Forward Bradley Wright-Phillips's arrival in Columbus marks the first acquisition in what will be a considerably shorter offseason for the Columbus Crew as Concacaf Champions League scheduling and 2021 MLS preseason initiatives lay just beyond the horizon.
Wright-Phillips, who was recently named to Major League Soccer's "25 Greatest" list as one of the all-time top players in League history, brings his legendary goal-scoring instinct to one of the most balanced sides in MLS last season.
In addition to posting the second-highest points-per-game average in Club history last season (1.78), Columbus stood as one of only two teams in MLS to hold a goal-differential of plus-22 AND record at least 45 combined goals in regular- and post-season action.
Meanwhile, the striker departs Los Angeles as LAFC's second-leading goal scorer with eight goals last season and joins a Crew team that featured three different players with eight-plus goals on the year, in addition to four players with at least four assists, most notably led by Lucas Zelarayan's nine in 2020.
In 2020, the London-native tacked on six assists to go with his eight tallies en route to earning the 2020 MLS Comeback Player of the Year title. Just two seasons ago, while still with the New York Red Bulls, Wright-Phillips put up 20 goals for the third time in his MLS career, marking the first MLS player ever to record 20-plus goals in three different seasons.
At 35 years old, Wright-Phillips went into LA and won the starting job, making 14 starts on 18 appearances while quietly putting up efficiency numbers worthy of a double-take.
Of players with at least 30 total shots and 1,000 minutes played last season, Wright-Phillips's scored on a League-high 40-percent of his shots. Taking into consideration only his shots on target, the two-time MLS Best XI selection converted on over 53-percent of his chances. By that measure, 2020 was BWP's most efficient season in MLS to date.
Now, the player who once spent his formative years with Southhampton in the English Championship – and with Manchester City prior to that – now chooses to join the original Black & Gold in Columbus that returns the core of its roster, including the League's top American goal scorer in Gyasi Zardes.
