringing in a player of his ability when there's a lot of other options for him.
"He's 32, but he's a young 32 and my belief is that he can still score goals."
Henry, a four-time Premier League Golden Boot winner and 1998 World Cup champion, scored just four goals with Barcelona last season. He signed a multi-year deal with New York, though terms were not disclosed.
Whatever his salary is, under the league's designated player rule, only $335,000 US will count against the $2.55-million salary cap. Teams can now sign three such players as MLS seeks to bolster its global profile.
The Whitecaps continue to explore all their designated player options, including going without one. Lenarduzzi said the topic is on the radar, but it's not an obsession.
"What we're not going to do is go after a DP in isolation of our plan," he said. "We want to build a core and then decide, based on who is available, what that looks like."
At the very least, Vancouver fans should be prepared to embrace a DP they've heard little about. Lenarduzzi raised the example of a young Peter Beardsley from the club's NASL days. Beardsley became a fixture in England's lineup.
"When he came here, no one knew him from a hole in the ground," said Lenarduzzi, "but as a result of how he played, people came out to watch him. Our scope is wide open."
If Henry -- and whichever big names follow him to MLS -- can sell tickets here, it could take pressure off the Whitecaps to chase a name.
Henry is easily the league's biggest signing since David Beckham joined the L.A. Galaxy in 2007. He doesn't have Beckham's cachet, but he's won every trophy under the sun and, on the field, could well provide more entertainment.
The Whitecaps have sold just over 13,500 season-ticket deposits for their inaugural MLS campaign. They plan to cap that number at 16,500 and Lenarduzzi expected a spike in sales with Wednesday's news.
More major MLS signings are expected in the wake of the World Cup. Rumours of Ronaldinho to L.A. persist.
"That's great for the clubs that sign them and great for us by extension," Lenarduzzi said. "It's something we hope to capitalize on."
The Red Bulls will introduce Henry to media today and he's expected to debut a week Thursday in a friendly against Tottenham Hotspur.
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