Following a break and in the midst of a double matchweek, we sat down with MLS legend turned broadcaster, Bradley Wright-Phillips. The former Red Bull, Crew, and LAFC striker dominated the league during his playing career, becoming the fastest player in league history at the time to score 100 MLS goals. Now, Wright-Phillips is a contributor to MLS 360 on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
As a former player, how did you keep your mindset right after a stretch of tough results?
When you're coming off a bad stretch, this is going to sound a bit cliche, but it's about getting back to the basics and getting back to what made you good. If I think about the Rapids last season, what made them good was their togetherness. I still see that. They're missing some attacking pieces. I think they're not getting enough from the attack, but if you go back to the basics, you’ll be hard to beat. We used to say little things like, ‘don't concede in the first half.’ Then after that, you take the game into little increments, if you will. The first 15 minutes is something, the next 15 minutes is something, get to halftime, then you can build a game plan from there. So, it's just taking a game stage by stage.
How did breaks in the schedule, like we just had in MLS, affect you as a player?
I love that question because it depends. If I'm in a team that is winning, maybe if I'm on a team that's unbeaten in five, I don't want a break, I want to keep playing, I don't want anything to stop that momentum. For the Rapids, if you haven't won in three, it is definitely a chance to reset, go over video, rest your body, rest your brain, and then start again from there. It can also turn over a new leaf.
Who do you see taking a step up for the Rapids in the second half of the MLS season?
I'll tell you two things that I would like to see. One, I've been impressed with Darren Yapi. Against the ball, I think he can be very dangerous. If he cleans up in front of goal, he looks like a player that, on his day, can cause a lot of problems. I'll be really honest, I think the transfer window is going to be very important for the Colorado Rapids. I think you have a team where the base is good. You have a team that everybody's bought in. I love Chris Armas. I played under Chris. He really knows how to get the best out of a team, but I think they need help in the attack. I really do. When I think about the last few games, I can't remember how many goals, but it's not many goals in that the last three games. That to me is alarming. So, while the rest of the team is very hard to play against, you make it difficult on your opponent. You need a finishing touch up front or maybe from the wide area to where you can get some more service in the box. To answer your question, I think Darren Yapi, providing he takes the next step in front of goal, is a problem on his day. But also, the transfer window is the biggest thing for me for the Colorado Rapids.
How was your relationship with Chris Armas back with the New York Red Bulls?
Chris [Armas] is amazing. I know anyone who knows him is going to say this, but, coming from England, the coaches are more stern. You can't really have too many relationships with them. When I was younger, anyway, it wasn't that. But Chris, I think him being an assistant for a long time, helped him to where he can really be a firm head coach, but also be a link and really understand players. He was so easy to work with. Fun all the time. He never brought a bad result onto the training pitch. It was just easy. It was like going in and playing for a family member. Honestly, I can text Chris now, or phone him now. If we got the phone, we could have a long conversation. He's an unbelievable man and a great coach. His enthusiasm for the game is not matched. You walk back to training and he's the first one playing two-touch with a player, getting into arguments, he sets a really nice working environment.
