Henry: ‘I’m Playing’ Sat. at Gillette

Photo credit: Kari Heistad/capturedimages.biz

After weeks of speculation, the question surrounding Thierry Henry’s availability to play in Saturday’s second leg of the Eastern Conference Final was finally answered definitively by the man himself following the Red Bulls 2-1 first leg loss to the Revolution.

“I’m playing,” Henry told the media after the match. “You happy?”

Henry has never played at Gillette Stadium due to its artificial surface as a result of a chronic Achilles’ ailment. The Red Bulls are 1-1-3 in Foxborough without Henry, who joined the team in 2010. In addition to New England, Henry has often skipped the team’s road tilts in Seattle, Portland and Montreal, where the home teams in each play on synthetic pitches.

Initially, Henry declined to answer the prospect of playing in the Revolution’s home pitch after the locals and Red Bulls both advanced to the Eastern Conference Final, a series which would wrap up at Gillette Stadium.

While Henry confirmed his willingness to play in Saturday’s match – which the Red Bulls need to score at least two goals to stave off elimination – he couldn’t help but take a dig at the assembled media following Sunday’s loss.

“The only thing is if … my Achilles don’t last, then I will be on holiday if we don’t go through,” Henry said. “I’m sure guys wouldn’t care if I can walk or not after that. That’s just the way it is.”

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