After matching a franchise record of five straight wins last weekend in Montreal, the New York Red Bulls had one final league match before June international break. A win would've left them in an unstoppable position—but the visiting Chivas USA proved to be fly in the ointment, forcing a 1-1 draw thanks to former New York legend Juan Pablo Angel.

Across four seasons with the Red Bulls, Angel became the team's all-time leading scorer, notching 58 goals across 102 league games. Beloved by fans and respected by teammates, he was iconic as the heart and soul of the club. When team management opted not to renew his contract at the end of the 2010 season, fans watched in horror as he was snapped up by the LA Galaxy in a re-entry draft. JPA failed to find his form at LA and was eventually traded to Chivas USA (to make salary cap room for an incoming Robbie Keane) - but due to the 2011 schedule, he did not make his return to Red Bull Arena until Wednesday night. (Juan Agudelo, who was traded to Chivas last week in exchange for Heath Pearce, did not appear due to a call-up to the USMNT camp.)

Supporters in the raucus South Ward honored Angel's contributions to the club with a tifo display during the national anthem, with one banner reading "GRACIAS JUAN PABLO SIEMPRE NEW YORK". Angel was obviously touched by the display, almost appearing teary-eyed before the kickoff at his old stomping grounds. With that much love being given to a player, perhaps it came as no surprised when he scored in the 47th minute on a beautiful volley. Angel began to run in celebration but quickly thought better of it, opting instead to quietly walk back to the center line in a show of class.

New York would level the game within 10 minutes on a beautifully worked cross from Dane Richards that found Kenny Cooper for an easy knock in. Cooper's 11th of the season leaves him tied with Chris Wondolowski for the MLS Golden Boot. Despite the goal, New York spent most of the game coming close to notching goals but having nothing to show for it. The Red Bulls conjured 18 scoring attempts - 7 coming from Thierry Henry, who made his long awaited return from a hamstring strain. But despite the strong offensive push for the entire 90 minutes, chances would drift just wide or get gobbled up by goalkeeper Dan Kennedy.

The draw extends the Red Bulls (8-3-2) lead in the Eastern Conference, but leaves DC United an opening to move to the top of the table this weekend. Due to the FIFA international break, the Red Bulls won't play another league match until June 17th when they travel to Chicago. However, the team will enter the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup tournament next Tuesday, when they travel to South Carolina to face USL Pro side Charleston Battery in a third round matchup.

POST-MATCH REACTIONS

Coach Hans Backe: "Yeah, I'm quite pleased. We should've won this game, but the way we detained the game in the second half, I must say, it looked much much better than before. Of course, we have our chances, and took them. Sometimes, games end up with a tie - it's not always logical in football. But overall, I must say I'm pleased with the performance."

Dane Richards, on facing his old teammate: "Before the game, he said 'Dane, no sprinting today, man.' And I'm like, 'No scoring today, Juan Pablo.' And I was sprinting, and he scored. So we didn't listen to each other."

Heath Pearce, on playing his former team just a week after his trade to NY: "It's a quick turnaround, obviously. But I prefer that as opposed to waiting a while and have that whole process try to set in. You know, kind of get thrown into the fire, as you would say. But I enjoyed it. I think we could've gotten three points, but nonetheless, it was good to get out there and play a home game with the guys."

Dax McCarty, on Chivas's performance: "You certainly expect three points, but let's give a lot of credit to Chivas. They came in here and they fought. They put us on our heels for a little bit of the game and they possessed the ball decent. They defended very well. I think, personal opinion, other than Ryan Meara, Dan Kennedy's been one of the best, if not the best goalkeeper in the league for the past two years. So let's give him a ton of credit - he just doesn't give up any rebound and he makes some big saves for them."

Juan Pablo Angel, on the fans' display: "“I will always be grateful for these supporters, for this club, for giving me the opportunity to express myself for a few years. I feel great. Those memoires will never go away. It was great. And the banner…I wasn’t expecting it. For me it was very emotional.’’

(Both Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez declined to comment to the media after the game. It's worth noting that Rafa has not made himself available to the media since the San Jose game on April 14th.)

Next Match: Tuesday May 29th 7:30PM, At Charleston Battery - US Open Cup Round 3 (TV: None)