Henry tips Red Bulls to bounce back

New York Red Bulls forward Thierry Henry says his team can respond positively to their MLS playoff first leg loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy.

The Red Bulls will travel to the Home Depot Center on Thursday after suffering a 1-0 loss at home in the Western Conference semi-final.

The Galaxy have not lost at home all season, but Henry said the Red Bulls had shown they could produce when challenged, as they are heading into this encounter.

“This team always responded well when it was our last hope, and this is a hell of a last one, to be honest, but hopefully this team can respond again,” he said on Tuesday.

“It’s a do-or-die once again. Sometimes I’ve found, from the whole season, when we went somewhere, or we were playing at home, and it was already a matter of do or die, we somehow responded.”

A well-struck Mike Magee goal was all that separated the teams in the first leg on Monday, but having lost at home, it will be a tough task for the Red Bulls.

Coach Hans Backe said his team could win if they took their chances and kept tight defensively early in the contest.

“We just have to be clever and smart in this game, and don’t give away anything, definitely not in the first half. And then normally the games are decided in the last 45 minutes,” he said.

“So, I just hope we can take our chances – that’s definitely the key.”

The Red Bulls have never won the MLS Cup, while the Galaxy last lifted the trophy in 2005 – their second triumph.