Bradley Wright-Phillips has been around MLS for years. Since his move to the New York Red Bulls in 2013, the London-born son of England legend Ian Wright has immersed himself in the American soccer landscape. He found the net 126 times for the Red Bulls, and after 10 years in the league, is now something of a league legend.
But he has since hung up his boots, and moved into the broadcasting space - regularly appearing for MLS 360 as part of the Apple TV+ coverage of MLS. And this year has provided plenty of talking points, most because he has no idea who's going to win the Cup.
"The MLS season so far has been really exciting, because it's not the normal big names you've seen at the top of the league. There's been some teams that are normally mid-table, some teams that have been nowhere near the MLS for the last few years and they have come and ruffled some feathers," he tells GOAL.
That's part of the fun, but the usual suspects are still around. Inter Miami have reinvented themselves, and are still heavyweights.
"Last year they were terrible defensively. And now they've actually brought in a couple of good defenders. They don't just play the beautiful game. They're grinders, man. The biggest surprise about them is they're they're chippy," he says.
There remain questions. One of them is what might happen with Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian midfielder is out of contract at Manchester City in June. MLS links have been strong, and a move to the U.S. seems likely. Wright-Phillips, painful as it might be, has admitted that his former bitter rivals NYCFC might be the best destination.
"It makes a lot of sense. Maxi Moralez is a baller, a legend at New York City. He's getting on a little bit. I think it's just a smooth transition," he adds.
Wright-Phillips talked Lionel Messi, the LA Galaxy's slow start and all things MLS in the latest edition of Mic’d Up, a recurring feature in which GOAL US taps into the perspective of broadcasters, analysts, and other pundits on the state of soccer in the U.S. and abroad.
NOTE: This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
