ALL PHOTOS BY PATRICK E. MCCARTHY
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1. A cricket bat given to
Wright by Neel Shah,
his first hire at MLS
who now works for the
Dentsu cricket team in
India; 2. Photos of his
wife and children; 3.
A jersey from the 2005
MLS All-Stars match
against Real Madrid
4. A plaque from the Indiana
Business Careers
in Entertainment Club; 5.
A ball signed by the 2010
MLS champion Colorado
Rapids; 6. A New York
Times clipping about
Sueño MLS, a televised
player search; 7. A bottle
of 1994 World Cup wine |
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The soccer memorabilia in David
Wright's midtown Manhattan office
represent significant moments in MLS
history, as well as Wright's own background
in the sport. Wright played at
the University of Indiana from 1991-95,
a stretch when the Hoosiers won four
Big Ten titles and played in two NCAA
College Cups — the soccer equivalent
of the Final Four. He planned to coach
professionally but went into sales instead,
joining MLS in 2000 as the league
fought to gain a foothold with American
soccer fans.
Among the many items in his office,
Wright displays his Indiana jersey, as
well as a bottle of 1994 World Cup wine
— a gift from SUM President Kathy Carter
— that he says he'll open the day the U.S.
hosts, or wins, the World Cup.
A poster of the MLS Awards winners in 2000 (left), Wright's first
year with the league; a finishers medal from the 2011 Ragnar
Relay, a 197-mile relay from Woodstock to Westchester, N.Y.
A Houston Texans football (left) given to Wright in 2004
by Texans President Jamey Rootes; an antique Manchester
United soccer ball.
A photo of opening day 2003 at the Home Depot Center, the
league's second soccer-specific stadium, reminds Wright of the
many steps MLS has taken to reach its current position.
