D.C. United: Wayne Rooney illustrates champion mentality

Wayne Rooney has stated that it is MLS Cup or bust for D.C. United this season. While that may pile the pressure on, it also illustrates a champion mentality that many other players may lack.

They say that second is the first loser. It is a ruthless sentiment, one that often misses the success that many teams achieve even when they do not attain the ultimate goal. But it does give a peek into the thinking of a true champion.

There is only one finishing position that matters: first. Ultimately, sport is about winning, and there can only be one winner. Anything short of that is not enough.

This almost inhuman streak is sometimes missing in Major League Soccer. Because many of these players are accepting that they cannot play at the highest level of the sport, sometimes, you encounter individuals who are that little more inclined to settle for what they have, rather than work for what can still be achieved — this is obviously not true for all players, but does apply to some.

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So when a proven winner does arrive in MLS, sometimes their attitude can be a little difficult to understand. Zlatan Ibrahimovic demands more of his LA Galaxy teammates. David Villa inspired more in New York City FC than anyone thought would be possible. And Wayne Rooney is now having this same challenging, testing impact at D.C. United.

When asked what his and team’s goals for the upcoming season are, Rooney was emphatically clear:

"“To win the title. “I think we’ve proved, certainly the second half of last season, that we were good enough. I think we beat every other big team in the league during the second half of the season. The one defeat was New York Red Bulls, which you know, we outplayed them I felt on two occasions. But one was a loss and one was a draw. So we have to be confident enough to win the title.”"

Rooney answered the question with such fronting simplicity that it almost seemed as if he felt it rude to even ask what the goals of the season are. It’s obvious, isn’t it? For Rooney it is. Winning the title — I believe it is fair to assume that Rooney is alluding to both the Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup, as well as the U.S. Open Cup here — is the only aim of every season.

That is the attitude that Rooney takes into every season, every match, every minute that he plays. There is a reason that he can make a sliding challenge to prevent an open goal and then assist the winning goal with a superb, crossfield pass in the dying seconds of a critical match. He is a champion, and he plays like it.

He has won five Premier Leagues, a Champions League, an FA Cup, three League Cups, a Club World Championship and a Europa League. At club level, there is almost nothing that he has not won. He is very much used to winning. And in being used to winning, he now brings those same expectations to D.C. United.

Rooney is a champion. He is a winner. He is ruthless. And all of those qualities will be on full display this season in D.C.