On June 28th, 2018, Wayne Rooney joined DC United on a 3.5 year deal. Rooney was one of the best players of his generation, scoring hundreds of goals for Manchester United and Everton. He debuted for DC on July 14th, providing an assist to Paul Arriola in a 32 minute cameo. On July 28th against Colorado, Rooney opened his account for his new club via a meg on Tim Howard. He simply brought a brand new energy into Audi Field, and the team responded on the field as well. For a modern example, his arrival had some of the Inter Miami Messi effect, where DC went from two wins in their opening 14 games, to just two losses in the second half of the season. In August, Rooney completed what was likely his most popular clip from his time in MLS, and it wasn't even a goal. The match with Orlando was tied at two in 95th minute, and the DC net was empty after a corner. Rooney tracked down Will Johnson at a full sprint at midfield with just seconds to go and made a hard tackle. He then teed up a deep cross, putting it straight on the head of Luciano Acosta to win the game and a complete a hat trick.
In a match against Portland during the month of August, Rooney scored his first MLS brace. He timed his run and finished in the bottom corner, as he's done so many times before. Then, he beat Jeff Attinella with a lovely curled free kick. He also scored a match-winning penalty against what seemed to be an unstoppable 2018 Atlanta United side. In late September and early October, Rooney really took off, scoring 5 goals in a three game span. He was named the October Player of the Month. He scored a brace in consecutive matches. In the first one versus Montreal, he netted a near post shot, following it up with a chip of Evan Bush. With the help and influence of Wayne Rooney, DC United was able to qualify for the playoffs as the fourth overall seed. Rooney scored 12 goals and assisted 7 in his limited matches after arriving in the summer transfer window. In their first match against Columbus, DCU lost a heartbreaker, drawing 3-3 and losing 3-2 in penalties. Rooney was named to the 2018 MLS Best XI.
Rooney's playing career in MLS was extremely short, as he finished up his MLS career in the next season, the 2019 campaign. Rooney's first goal of the season came along with two more in the same game, marking his first MLS hat trick. His first goal of a March 16th match against Real Salt Lake came from the penalty spot. For goal number two, Rooney skillfully chipped Nick Rimando. The hat trick clincher came after a well worked play starting with Luciano Acosta that Rooney finished off. Luciano Acosta and Wayne Rooney developed an immense connection in their time together in DC. Rooney scored just under 30% of the season's goals in the match against RSL. In the following match, Rooney scored a lovely free kick against Orlando from a seemingly impossible angle. He terrorized Orlando City in his short two seasons, hitting another incredible viral clip against the Lions in June. The ball fell for Rooney from way beyond midfield, and he just launched it over the head of Brian Rowe from downtown Washington DC. The last goal he scored in his MLS career came in Cincinnati, a clean finish to the bottom corner. Rooney finished the season with 11 goals and 8 assists. He was named a 2019 MLS All-Star. DC Finished fifth and entered the playoffs. For the second straight season, they were eliminated in the first round, losing 5-1 to Toronto FC after extra time.
Wayne Rooney went on to join Derby County and return home to England in 2020. He played the role of player-manager. On January 15th, 2021, Rooney retired from professional football. He was appointed the permanent manager of Derby. He resigned as manager in June 2022 following a relegation. On July 12th, 2022, he was announced as the new head coach for DC United, returning to his former club and replacing Hernan Losada at the helm. Rooney has continued to rebuild the roster and push towards a new vision for the club. DC is currently one point out of the wildcard playoff with three crucial matches to go, including a massive one against NYCFC on Decision Day. Wayne Rooney was extremely influential in his playing career, placing him at #76 on the list, so much so that he returned in the coaching afterlife.
YEAR | CLUB | MINUTES | GOALS | ASSISTS |
2019 | DC | 2,318 | 11 | 8 |
2018 | DC | 1,641 | 12 | 7 |
Comments