Manchester United down Celtic in tour opener

Manchester United handled Celtic FC 3-1 in front of nearly 40,000 at Rogers Centre in Toronto (Getty Images)

TORONTO – Dimitar Berbatov scored a goal and set up two more as Manchester United opened their North American tour on a strong note with a 3-1 victory over Scottish giants Celtic FC at Rogers Centre on Friday night.

Wayne Rooney may not have traveled for the English side, but fans still were treated to a world-class performance by the Bulgarian Berbatov, who scored 12 times for the English Premier League runners-up last year.

Berbatov gave Manchester United the lead on a stellar goal and then set up Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley in the second half to make the crowd of 39,139 forget about Rooney, who had a forgettable World Cup for England.

The Red Devils next will travel to face the Philadelphia Union and Kansas City Wizards before meeting the MLS All-Stars in Houston on July 28.

Although it was billed as a friendly, Friday's match was anything but, with both teams playing with intensity befitting a clash between two of the most storied clubs in British football.

The pace was classic EPL with great long balls, clever passing and lightning-quick forays, especially by Berbatov and Mame Biram Diouf, who formed a dangerous combination up front for the Red Devils. The duo helped give Manchester United the lead in the 34th minute.

Berbatov took a centering pass from Diouf, met the ball with his right leg and fired a left-footed shot in the opposite corner of the goal defended by Celtic goalkeeper Andreas Hinkler.

The strike drew loud cheers from the pro-United crowd. Toronto is a hotbed of support for Manchester United and it showed at Rogers Centre, where fans clad in all recent incarnations of the club’s jerseys were out in big numbers. They reserved their loudest cheers before the game for midfielders Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes and manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Ferguson and Celtic manager Neil Lennon emptied their benches in the second half.

Giorgios Samaras, who played for Greece at the World Cup, came on for Celtic and helped the Scottish Premier League runners-up level the score in the 61st minute on a penalty.

United defender Chris Smalling pulled down Marc Crosas in the penalty area, drawing a caution and a penalty from Canadian referee Sliviu Petrescu. Samaras stepped up to calmly drive home the equalizer into the top right corner past United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.

It was all United after that, with Berbatov setting up Welbeck for an easy finish in the 79th minute and then feeding Cleverley, who pushed the ball forward before driving a shot that deflected off a defender by Hinkel in the 86th minute.

Manchester United now head to Philadelphia where they’ll take on the expansion Union at Lincoln Financial field. Celtic, who lost to the Union on Wednesday, will head to Seattle to face the Sounders at Qwest Field on Saturday.

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KC's Auvray shares a connection with Henry

KC holding midfielder Stephane Auvray says Thierry Henry has plenty to give to the Red Bulls (Getty Images)

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – When Stephane Auvray heard the rumors linking Thierry Henry to Major League Soccer, he passed his phone number to the Henry camp just in case the French-born forward of Guadeloupean descent needed another opinion.

Turns out Henry already made up his mind.

“He made his decision without calling me,” Auvray said, “but I am sure we will have time to discuss it.”

And what if Henry had decided to give the Guadeloupe National Team captain a ring?

“I was going to tell him that the MLS is getting bigger and bigger,” Auvray said. “I think he knows it, and that is why he wants to come. There is quality in this league, and the fact that players like him come will give the league more quality.”

For his part, Auvray arrived in MLS from Ligue 2 club Nimes Olympique during the offseason after a 10-year career in France. He has injected his own quality into a Wizards side that has struggled for results this season.

Although the 32-year-old Henry is four years older than Auvray, KC’s midfielder believes “Titi” is coming stateside for the right reasons.

“He still has plenty to give,” Auvray said. “He’s quite young and I know he really wanted to come to the US, so he’s not just coming on free retirement, in my opinion.”

On Guadeloupe, an island of approximately 400,000 inhabitants, the word "stranger" is a fairly relative term, especially when it comes to professional soccer players.

Auvray says he has never met Henry, who is of Caribbean heritage but grew up in France and played for the French National Team before retiring from international play following the conclusion of the World Cup in South Africa.

