It would be hard for any player to repeat what Bradley Wright-Phillips accomplished this season. The New York Red Bulls striker matched the league record of 27 goals – just the third player to reach that milestone in the 19 seasons of Major League Soccer. The Red Bulls put their faith in the London-born, Manchester City-bred striker this week by signing him to a Designated Player contract ahead of next season.
Though his pure scoring ability, and knack for scoring in bunches and big moments, helped Wright-Phillips emerge as a star this season, everything he does without the ball at his feet may prove to be just as important to the Red Bulls in 2015.
Wright-Phillips will be judged, as all strikers are, by how many times he puts the ball in the back of the net. But inside the locker room, the 2014 MLS Golden Boot winner is valued for his commitment to his team, his work ethic, and his willingness to do what is asked of him.
"Bradley is not only a prolific goal scorer, he is an excellent professional and a great team player who will be a big asset to the club in the coming seasons,” said Red Bulls Sporting Director Andy Roxburgh after the announcement.
With captain Thierry Henry not returning to the club next season, there will be a large void to fill both on and off the field. Wright-Phillips is one of a core group of Red Bulls poised to step up and take on an even bigger role with the club.
After finding the back of the net just once in the first six games of 2014, Wright-Phillips exploded for eight goals in his next four matches. BWP burned through the rest of the league schedule, scoring at least once in all but six of the final 28 matches. Under the tutelage of the coaching staff and Henry, Wright-Phillips showed continual improvement over the course of the season.
"We laugh about it now because even in pre-season in shooting practice, Bradley couldn’t score," Red Bulls coach Mike Petke said in August. "It got worse and worse for him but he’s worked incredibly hard. He’s willing to learn and he wants to learn, and he does anything I’ve asked of him."
Whenever he was asked about Wright-Phillips this season, Petke continually pointed not to his striker’s scoring prowess, but his willingness to do whatever his team asked of him and his professional attitude of coming to work every day with his best effort. For a coach, the example that sets is the real value in Wright-Phillips, especially as the team loses veteran leaders like Henry.
Henry, who knows a thing or two about goal scoring, also praised BWP throughout the course of the season. The legendary Frenchman even served as Wright-Phillips’ de-facto campaign manager during the early stages of the MVP race.
“If you look at the amount of goals he missed one-on-one with the ‘keeper, and I’m not having a go,” Henry said after a late-October practice. “That’s what I kept putting in his head because you want that guy [motivated]. Because let’s be honest, if it wasn’t for him, I don’t know if we would’ve made the playoffs. You can see he’s never satisfied, and that’s the type of thing you want from your goal scorer.”
The two developed a unique connection, with Henry being as much a mentor as a set-up man. Though the service he provided Wright-Phillips may be gone next year, the knowledge Henry imparted will remain.
“There are so many things [he taught me], to be sure,” said Wright-Phillips. “I’m going to try to stick a few things up in my locker, a few things he used to say to me, to try to just remember some of the things he taught me.“
Over the course of the season, Wright-Phillips demonstrated an improved ability to put himself in dangerous positions, to lose defenders or shake them off once he has the ball. Perhaps more important than any technique or athleticism, Wright-Phillips possesses a desire and a drive to find the back of the net – an attitude that can be infectious and inspire teammates.
Take the goal he scored to tie the MLS record, for example. In the final game of the regular season, Wright-Phillips demonstrated a tenacity and work ethic that go far beyond the calm, collected finish from 16 yards out.
When a long outlet pass soars over the Englishman, it seems like a ball that will be easily dealt with by the defense. A relentless Wright-Phillips tracks down Kansas City defender Aurelien Colin, pressures him into a turnover, and immediately goes into attack mode. The forward doesn’t waste a step, cutting inside another defender and sending the ball inside the near post. It’s a goal-scorers’ finish, but the work involved demonstrates what Petke praised Wright-Phillips for all season.
The newly minted DP, the sixth in team history, is not just talented and hard-working, but he’s got the team-first attitude that brings a locker room together. Case in point, his post-game quote after that memorable 27th goal in Kansas City:
“I’m happy [with tying the scoring record], but I was more happy with the way we played today. Like [Petke] said, I think we came together as a team. Everything we talked about in the changing room, everyone bought into it. That’s how we got the clean sheet and the win.”
That’s the attitude you want from your star.
As with any breakout athlete, the microscope on Wright-Phillips will intensify the following season. His form will be under constant scrutiny and comparison to 2014. Wright-Phillips knows he has his work cut out for him if he wants to be the first player in league history to score 20 or more goals in back-to-back seasons, but true to his character, he isn’t focused on individual accomplishments.
“Next season I’ll start out trying to get a goal in the first game. If your form carries on you try to break records, but as far as I’m concerned, I’m not really thinking about that.”
Whether he can make another run at the record is one of many questions around Bradley Wright-Phillips heading into 2015. Despite the Designated Player tag, and any pressure or expectations, Wright-Phillips knows what his club needs from him.
“I’m not Thierry Henry, or Tim Cahill… that’s not me,” said Wright-Phillips. “My role won’t change. I’m going to work hard and try to score goals.”
