Wayne Rooney suffered a broken nose on Friday after scoring his first goal for D.C. United in the team's 2-1 win over the Colorado Rapids.
Rooney who played in his fourth Major League Soccer game found the back of the net in the 33rd-minute after beating former Manchester United teammate Tim Howard. D.C. United's Zoltan Stieber and Luciano Acosta were credited with assists as the crowd at the Audi Field praised Rooney with a standing ovation.
D.C. United pushed the tempo after the ball pinged around the midfield. Rooney completed the sterling finish by going between the legs of Howard to give his team a 1-0 lead.
It can be brought to mind that Rooney and Howard were teammates in Manchester from 2004 to 2006. Howard would immediately join Everton on loan and permanently in 2007. Interestingly, Rooney opened his career in the Premier League at Everton, which is also where he last played before signing with D.C. United.
Rooney joined D.C. United in late June after signing a multi-year deal with the team. He made his league debut on July 14 against the Whitecaps wherein he entered the match in the second half.
The 32-year-old Rooney had several chances on goal but he was denied by Howard twice after Kellyn Acosta tied the game for the Rapids. However, an own goal from Niki Jackson in the 90th-minute gave D.C. United their second win in three games at their new stadium.
Rooney's Collision With Sjoberg
Rooney was left bloodied after coming back to defend the corner in stoppage time. According to multiple sources, Rooney needed five stitches after suffering a broken nose during his collision with Axel Sjoberg. After receiving treatment, Rooney re-entered the game.
D.C. United manager Ben Olsen sang praises for Rooney, whom he called as a great influence on the team. Currently, the team holds the worst record and the lowest point total in the MLS Eastern Conference. Nonetheless, Deadspin journalist Chris Thompson is confident that the team can recover from their slump most especially since they have Rooney on their team.
"I don't think it's the first time he has bled. He is a pretty tough guy. It shows you what this means to him right now. He's in the box, putting his face on the line, understanding that's a big moment," Olsen said.
Sources say that Rooney's condition will be assessed before he can play against Montreal next weekend. Rooney who was named the team's captain on Friday started his second game in the MLS.
Photo: Ben Sutherland | Flickr
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