Wayne Rooney unleashed: D.C. United’s MVP taking MLS by storm

Wayne Rooney has bagged four goals and two assists in his last two games. He is taking MLS by storm and is now chasing down an MVP award. It is a joy to witness.

Wayne Rooney followed up his hat-trick against Real Salt Lake with a goal and assist against Orlando City recently as a reminder to us all about just what a ridiculous player he is, as if we needed it.

England’s record goalscorer opened his 2019 Major League Soccer account with a supreme show of attacking mastery, combining composed finishing, electric movement and dominance on the ball to create a lethal cocktail that RSL simply couldn’t stomach, before doing the whole thing again just two weeks later.

Surprisingly, Rooney’s penalty in the 34th minute in the 5-0 victory over RSL was actually his first shot on target this season, having failed to test the opposition goalkeeper with a combined four attempts against Atlanta United and New York City FC. Rest assured, though, this was merely a blip.

Since switching Merseyside for MLS in June 2018, the 33-year-old has ripped off the shackles, expressed himself and dominated games in that familiar, all-consuming manner that made him such a potent threat in the Premier League. And as a UK viewer of MLS, I couldn’t be happier about it.

Actually, that’s not quite accurate; as a UK viewer of MLS, whose English team is Everton, I’m thrilled to see Rooney back to his former self.

Whether you were behind his return to Goodison Park or not, the shadow version of Rooney we had to watch during the second half of last season when Sam Allardyce had Everton playing some of the most turgid football Toffees fans have ever seen, was tragic to witness.

Rooney’s triumphant return to Merseyside seemed to start well, with a goal in his first league game and 11 in the bag by the time Allardyce arrived. His last goal for the club, however, came in December 2017, a penalty against Swansea City, ending a run of six goals in five and coinciding with Allardyce dragging him back into midfield and stripping him of everything that makes Rooney, well, Rooney. 16 games without a goal followed.

The greatest thing about Rooney’s move to MLS is that D.C. United manager, Ben Olsen, has quickly recognised that he is not a midfielder. He is a striker and, as such, Olsen has played him there.

Sure, Rooney isn’t a conventional striker like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who mostly stays high up the pitch to grab as many goals as possible. He’s the kind of striker who will drop deep to link play or move into wide areas to drag opposition defenders out of position. But all the while, he still has the intelligence to arrive in the box for a simple tap in.

At D.C. United, he’s done all that. His relentless work rate was shown when he sprinted 40 yards back in the 96th minute against Orlando last season to stop what would have been a certain goal, before turning and delivering one of the best passes you could hope to see to allow Luciano Acosta to head home for a dramatic winner. That’s a 33-year-old who had looked a spent force just a few months earlier, busting his gut to get back and save his team. Finished? Hell no.

He showed his taste for both the sublime and the simple during the recent win over RSL, scoring two typical poachers goals and a penalty, while delivering an even better ball than the aforementioned one for Acosta to allow Lucas Rodriguez to score a sumptuous volley. This is the best pass you’re going to see in MLS this season. The pace and precision was absolute perfection.

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And then there’s his goal during D.C. United’s last game – a 2-1 away win over Orlando. Did he mean to score? Probably not. Was it lucky? No chance. When Rooney delivers a ball, he deliversit. He fired the ball in with so much power and pinpoint accuracy that he knew one of two things would likely happen: either the slightest flick would result in a goal or, as happened, it would find its way into the top corner of its own accord.

His manager recognised the value of his star player’s contribution:

"“It’s what we got Wayne for, to make special plays, and he did that tonight. There’s no doubt that he tried that [goal] and he’s in really good form.”"

Simple. Spectacular. Superb.

This is the Wayne Rooney we know and love. This is the Wayne Rooney we need. This is the Wayne Rooney D.C. United and the wider MLS community now get to enjoy as his move Stateside has him playing off the hook. He’s the main man again, the one who can chargeback and win the ball, storm at opposition defences or sit on the shoulder of the last man like a true poacher.

Hell, in this form, Rooney can do whatever he wants. And honestly, would you have it any other way? Sit back and relax as Rooney fires his way to MVP status.