That hasn’t stopped KC’s holding midfielder from closely following Henry’s career at AS Monaco, Arsenal, Barcelona and now the bright lights of the Big Apple as a member of the Red Bulls.

“As Guadeloupeans, we always follow the other Guadeloupeans wherever they are,” he said. “We always follow what they are doing, and it is the same with Thierry Henry because he won the World Cup and a lot of things.”

While Auvray backs Henry for even more achievement in America, he has one stipulation: “I think [Henry] will have success, and I hope so – I just don’t want him be successful against us.”

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Le Toux thrilled about compatriot Henry's arrival

''He really is a great player," Sebastien Le Toux (pictured) said of his compatriot Thierry Henry. (Getty Images)

CHESTER, Pa. —When the rumors started swirling around New York City that former Arsenal, Barcelona and French National Team striker Thierry Henry may join the Red Bulls as their second Designated Player, a member of the Philadelphia Union took note.

A follower of Henry’s since his early days back in the mid-1990s, fellow French striker Sebastien Le Toux couldn’t be happier that those rumors are now reality.

"He’s a huge player who has won the World Cup in 1998 and the Euros [in 2000]," Le Toux said after his team’s 1-0 victory over Celtic on Wednesday evening. “He is one of the best French strikers of all-time, and for me it’s really nice to see him come here. I hope the best for him.”

The Designated Player position has been heavily discussed over the years, and teams have been adding them to their roster with varying success. Le Toux feels Henry will have a massive impact on the league and expects nothing but good things from the Red Bulls' new No. 14.

“I think he’s going to bring his experience as he’s won many titles in his career,” Le Toux said. “He’ll definitely help his team like that. He’ll also bring a very good image, too. He’s a great player and has had a great career, and it’s not finished yet.

“From what I have heard from him, he wants to play really well and win titles with New York. I hope that Philadelphia wins titles before New York, but I’m very excited to see him play in this country because he really is a great player.”

Unfortunately for Le Toux, the rest of his Union teammates and Philadelphia-area soccer fans, they won’t get a chance to see Henry play in person until the two sides meet in the last match at PPL Park this season on Oct. 16.

You can bet that Le Toux circled the date as soon as he heard the official news of Henry’s signing.

“I hope it’s going to be nice, but I’ve never been in this situation before,” said Le Toux of playing against one of his idols. “I’m sure he’s going to be very nice to play against. At that point in the season, I hope it’s going to be a very important game—but when you’re on the field, you don’t really think about that. It’s usually the day before or during the week.

“It’s a long time from now, though, and until then I’m going to be like you and all soccer fans in this country—just watching him to see how he does.”

Henry takes in light training in first RBNY sessionHenry poised for States move

Henry takes in light training in first RBNY session

Thierry Henry took in his first Red Bulls training session on Friday, practicing mostly with the reserves. (Getty Images)

UPPER MONTCLAIR, N.J. – Thierry Henry’s first practice with his new Red Bulls teammates on Friday morning created quite the buzz. With the media contingent on hand nearly triple of a typical practice session, and fans camped out hoping to catch a glimpse and perhaps an autograph with the star, the atmosphere was electric.

Coming off a two-week break, Henry trained mainly with the reserves, including full participation in all the team’s drills. After a series of warm-ups and sprints, Henry, along with Juan Pablo Angel, played in a five-vs.-two keep-away game, showing deft touch and quick decision-making ability. He joked with teammates Mike Petke and Joel Lindpere and looked at ease. Henry even laughed when Lindpere tried pegging a teammate with the ball.

As the first team trained for Saturday’s match against Columbus, Henry scrimmaged with several of the second-team players. Taking a bit of a back seat in the training session, Henry said this was his first training session in three weeks, but head coach Hans Backe revealed it was actually closer to two weeks, as his new signing had five training sessions prior to joining the team.

Backe didn’t get to see too much of Henry as he oversaw the first team’s training session, but his staff communicated with him about his new marquee player.

“What I've heard, of course [was good]," Backe said. "Those kind of players [like Henry], just the touch on the ball is different class."

