Rooney reborn in MLS

His most famous DC moment?

That would be "The Tackle," in which Rooney raced halfway across the field to take the ball from an opponent, then charged back the other way and picked out Luciano Acosta to assist on a stoppage-time, game-winning header in a 3-2 victory over Orlando in August.

"You look up to him a lot with his effort and how he plays," Acosta said through an interpreter.

"You see it on the field. He knows where to be. He knows where I am. He knows where all the players are. And we can all work off of that."

There clearly was marketing potential in the move to the United States: MLS said Rooney's DCU No 9 is its fourth-highest-selling jersey in 2018, even though he only joined the league after the season started.

But his play has silenced suggestions that his move to the US from boyhood club Everton - where he returned for a frustrating 2017-18 campaign - was only about the money.

"I've never been a player who is going to just play and knock around," said Rooney, who signed a 2½-year deal in June reportedly worth $13 million. "I'm a player who cares. I care about what I do. I'm a proud person."

His greatest accomplishment might very well be how he's sparked his teammates.

Acosta, a 24-year-old Argentine compared by Rooney to former Manchester United teammate Carlos Tevez, has 10 goals and is tied for the league lead with 17 assists in his third MLS season. Yamil Asad could make DCU the first MLS team with four double-digit scorers if he scores on Sunday.

As it is, the team's 60 goals are its most since scoring 65 in 1999 en route to one of its four MLS Cups.

There's still a long way to go to pick up No 5. Still, Rooney has allowed United to go from last place to playoff participant.

"Before, we had always been missing something," midfielder Paul Arriola said. "Maybe identity, style of play, maybe a certain player. And then Wayne comes in, and everything worked all together."

Associated Press