WASHINGTON – So good for so much of the second half of the season, D.C. United’s dynamic duo of Wayne Rooney and Luciano Acosta went quiet at the worst possible time. And now the Black-and-Red’s magical run is over only a game into the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs.
While D.C. still managed two goals before falling on penalties in Thursday night’s Knockout Round clash with Columbus Crew SC, an intervention from either half of that duo could’ve seen the Black-and-Red beyond this stage.
“It’s disappointing,” Rooney said afterward. “But for us as a team, I think we can be proud of what we achieved over the last few months. I think today’s game, the crowd, the atmosphere, the way it was, it was fantastic. It showed the team has come a long way and we can be proud of our performances, and obviously try to build on this now for next season.”
United had entered the postseason on a 10-match unbeaten run, spurred on by Rooney and Acosta’s partnership. The pair combined for 22 goals and 24 assists as D.C. scored 60 times overall, their highest total since the 1999 regular season.
But Columbus clearly flummoxed the pair as much as any team has. Jonathan Mensah was excellent marking Rooney, and Artur and Wil Trapp were the primary culprits in frustrating Acosta.
“We focused on a plan of how to stay compact and how to prevent central passes,” Crew SC coach Gregg Berhalter said. “And the guys did a really good job executing. There wasn’t space. There wasn’t many options for them. You take two high caliber players out of the game and it helps your chances to win.”
D.C. coach Ben Olsen had a slightly different take.
“I don’t know if it was anything really they did,” Olsen said. “We were good at times. We weren’t great. I think we complicated the game in the final third. I think we went for home runs when we could continue securing the ball and making them work.”
Acosta’s cross did play a role in D.C.’s opening goal, a header bundled across the line by Frederic Brillant after Zack Steffen’s misplay. And Rooney’s long diagonal free kick deep in extra time eventually cycled back to Nick DeLeon, who served up a vicious 116th-minute half equalizer on the half volley.
But those were plays at the periphery rather than the center of D.C.'s goals. And in penalties, Steffen denied both Acosta and Rooney, diving to his right both times before DeLeon shanked the final attempt of the tiebreak over the bar.
"PKs are for the birds," Olsen said. "Especially when you lose 'em."
It was a second exit at this stage in as many playoff appearances, after a D.C. team that also got hot toward the end of 2016 went out at RFK Stadium to the Montreal Impact. Perhaps unlike 2016, this time it felt like it halted what could’ve been a very deep run.
“I think this one stings the most, that I’ve been a part of,” said defender Steve Birnbaum. “It’s just, I’ve never been a part of penalty kicks in MLS. And that one hurt. You don’t want to end your season like that.”
Said goalkeeper Bill Hamid: “I really wanted a trophy in the inaugural season here. We can build off of this. But to lift a trophy at Audi Field in the inaugural season, that was all I was thinking.”
