We’re revisiting some of the top moments of the Red Bulls’ 2012 season from now until the end of the year. In this piece, we’ll look back at Thierry Henry’s Olimpico that capped off a 3-1 win against the Columbus Crew.
Where were YOU for Thierry Henry’s Olimpico?
If you were among the crowd at Red Bull Arena for the Red Bulls’ 3-1 win over the Columbus Crew, then you had a front-row seat for one of the top MLS goals of the year.
As playoff implications started to weigh heavily in early September, the Red Bulls found themselves in a comfortable position sitting close to the top of the Eastern Conference table. However, the tight-knit race and intense competition had teams like the Crew gunning for the Red Bulls in an effort to gain better grounds in the standings.
Watch: Henry's Olimpico
The Sept. 15 match at Red Bull Arena stood as the final regular season meeting between New York and Columbus. In the previous match, held at Crew Stadium on Apr. 7, the Red Bulls pieced together a convincing 4-1 finish to secure their first road win of the season. In front of the home crowd at RBA, the outcome would be a similar one.
Early in the match, Columbus looked to reverse their fortunes from the April match after Milovan Mirosevic got one past Bill Gaudette in the third minute to give the Crew a 1-0 lead. Six minutes later, Henry answered back after a heat-seeking pass from Rafa Marquez landed softly on the foot of the captain, who slotted home a left-footed finish to level the score.
The scoring went on hold for the remainder of the first half and well into the second, before Dax McCarty placed his head on an Henry corner kick in the 79th minute to take the lead. Crew goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum was injured on the play, after his head collided with the post during a last-ditch effort to make the save. Back-up ‘keeper Matt Lampson, who had up until that point featured in only two matches for the Crew, came on in his place.
With New York possessing the ball three minutes into stoppage time, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that the Red Bulls would secure three points at home. But Henry was not about ready to leave anything up to chance.
The Red Bulls captain lined up at the corner flag in the 93rd minute. New York players crowded the box, as the Lampson took his position inside the Crew goal, practically hugging the near post. With an expert eye, Henry targeted the far post and whipped his shot off the mark and into the netting to give the Red Bulls a 3-1 win and the fans at Red Bull Arena an unforgettable “I was there” moment.
