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This tweet caught the eye on Friday evening:
Cahill's comments make me think this is Henry's last season. #HopeNot http://t.co/iMZBssD2U7
— Greg Gomez (@_GregGomez) May 9, 2014
Say what? The link leads to this MSG interview with Tim Cahill, covering his thoughts on how he's approaching his last game for RBNY before the World Cup (Saturday, May 10, vs. Chicago Fire), his son singing the National Anthem before the match, and the general progress of RBNY's season to date:
The interview starts out in prescient fashion: "It's unofficially official, this could be your last game..."
The truly unofficially official news to emerge was Tim Cahill's apparent impression that this is Thierry Henry's last season. Actually, he doesn't say that - not explicitly. The quote (3:30 in the clip above): "Titi is a great player in his own right. It's a season we want to go out with a massive bang and do something special for our captain, who we all look up to."
Tim Cahill is a soccer player. He has some of the bigger games of his career ahead of him. He is neither an official spokesman for the New York Red Bulls nor Thierry Henry. His opinion is nothing more than his opinion, and I'm sure he wants to impress in every game.
It should also be pointed out that toward the end of the interview, when the cluster of reporters on the sideline is briefly threatened by an errant cross from the training session ongoing in the background, Cahill casually notes, "if it's not Brad, then no one else is going to hit the target, so it's alright." (4:30 in the clip above)
So he's not always serious.
We don't know for sure what Henry's plan is for next season. And even if we did, the man is allowed to change his mind. All we know right now is this is the last year of Henry's contract and something has persuaded Arsenal to make a special trip across the Atlantic in July for the specific purpose of playing RBNY. Could just be the attraction of the duty free selection in Newark.
But there is no denying Arsenal's visit feels like it is intended to mark an occasion. And Cahill's comments in the clip above, while by no means a clear and authoritative statement, have a valedictory flavor.
We don't know if Titi's mind is made up, but like the man said on Twitter - Cahill's words make you think.
What they also suggest is that the situation is no distraction to the players. If they know what their captain intends to do, they are (just about) keeping it to themselves and focusing on the work at hand. If Henry's (in)decision is a source of motivation, more power to him.
Keep us guessing, Titi, or don't: whatever is required to get us what we all want at the end of the season - another trophy.