It has not been the best of seasons for D.C. United in the United States’ Major League Soccer (MLS). The signing of Wayne Rooney over the summer hasn’t immediately paid dividends but DCU are slowly climbing up off the foot of the Eastern Conference table with three wins, one draw and two losses since he joined them.
Last night though, with the game against Orlando tied at two goals apiece , DC needed the winner desperately at their shiny new Audi Field stadium. United won a late corner against ten-man Orlando and everyone charged up the box for it, including the goalkeeper. Rooney took position at the top of the box as the ball came into the box, but saw it cleared away.
WAYNE. ROONEY.
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 13, 2018
What just happened???https://t.co/M5WE3kKsCh
His legs have long gone, but as he showed a few times last season at Everton, he is still capable of a lung-bursting run or two. Rooney proved that again, tracking down the free runner preparing to shoot into an empty goal. A draw might as well as have been a loss for United, so Rooney then scooted forward and swung in a peach of a cross for United’s Luciano Acosta got a head to the ball and stole the winner.
A fantastic sequence there to win the game, reminding us of a couple of magical moments from last season like the winner against Stoke City on opening day, and the hattrick against West Ham including that spectacular third goal.
What was quite odd though was seeing Rooney celebrating all alone at the end there. Hmm.
(Check out SBN’s own D.C. United blog right here for more analysis on the game and stay up to date on DCU news.)