D.C. United forward Wayne Rooney was voted the MLS Player of the Month presented by EA SPORTS™ by members of the media for the month of October of the 2018 MLS season.
During October, Rooney scored five goals over five matches, with D.C. compiling a 4-0-1 record and currently maintaining an active 10-game unbeaten streak. Rooney finished the regular season with 12 goals and seven assists for a combined 19 tallies in a mere 18 games started in his first MLS campaign. D.C. completed an incredible mid-season turnaround going from last place to securing the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference in the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs with 51 points (14-11-9 overall record).
Rooney began the month with a brace in D.C.’s 2-1 victory over the Chicago Fire on Oct. 7 at Audi Field, scoring an equalizer in the 62nd minute on a tap-in (Watch Goal) before converting a penalty kick in the 81st minute for the game winner (Watch Goal). A week later, D.C. finished with a 1-0 win over FC Dallas on Oct. 13.
The Englishman then helped D.C. to a 1-0 victory over visiting Toronto FC on Oct. 17 with a tremendous curling free kick goal to the top right corner from 33 yards out (Watch Goal).
Rooney continued his dominant stretch with another brace in D.C.’s 3-1 victory over New York City FC on Oct. 21 at Audi Field, scoring his first in the eighth minute with a right-footed shot from directly in front of goal, set up by an amazing run from Luciano Acosta (Watch Goal). D.C. then took a 3-0 lead on Rooney’s penalty kick goal in the 74th minute for his second goal of the match (Watch Goal). The club concluded its month with a scoreless draw at the Chicago Fire on Oct. 28.
D.C. United return to action tonight in the Knockout Round of the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs when hosting Columbus Crew SC at Audi Field (8 p.m. ET, FS1 / UniMas / TVAS / TSN3).
MLS Player of the Month presented by EA SPORTS™ is voted upon by a panel of select national media members in a process conducted by MLS Communications.