Henry told the gathered media that he was “really happy with the facilities. The pitch is great.” At the start of the season, Backe commented that the team’s facilities needed an upgrade for a player of Henry's caliber. The coach said that he had spoken with Henry about the facilities and the pitch perhaps not being quite the same standard as what he was used to in Barcelona or Arsenal.

“He was surprised at the [quality] of the pitch,” Backe said.

On Saturday morning, Henry will travel to Columbus but will not be part of the gameday squad. Backe said that the plan is to get his forward 45 minutes in the upcoming New York Football Challenge matches against Tottenham and Manchester City, both next week. While Henry will watch his new teammates on Saturday at Crew Stadium, he wanted to be much closer to the action.

“I wanted to [be available],” Henry said of the Columbus game. He revealed that he hopes to play away in Houston in a couple weeks.

The impact of Henry is felt on and off the field, but also with his teammates.

“He’s a fantastic player, his record speaks for itself,” Macoumba Kandji told MLSsoccer.com. “You can tell this guy is class.”

Kandji said the signing of Henry should trickle down to the team’s play on the field, with other teams focusing on the Angel-Henry strike duo. According to Kandji, this would free up room for players like Kandji and Lindpere to get more cracks at goal. And Angel said the impact will be seen in practice, with other players elevating their training habits.

"Arguably one of the best players of our generation,” Angel said. “His pedigree is second to none."

Kristian R. Dyer can be reached for comment at KristianRDyer@yahoo.com and followed at twitter.com/kdyer1012

Backe: Search for No. 10 is off, for nowHenry poised for States move

The Weekender: Magic acts in MLS

Dane Richards and New York are keen to avenge their May loss to Andy Iro and Columbus at Red Bull Arena. (Getty Images)

There was no bigger story this week than the MLS arrival of Thierry Henry, but you already knew that. And you probably also know that Henry – who appeared Thursday for the first time at a press conference at Red Bull Arena – left fans wanting when it was learned he’ll travel this weekend but won’t suit up for the Red Bulls against Columbus.

Talk about a magic act. Make a world-class player appear, but then leave him behind the curtain? Of course, he’ll be playing soon enough, but The Weekender couldn’t help wondering what other magic tricks are out there this weekend to discover.

New York Red Bulls at Columbus Crew (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, Direct Kick)

The disappearing act is magic’s most deceptive trick. But that’s just what fans got from their new hero Henry, who won’t fill out the roster in the marquee matchup of the weekend. Henry’s understandably slated to make his debut next week in a friendly against Tottenham, meaning the Red Bulls will have to face the Crew for Eastern Conference bragging rights with – sigh – the date they actually brought to the dance. And that’s been more than good enough for Hans Backe’s boys, but remember that 3-1 hurting the Crew put on back at Red Bull Arena in May? The Red Bulls certainly do.

Tottenham Hotspur at San Jose Earthquakes (Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN)

The toughest magic trick in San Jose would be making tickets to this one appear out of thin air. Getting into Buck Shaw Stadium for this afternoon tilt has proven wonderfully tough, thanks to Bay Area fans furiously scooping up tickets in anticipation for one of the summer’s most underrated friendlies. Fewer than 100 tickets remained on Friday morning for this match, which is big enough, in fact, for ESPN to swoop in, drop some video trucks on the lawn and beam it out on the mother ship.

Real Salt Lake at FC Dallas (Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET, Direct Kick)

Want some scoring magic? Look no further than Jeff Cunningham, who has won the Golden Boot for both clubs in this matchup and is still the only player to win the award for two different sides. But even a red-hot Cunningham (if, in fact, he were red-hot) might not help against this RSL defense, which hasn’t allowed a goal since Brigham Young’s boys broke ground in Salt Lake City. This is the premier matchup out West and would be the game of the weekend if not for Crew-RBNY, with both FCD and RSL carrying impressive unbeaten streaks into Pizza Hut Park.

At the Theater: Inception

The trailers for this new Christopher Nolan mindbender made The Weekender a little irritated, and we weren’t alone. The Atlantic recently ran a poll asking readers if the foghorn-laden music from the film’s trailers was more annoying than a vuvuzela: the vuvuzela defended its honor, predictably. Evidently the latest from the director of The Dark Knight and Memento is all about dream invasion and has something to do with Leonardo DiCaprio, but let’s be real. The effects seem like pure blockbuster magic. It’s been a sleepy summer at the box office, and this one could at least provide a wake-up call for what popcorn flicks should look like.

