Having spent much of his soccer life in Europe, Wayne Rooney understands all too well the calculations that go into lineup decisions for traditional cup competitions.
Wedged midweek between regular season dates, tournaments afford opportunity for younger players and reserves on top-tier teams to play meaningful minutes against lower-division foes. Turning to secondary players, though, also carries risk of backfiring — and inflicting a shameful defeat.
In its 2023 U.S. Open Cup debut Wednesday, Rooney turned to six youngsters against the third-division Richmond Kickers but needed a veteran lift to dodge a third-round scare, 1-0, at Audi Field.