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Cooper, Henry continue to roll as N.Y. tops Columbus

Apr 7, 2012 - 9:15 PM Columbus, OH (Sports Network) - Kenny Cooper and Thierry Henry proved once again why they are one of the most fearsome attacking duos in Major League Soccer as the forward tandem helped Red Bull New York cruise to a 4-1 victory over the Columbus Crew at Crew Stadium on Saturday.

Three goals came in the opening period as Cooper scored twice inside 13 minutes and Henry added another five minutes from halftime. Chad Marshall pulled a late goal back for Columbus, but it was quickly canceled out by another strike from Henry.

New York jumped out to an early lead when Cooper bagged his fifth goal of the season in the third minute. The burly American striker controlled a delivery from Henry with his back to goal and fired a quick shot past Andy Gruenebaum on the turn.

Cooper netted 10 minutes later when a deflected shot bounced kindly in front of goal. He was able to elude his mark and nod a looping header over Gruenebaum from close range to double New York's lead.

Henry capped the eventful first half with a third goal for the visitors as the Frenchman found space on the left side of the box and latched on to a through ball from Roy Miller. The Designated Player slipped a shot to Gruenebaum's far post to give the Red Bulls a comfortable three-goal lead heading into the break.

Columbus came close in the 72nd minute when Kirk Urso blasted a shot from distance, but it rattled the crossbar before sailing out of play.

The writing was on the wall for the Crew as their attacking efforts were rewarded in the 89th minute. Urso delivered a corner kick to the back post and Marshall headed a low shot into the back of the net to spoil New York's bid for its first shutout of the year.

But the Red Bulls added another goal quickly after the restart as Joel Lindpere broke free on the left side of the box and chipped a ball to Henry in the middle. The Frenchman took advantage of some poor marking by smashing a volley past Gruenebaum to complete his brace.

Henry and Cooper have combined for 13 of New York's 14 goals this season. Henry, who has scored all of his goals in the last three games, leads the league with seven goals, followed closely by Cooper's six.

The Red Bulls (3-2-0) will put their three-game winning streak to the test next Saturday when they welcome a formidable San Jose Earthquakes side to Red Bull Arena. The 'Quakes, who have allowed just one goal in their opening three games, could be very well equipped to put a stop to New York's rampant offense.

Columbus (2-2-0) sees its two-game winning run come to an end. The Crew will look to bounce back on April 14 when it heads to PPL Park to face the struggling Philadelphia Union.