Bookmark: No Way Down: Life and Death on K2

The magic act here? Simply surviving one of the most devastating climbing accidents in recent memory. Released late last month, this book from New York Times reporter Graham Bowley chronicles the lives and untimely deaths of 11 climbers in August 2008 on none other than K2, the deadliest mountain in the world. Adventure books are a dime a dozen in an era when everyone’s looking to keep up with Jon Krakauer, but this one is worth its salt.

In Concert: Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (Pitchfork Music Festival, Chicago)

There is no better reappearing act this weekend than this one, as Jon Spencer takes the stage on Saturday at Union Park. There was no one better at grimy blues-rock-punk in the 1990s and early aughts, but where have they gone? They’ve been working on side projects and rarely touring as a group since 2004, the last time they released a studio album. Festivals like Pitchfork are rarely about the headliners – Modest Mouse and LCD Soundsystem, in this case – and more about who rocked the undercard. These guys are proven contenders. Get there if you can.

RBNY fans don't need a trophy to define D.C. rivalryHenry poised for States move

Cunningham to attend the ESPYs on Wednesday

FCD forward Jeff Cunningham will join several of the most prominent athletes in the country at the ESPYs (Getty Images)

FRISCO, Texas – Jeff Cunningham didn’t train with FC Dallas on Wednesday morning. In fact, he also won’t train on Thursday either. But he has a good excuse.

The 2009 Budweiser Golden Boot winner is in Los Angeles to attend Wednesday night’s ESPY Awards. Cunningham is one of five players up for MLS Player of the Year honors. The other nominees are Colorado’s Conor Casey, LA Galaxy captain Landon Donovan, Shalrie Joseph of New England and Seattle’s Kasey Keller.

Cunningham traveled to Los Angeles with the full blessing of his coaches and teammates.

“He and I talked about him going,” FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman said on Wednesday. “It’s a great opportunity for him not only to potentially get an award but also to be around some of the best athletes in the country.”

Before departing, Cunningham asked Hyndman if missing two days of training would hurt his chances of playing against reigning MLS Cup champions Real Salt Lake, who visit Pizza Hut Park on Saturday.

“Typical Jeff, he asked if that was going to hurt him being selected for the game,” Hyndman joked. “I said, ‘No we’re not going to punish you, because you’re not here when we gave you permission’.”

It’s likely Hyndman feels good about letting Cunningham miss a few days of training following the forward’s solid showing off the bench in a 1-1 draw at Seattle on Sunday.

“In my opinion, this reminded me of Jeff last year,” the FCD manager said. “It’s the first game I’ve seen him where he’s been similar to what we saw last year. He’s made the adjustment. I think he’s starting to be the player that we saw last year.”

His teammates will all be cheering him on Wednesday night.

“I think it’s pretty sweet,” FCD midfielder Brek Shea said. “I hope he gets it [Player of the Year award]. I’m definitely going to be watching and cheering for him. It’s a pretty big event. A lot of people go there and he’s there. I’m proud of him. It’s pretty amazing.”

Cunningham’s teammate and close friend, Atiba Harris, who was also teammates with Cunningham when he won his first Golden Boot in 2006 with Real Salt Lake, would definitely like to see him win.

“I’m excited for him,” Harris said. “Hopefully he wins it because he deserves some awards. We’re pretty close. Our families and wives are all pretty close. It would be really great for him to win it for his family and for his daughter.”

FCD midfielder Dax McCarty agrees Cunningham is more than deserving of the award.

“He’s a veteran guy and scored a lot of goals for us last year,” McCarty said. “When he had like 11 or 12, we were in the training room and I told him he’d score 18. He didn’t believe me. He ended up scoring 17.

“I’d like to think I can take some of the credit there but he had a fantastic season,” he continued. “To think that he only did it in a 16-game stretch is unbelievable and shows you how deadly he can be when he’s on.”

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