D.C. United needs to maximize Wayne Rooney's talents as a smuggler and goalkeeper

Everton striker Wayne Rooney. (Roland Harrison / AFP / Getty Images)

D.C. United finished last at the Eastern Conference last year, 18 points over the playoffs. But they have been slightly more aggressive with their spending in recent months, highlighted first by the business of Argentinean Yamil Asad, 23, and the signing of English legend Wayne Rooney by a 2-year contract and half guaranteed. about $ 13 million.

Rooney, 32, is a household name and a year removed from 10 Premier League goals with Everton. There is no doubt that he has declined his Manchester United bonus but he will not stay there and will not be responsible, like Andrea Pirlo at New York City FC

So, how will he fit in with the current team? 19659005] This simple question remained with the notoriously positionless Rooney throughout his career, especially since his aging highlighted his lack of pace and pushed him back into the central midfield. . He is unlikely to be considered a lone striker in the DC attack, in part because of the defensive and pressing responsibilities that this position entails and in part because of more favorable options.

The current attack system of the coach Ben Olsen a 4-1-4-1 training, is based on the exchange of the second line "4", with the l & # 39; forward Darren Mattocks tops the Manchester United press. Luciano Acosta, charged with the creative tasks of a number 10, has by his side the energetic midfield box-to-box Paul Arriola (converted winger), allowing the Argentine to drift on the front line. Asad and his opposite winger, Zoltan Stieber, help to flood the center of the field by inverting their flanks.

This system, while capitalizing on the natural athleticism and ground-attack capabilities of the attackers, has two troubling disadvantages. He often lets defensive midfielder Junior Moreno fend off the bottom line, a troubling situation for any football team. And because of the absence of a true facilitator, United is struggling to keep the ball in advantageous areas. DCU has only attempted 87.9 badists per game in the third period this season, the third lowest total in MLS.

The benefits speak for themselves: when you have the ball closer to the goal, you have more chances to reach the goal score positions, and you pinpoint the opposition further of your goal. As energetic and sometimes prolific as the D.C. attack has been this season, they are struggling to produce enough quality to support the attack models and create a consistent space for their talented attackers.

There lies the most significant benefit of having Rooney on the ground. Regardless of the athletic ability he possesses, he will provide a level of connectivity and nuance with the ball that United has not seen with this team. Rooney is a clever and intelligent smuggler, able to change the dynamics of a possession with one touch. Acosta is flashy, but he has not been able to do that.

Rooney's presence could encourage Olsen to move full-time to a 4-2-3-1 formation, which would put more numbers behind the ball but, paradoxically, also increases the DCU's attack strength . By having two dedicated midfielders in front of the defense, United would be able to more effectively control the midfield, which would allow them to create a possession space.

With Rooney inserted into the central attacking position behind Mattocks, he would be free to roam, connecting DC's offensive possession and placing himself in goal-goal positions – historically his greatest strength . Here is how it might look:

Acosta, theoretically, could be moved wide to act as a secondary creator. Removing the weight of being the main DCU forwarding dealer could be good for Acosta, and would give him the ability to attack more freely. A number of 10 MLS numbers (including Nicolas Lodeiro of Seattle and Mauro Diaz of FC Dallas) have flourished by creating flanks.

Arriola should devote more of his time to defensive work, and he should install the training more thoroughly to ensure that Rooney's presence does not erode United's defense. It would be an adjustment, but Olsen has a natural 18-year-old midfielder, Chris Durkin waiting on the bench, ready to intervene if necessary.

The flaw of this look is the width, or a lack of width. Asad and Acosta would spend a lot of time getting into the middle of the field to find extra space, cluttering up this area and leaving the vast areas bare. United has no halfbacks capable of overlapping to fill this space; The team will have to complete a summer exchange for a player like Seattle Waylon Francis to solve this problem.

Nevertheless, this formation could both maximize Rooney's talents as a stretcher and goal breaker and mask his mobility gaps by moving closer to a dual-pivot midfielder system. It's an improvement over what United has now, even though she does not exactly subscribe to Benny Ball's vague ideals.

This could also make DC United the modern era of MLS.

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