Pick a positive moment from D.C. United’s past five seasons, and there’s a better than fair chance it involves Wayne Rooney’s legs, Wayne Rooney’s feet, Wayne Rooney’s work ethic, Wayne Rooney’s flair — or some combination of them all. A confession: There is one United YouTube highlight and only one United YouTube highlight I have sought out repeatedly — ever. It is from August 2018. It is mesmerizing. We’ll get to it.
More than any figure in, say, the past decade, Rooney — the Manchester United legend, the English scoring icon — made D.C. United appointment television for the casual fan.