In this high-press, low-spend era, the flashiest thing the New York Red Bulls do is discard club legends.
In a time when Connor Lade and Luis Robles were allowed to walk away so gracefully, it’s downright appalling that Wright-Phillips was let go so unceremoniously.
Although the narrative has been that Wright-Phillips’ age caught up with him this season, and that his exit last Thursday was a sort of mutual acknowledgment from both parties that he could no longer contribute at a high level, that perception is not reality.
In fact, the only Red Bulls player to have his number retired was rushed out the door, only one year after winning team MVP and finishing the greatest five-year run for a striker in MLS history.