Ending could be rough for Red Bulls' Wright-Phillips
Some strikers might get offended by [Henry, Cahill]'s demands, but Wright-Phillips doesn't mind. "I grew up playing in England, and once you get on the pitch, there's no friendship," he said. "If a job's not getting done, people let you know, and Thierry's n...
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| Published in | Gannett News Service |
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| Main Author | |
| Format | Newsletter |
| Language | English |
| Published |
McLean
USA Today, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, Inc
27.11.2014
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| Subjects | |
| Online Access | Get full text |
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| Summary: | Some strikers might get offended by [Henry, Cahill]'s demands, but Wright-Phillips doesn't mind. "I grew up playing in England, and once you get on the pitch, there's no friendship," he said. "If a job's not getting done, people let you know, and Thierry's no stranger to that." Wright-Phillips isn't exceptionally tall at 5-8, but he has an elite vertical leap and, most importantly, an innate sense of timing. He'll beat bigger and stronger defenders to head balls by leaping at the precisely correct moment. The Red Bulls sometimes struggle when they rely on his aerial ability too much -- the team can fall into lapses where they repeatedly huff the ball up for Wright-Phillips' head with hopes he'll make something happen. Wright-Phillips has been so good, though, sometimes he can make that strategy pay off. During the second leg of the team's playoff game against D.C. United, Wright-Phillips was instrumental in the final goal that put the game away. After a teammate slipped while kicking a ball up the field and the ball sailed off target, Wright-Phillips adjusted his run, leapt up and won the ball anyway. He cushioned a header out wide to Henry, who beat his man to the endline, crossed it in, and Luyindula finished easily. Wright-Phillips' name wasn't on the score sheet, but it was his ability to track on to the wayward ball that brought the goal. |
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