GOAL STANDARD
Red Bulls’ under-the-radar star Wright-Phillips feted for record
IT was a celebration worthy of the star Bradley Wright-Phillips has been and continues to be for the Red Bulls.
It, too, was a celebration WrightPhillips probably would rather not have been a part of, considering he enjoys being the center of attention as much as he might missing a penalty kick with the result of a match hanging in the balance.
But when you’ve scored 100 goals in just 159 MLS matches and become the fastest player in the league’s history to reach the century mark — a plateau only 10 others have ever touched — skirting the spotlight can difficult.
After Sunday night’s 2-1 Red Bulls win over LAFC at Red Bull Arena, Wright-Phillips found that out the hard way, forced to be celebrated — by his family, teammates, coaches, former teammates and fans — in a well-deserved ceremony.
“I told him before the game, ‘It’s not our fault. You scored the hundred, not me. So you’ve got to take the recognition,’ ’’ Red Bulls coach Chris Armas said of his humble star.
In an unprecedented move that illustrates how special this player is, team management announced at the end of the ceremony that no Red Bulls player will ever wear Wright-Phillips’ No. 99 again.
How many players in the prime of their careers have their numbers retired? That might be the shortest list in sports.
“Every so often, a guy like this comes around and you can only be so fortunate to spend some time with a player and a person like this,’’ Armas said. “I tell players, ‘Watch this guy. Watch how he shows up every day and watch what real work looks like. Watch how he interacts with people.’ He gets it. He gets life this way. He’s a superstar, he really is. He speaks and people listen. He has shown the way. What a legend.’’
Before the postgame ceremony began, of course it was selfless Wright-Phillips winning the match for the Red Bulls in the most fitting fashion of all: Assisting on Daniel Royer’s game-winner in the 80th minute on a play where he could have scored No. 101 himself.
“I remember in 2014 when he set the [league scoring] record, he had 27 goals and one assist, and when he found out he had only one assist he was so critical of himself, thinking, ‘I scored all those goals and I look like a selfish teammate,’ ’’ Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles said. “But that’s never been the case.’’
There was a video produced by the Red Bulls with players, coaches and family congratulating him for his 100th, which came as the only goal in the Red Bulls’ 1-0 win over DC United last week.
No one in the video captured the very essence of Wright-Phillips better than Sacha Kljestan, the former Red Bulls midfielder and assist man on so many of his goals before being traded to Orlando before this season.
“I know you’re probably cringing watching this right now, because I know you don’t love all this attention, but please for just this once sit back and enjoy it because you really are a New York Red Bulls legend,’’ Kljestan said on the video.
Wright-Phillips conceded that he worried on the car ride to the game, “Imagine if we lose and they are doing all [these things for me]. And then you’re asking fans to stay behind and clap for a player and you don’t know how you’re going to play that day.’’
That, of course, didn’t turn out to be a problem. Wright-Phillips played like the star he is.
The first thing he said when he met with reporters after the ceremony: “Thank you for covering me.’’
His next order of business was to thank the fans who stayed to watch his ceremony, calling it “overwhelming.’’
When the 33-year-old WrightPhillips was asked how long he intended to play, he said, “If it’s up to me, I’ll stay here forever.’’
Sweet music to the ears of every Red Bulls supporter.
Maybe if he stays around that long — forever — he’ll finally be appreciated the way he deserves to be.