MLS Week 20: D.C. United’s new beginning and more

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 14: A general view in the first half between the Vancouver Whitecaps and D.C. United at Audi Field on July 14, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 14: A general view in the first half between the Vancouver Whitecaps and D.C. United at Audi Field on July 14, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

D.C. United’s first game at Audi Field and more from the week that was in MLS.

Congrats to France on winning the World Cup. Now let’s get to the important news of the weekend: MLS.

Things are happening in D.C.

Audi Field, the long-awaited soccer specific stadium of D.C. United, finally made its debut on Saturday, hosting DCU’s adrenaline-fueled 3-1 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps. Everything didn’t go perfectly, but no apparently no one saw a live racoon, so all is good.

Also from that game: A guy named Wayne Rooney, whom you may have heard of, played his first half-hour in D.C. colors, picking up an assist. It was an experience United fans won’t soon forget, as longtime D.C.-area soccer writer Charles Boehm outlined on MLSsoccer.com. His story featured quotes from a number of organizational figures, from coach Ben Olsen to team administrator Francisco Tobar.

The consensus among them is the excitement of having their own place to play. The cavernous and aging RFK Stadium, while charming in its own way, is replaced by the new age Audi Field, where the atmosphere feels more like home. “We did our best at RFK, but this is our home and it was packed,” Homegrown midfielder Chris Durkin, 18, said, per the article linked above (which you should read).

For one of the league’s original teams, this is a huge development — they feel more up-to-date now, no longer lagging behind like too many original clubs. Just as it was a plus for MLS when the LA Galaxy signed Zlatan, bringing attention back to one of the league’s most popular teams, it will be a plus for the league to have D.C. United back and humming in their market.

To stay relevant, they have to have a good team, and while they still sit last in the less-difficult-than-expected Eastern Conference, that’s mostly due to the numerous games in hand they hold and the gauntlet of road games they faced to start the season. That first home win against Vancouver provides hope that they’re set for the future, and could even be good enough to make a run at the red line.

Playoffs could be wishful thinking, given they’re 13 points out at the moment. But they looked fun and proactive throughout against the Whitecaps, as fun as they’ve looked since that stretch in 2016 that saw Patrick Mullins score eight goals post-All-Star. Rooney, who seemed to have a good idea of his role on the team before he stepped on the field, only improved things.

Paul Arriola scored a brace and was effective in midfield. His transition into a box-to-box midfielder has been quietly impressive, and when Rooney integrates into the starting lineup on a weekly basis, his job will be even more important — Rooney won’t defend as well from the top as Darren Mattocks has, so Arriola could have to defend deeper next to the d-mid.

Luciano Acosta, the nominal number 10 in the formation, has never been a high-volume chance-creator, something United have been missing. He has just 3.3 xG+xA this season per American Soccer Analysis, ranking fifth on his team. But he can be a difference-maker with on-ball skill and line-breaking passing, making him an ideal secondary creator.

As the Galaxy have done with Zlatan, D.C. seemed content to build around Rooney’s hold-up play. There was no question that the Englishman was the best player on the field in his 30 minutes, with on-ball awareness and passing capable of changing the game. He is really good at finding exactly the right pass, knowing when to be aggressive and when to make the simple play:

That’s his pass map against Vancouver. A pretty active half-hour. Getting that many touches in good areas is a skill, and Rooney surely possesses it.

They need help in defense. But Durkin is good, their attack is fun and they have a lot of home games left. This team is a fast riser in the ESPN+ entertainment power rankings.

Weekly awards

The best team in the league

Still Atlanta United. But they settled for another home draw because they couldn’t break down a bunkered team. This time it was the Seattle Sounders, who were down a man for the last 25 minutes or so after Jordan McCrary’s second yellow.

It’s hard to see what more they can do. They’ve created fairly good chances, with combo play from Miguel Almiron, Julian Gressel’s crosses to Josef Martinez and threats on set pieces (Tata Martino is one of the best set piece coaches in the league). But at some point they’re going to have to figure something out if they’re going to win the Supporters’ Shield.

This is a big result for the Sounders, who are 11 points off sixth-place in the west. New attacking signing Raul Ruidiaz didn’t make his debut due to McCrary’s red, but Seattle looked as good as they have all year with 11 men. Nicolas Lodeiro was on the ball and Victor Rodriguez was attacking space, which is what they need.

It will be interesting to see what they do with Ozzie Alonso this summer, who came off the bench again in Atlanta. He could be a trade target for some teams around the league. His salary, over $1 million, could be a turnoff for some, but at 32 he’s still got some value and experience at an important position.

The worst team in the league

San Jose take this position after their locker room had a, let’s say, rocky week. Florian Jungwirth ripped the team and captain Chris Wondolowski pushed back by retweeting former teammate Jordan Stewart’s harsh criticism of Jungwirth. And then there was the craziness that occurred during the Quakes’ 2-0 loss in Montreal.

That team is in shambles. I’d be surprised if manager Mikael Stahre lasts the season.

Random result of the week

Out of nowhere, the LA Galaxy pulled a late comeback on the road in a 3-2 win in New England. The Galaxy had been up a man for most of the game, but were down 2-1 when Ashley Cole evened things at 10 men. They proceeded to score twice in stoppage time to steal a win from the Revs. Soccer can be a bizarre game.

Also deserving of a shout here is Orlando’s 2-1 win over Toronto, who subbed out Michael Bradley, which should be considered a sign of the apocalypse.

Predictable result of the week

FC Dallas beat Chicago’s reserve-heavy side 3-1 at home, a nice and clinical result for an FCD team still adjusting to the midseason sale of Mauro Diaz.

The Fire, resting players for Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal, lost 4-3 in an absolutely bonkers midweek game against the Philadelphia Union. I still maintain that they need a creator, but I am thoroughly impressed by Brandt Bronico’s prominence in this team. The second-year midfielder has recently become an every-week starter in Bastian Schweinsteiger and Dax McCarty’s midfield.

A good use of resources by coach Veljko Paunovic.

Goalkeeper howler of the week

Bad week for MLS keepers. Zack Steffen’s late giveaway against NYCFC that resulted in the eventual winning goal takes this week’s award:

It should be noted that Steffen had been magnificent up to that point.

Richard Sanchez and his shaky game against Philly midweek and Alex Bono’s fumble at Orlando are runners-up.