In his fourth game in the MLS, Wayne Rooney scored his first goal for bottom-dwelling DC United.
Wayne Rooney first DC United goal
The goal came in the 33rd minute when Rooney broke free on the right side of the box and found a way to the net through the legs of his former Manchester United teammate Tim Howard. It was the 32-year-old’s first goal for his new American team and the first goal of the contest. Kellyn Acosta, who missed a penalty earlier in the first half, equalised in the 82nd minute before an own goal by Niki Jackson gave DC United a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids. It was United’s fourth win in 18 matches, as the capital’s team sits bottom in the Eastern Conference with only 17 points.
Nevertheless, DC United‘s coach Ben Olsen is satisfied with the forward’s impact since his arrival from Everton last month.
“He has been fantastic in every aspect, in every way that we want him to be with this group – with his leadership and goal-scoring ability. Hopefully, it can continue to get better.”
Rooney broken nose
The game didn’t end as the English striker would’ve hoped. Rooney injured his nose in stoppage time while defending. It took some time for team doctors to stop the bleeding. His face was all swollen up, but the injury didn’t affect his high post-game spirits. He was delighted to have scored his first DC United goal and then added:
“And a broken nose and 5 stitches”
“I don’t think it’s the first time he’s bled in a game. He is a tough guy and I think that he will shake it off,” – Ben Olsen
It’s not like anybody doubted Wayne Rooney’s tough-guy mentality anyway.
Rooney to MLS
The Liverpool native recently joined DC United, signing a three-and-a-half year deal to wear the club’s No.9 jersey. The move followed a difficult season in Everton. Wayne Rooney returned to his boyhood club last summer and had a tremendous start to the campaign before gradually getting squeezed out of the starting lineup once Sam Allardyce took over from interim head coach David Unsworth.
MLS becomes the latest chapter in his illustrious career. Rooney is faced with the daunting task of igniting one of the worst teams in the league and turning them into playoff contenders.