When the final whistle blew on Bradley Wright-Phillips’ two-goal performance Sunday, the forward let out a shout of frustration not normally associated with a player who had just entered the record books.
Almost 12 hours later, Wright-Phillips still felt the same way.
His 26th and 27th goals of the year in the New York Red Bulls' 2-0 win over SKC tied the MLS single-season scoring record, and gave his team home-field advantage in Thursday’s Knockout-Round game of the MLS Cup Playoffs against SKC (8 pm ET; ESPN2).
As good as all of that felt, however, part of Wright-Phillips was still disappointed with not breaking the mark held by Chris Wondolowski and Roy Lassiter outright. The 29-year-old had a couple of chances to do so in the waning minutes of the regular season finale at Sporting Park, but it was not to be. And Wright-Phillips had to settle for sharing the record.
“I’m a little frustrated because obviously when you get two goals, you want to get three,” Wright-Phillips said via conference call Monday. “It’s a hard record to break, but I’ve had 27 goals and I’ve worked hard this season. I wanted 28. I’m still a little bit frustrated, but obviously it wasn’t good enough. Maybe next season.”
While Wright-Phillips did not finish the regular season exactly how he would have liked, he still won the Budweiser Golden Boot as the league's top scorer in 2014. And his performance against Kansas City underlined why he has been so successful this year even when Thierry Henry has been out of the lineup, as he was on Sunday.
That was especially the case on the Englishman’s record-tying goal in the 70th minute. Feeling “leggy” from making a couple of runs just moments before, Wright-Phillips almost did not race onto an aimless long ball from Roy Miller. But Wright-Phillips’ friend, right midfielder Lloyd Sam, urged him on from the other side of the field, and Wright-Phillips quickly complied.
The veteran dug deep to chase the ball down, took it from SKC defender Aurelien Collin in the opposing third and raced in on goal before unleashing a low drive that fooled goalkeeper Erik Kronberg. It was sheer determination and a sweet feeling for Wright-Phillips and the club.
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“Right then and there, that showed what he’s all about: the hard work and the fighting attitude. And he did phenomenal on that goal,” Red Bulls head coach Mike Petke said on the conference call Monday. “That’s perhaps one of my favorite goals that he scored because the work rate that he put in and not giving up, winning that ball and then putting in a phenomenal goal.”
Even as the goals have racked up this year, Wright-Phillips has been hesitant all season to say this has been his best as a professional, especially after a strong campaign with English side Charlton Athletic in 2011-12 in which he scored 22 goals.
On Monday, however, he held back no longer.
“I’d say for goals, it’s definitely my best season,” said Wright-Phillips. “I like having a good goals-to-game ratio, and every striker wants to be maybe 1-in-3, and I think I’ve done that this season. As far as game to game, my touch and ball retention, I want to work on those things – and converting more chances.“
He will have an opportunity to do that beginning on Thursday night. Wright-Phillips knows his scoring well cannot dry up now, not with an MLS Cup still to be won.
“The 27 goals, they almost don’t matter now. It’s a new season for me,” said Wright-Phillips. “I want to be the top goal scorer or up there in the playoffs. I want to get as many goals as I can. It’s a new season, so that’s how I’m going to treat it. When you see me on Thursday, I’ll be as hungry ever.”
Franco Panizo covers the New York Red Bulls for MLSsoccer.com. He can be reached by email at Franco8813@gmail.com.
