Bradley Wright-Phillips is usually seen on the scoresheet in the goal column, but on Tuesday night, as the New York Red Bulls topped Club Tijuana 3-1 at Red Bull Arena, he was in the assist column twice.
Wright-Phillips was involved in all three goals, earning a secondary assist as the team evened up the score in the 28th minute assisting on Tyler Adams’ game-tying goal.
“To be honest, on the first play I was looking at him going, ‘Run! Run!’ but, you know, the timing that he set up for [Michael Amir Murillo] to join in and then to make the final play was really good,” Marsch said. “Brad is an important guy around here, no doubt. Another day where he’s very dangerous. Very dangerous.”
BWP assisted the next two goals, passing to Marc Rzatkowski and Alejandro Romero Gamarra as they converted to put the Red Bulls on to the Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League Semifinals.
“I saw that Brad had the ball, and normally, as a striker, I thought he would shoot,” Rzatkowski said. “But he saw me -- I don’t know how he saw me -- but I feel really lucky that he saw me and passed the ball perfectly to me.”
Through five games this season, between Champions League and MLS play, Wright-Phillips has already notched four goals and four assists.
“Whatever way he’s able to score, whenever the ball comes to him, the way he’s able to control in close spaces, finish from distance. He’s proven to be a clinical goal scorer and he’s going to continue to do that for us,” Adams said.
