Toronto FC attempt to recreate Thierry Henry’s famous ‘Pass Penalty’

Thierry Henry could have warned them but instead he was left to watch on in disbelief as Toronto FC attempted to perfect a penalty routine made famous by him and Robert Pires 15 years ago.  

The infamous clip, taken at Highbury against Manchester City in October 2005, saw Pires fluff his lines from the penalty spot as he decided an audacious pass to an onrushing Henry. 

He only skimmed the ball for his pass and City managed to clear and it has remained on the Premier League‘s most iconic moments.  

Thierry Henry was in disbelief when a penalty was awarded against his Montreal Impact side

But Toronto FC attempted to pull off the pass penalty that Henry tried at Arsenal in 2005

Toronto scored but the referee ruled it out for encroachment in an embarrassing sequence

No doubt Toronto FC’s players were familiar with it and on Tuesday night they felt they could go one better and pull it off – only to also make a mess of it. 

Henry’s Montreal Impact side held a 1-0 lead heading into half-time thanks to Rudy Camacho’s goal when disaster struck and referee Drew Fisher pointed to the penalty spot to give Toronto FC the chance to equalise.

Alejandro Pozuelo stepped up to take the penalty but, much like Pires did back in 2005, elected to pass to a team-mate. 

In 2005, Robert Pires (middle) famously tried to lay the ball off inside the area for Henry (top)

Pires scuffed his pass and confusion got the better of Arsenal as City managed to get it clear

Pozuelo laid it off for Pablo Piatti to slot home into the bottom and the Toronto players raced off to celebrate what they believed was a legitimate equalising goal.

But Henry, who was left dumbfounded at the award of the penalty in the first place, was given a reprieve when Fisher ruled Piatti had encroached and so the goal was chalked off.

Montreal Impact were awarded a free-kick and the opportunity was spectacularly wasted by Toronto.  

It proved a major mistake in the course of the game as it was Henry’s Montreal Impact side who held on to win the match known as the ‘Canadian Classique’.  

‘Not sure what is going on on the penalty kick,’ Toronto boss Greg Vanney said afterwards. 

Toronto FC couldn’t believe the goal was ruled out and questioned the referee post match

‘We’re down a goal, we should just be burying the ball in the back of the net and moving on. 

‘We gift them the fact that they don’t even have to make a save or do anything on a penalty kick, and we have a number of other opportunities [after].’ 

Defeat for Toronto ended their 18-game MLS unbeaten run and was their first loss of the season. 

Pozuelo took issue with the referee’s judgement in defeat, insisting he had no idea why it was chalked off.

‘We scored but the referee (waved off) the goal,’ Pozuelo said. ‘In other countries, they score like this,’ he added. ‘I don’t know why here they said no goal.’