The MLS season is filled with litmus tests for teams who would like to believe that they deserve to be fighting for the league championship at the year's end.
For the New York Red Bulls, they had their first major test this past Saturday when they took on the L.A. Galaxy. It was a hard fought, gut-check match, with both sides coming out drawn at one. While it might not have been as big of a statement as a win, for New York, you couldn't ask for much more.
Sunday's match-up, when the Red Bulls host Chivas USA, will be another big test.
Thierry Henry continued his solid play, scoring his fourth goal of the season against the Galaxy in the eighth minute. The French striker has borne the brunt of some criticism recently, and has really stepped up and played some great soccer. He's also made the rest of the attack more dangerous as well, which is exactly what you want to see from a quality striker.
Chivas USA goalie Zach Thornton will also be returning to play against New York. From the Red Bulls weekly update:
Goalkeeper Zach Thornton played for New York over two stints. He was drafted by New York in the 1996 Draft, and played in six games with the team in 1996-97. He returned to the club during the 2008 season, but did not feature for the first team in regular season play. He did make one start in 2008 in the U.S. Open Cup.
More on Sunday.