D.C. United head coach Wayne Rooney will take charge of the MLS All-Star team, when they take on Premier League giants Arsenal in July, making for what promises to be an enthralling spectacle between two highly talented sides. This time the popular soccer event will be held in the nation’s capital.
The fixture itself will take place at Audi Field on July 19, with tickets going on sale March 28 at 10 am ET. Making this game all the more enticing, MLS All-Stars could be facing the newly crowned English champions, providing Arsenal can maintain their current lead in the Premier League title race.
Rooney and Arteta react to MLS All-Star clash of titans
MLS and Premier League fans alike are already reacting to this unique event, which appears to be just as exciting for the respective head coaches. Relishing the prospect of locking horns tactically and technically, Rooney and Mikel Arteta have offered their own thoughts.
“It’s great that we’re playing against the MLS All-Stars in Washington D.C. in July,” Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said, when the English club’s official website confirmed the news. “We’re looking forward to once again visiting our amazing supporters in the US.”
“The opportunity to lead the best our league has to offer against a top Premier League club like Arsenal will be a highlight for me,” Rooney said, once the MLS All-Star matchup was announced via the league’s official website.
Of course, taking on Arsenal will fill Rooney with plenty of interesting memories, as he gets ready to choose the players forming his MLS All-Star selection, making this much more than just any other game for him against such a historied rival.
Magical strike that lit the fuse of Rooney’s career
Perhaps what makes Rooney leading the MLS All Star team all the more intriguing, the Englishman has a rich and colorful history of encounters against Arsenal. Indeed, his very first playing appearance against them arguably sparked his phenomenal rise in soccer.
Aged just 16 and having already debuted with the Everton first team squad in 2002, Rooney hit the headlines in October that year with a banger, scoring his first Premier League career goal against Arsenal.
But aside from being a fantastic 30-yard strike, one that remains cherished in Premier League folklore, the goal was a match-winner for Everton. And just to add some extra significance, that goal also ended Arsenal’s incredible 30-game unbeaten run in the Premier League.
“Rooney is the biggest England talent I’ve seen since I arrived in England,” then Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger acknowledged at the time, during post-match comments to the BBC. “We were beaten by a special goal from a very special talent.”
Rooney famously tormented Arsenal with Manchester United
Sir Alex Ferguson had zero doubts when he coaxed the Manchester United board of directors into sanctioning the move for Wayne Rooney in 2004, along with smashing the record transfer value for a teenage soccer player at that time.
Quickly establishing himself as a prominent United star, the talents of Rooney were often showcased in contests against Arsenal, one of the fiercest Premier League rivals of his team. This even extended to continual spats between the two head coaches, Ferguson and Wenger.
Rooney scored 13 goals in 30 appearances for the Red Devils against the Gunners, although easily the most famous of those came in August 2011. Manchester United thrashed Arsenal 8-2 at Old Trafford, and Rooney marked his presence, contributing a hat-trick and an assist.
During his time at Manchester United and with Rooney involved on the field, they won 16 of 30 encounters against Arsenal in all competitions, only losing 8 and with 6 tied. Towards the end of his time at the club, Rooney was also handed the United captaincy, underlining his leadership qualities.
Rooney remains a Manchester United legend
Great legacies are what undoubtedly make soccer so enticing to fans, and Rooney certainly boasts one of his very own, firmly establishing himself in Manchester United lore. As an exceptionally gifted player, he retains a special place in the club’s history books.
Previously, legendary Englishman Sir Bobby Charlton was the club’s record scorer despite being a midfielder for the vast majority of his career, registering 249 goals through 17 years representing the Red Devils.
However, in 2017 that Manchester United record was finally surpassed by Rooney, who reached the overall tally of 253 goals in his 13th and final season at Old Trafford. Representing his country, Rooney also scored 53 goals for England, beating the previous record of 49 set by Charlton.
The list of trophy wins achieved by Rooney is equally impressive, winning the Premier League five times, the FA Cup once, plus the FA Community Shield on four occasions. He also won club titles in UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and FIFA Club World Cup.
Another important step for D.C. United coach Rooney
While many of his former colleagues and rivals in soccer are still playing the game, Rooney quickly reached the decision to forge a new path in coaching, once he realized that his playing days at the highest level of the game were over.
Despite the two memorable seasons with D.C. United as a player, scoring 23 goals in 48 MLS appearances with the Black-and-Red side, Rooney was coaxed back to England in August 2019 when Derby County offered him the chance to coach alongside playing.
Sooner than expected, Rooney was handed the head coach job when Phillip Cocu was fired in 2020, tasked with guiding a struggling Derby side away from relegation. He did so at the first attempt, but with the club in financial ruins, the team descended to the third tier.
Rooney jumped at the chance to be named head coach of D.C. United, replacing outgoing predecessor Hernan Losada. Inheriting a squad that was in chaos, they finished rock bottom in the MLS, although results are looking far more promising in 2023. Leading the All-Star team is a fitting reward, as Rooney shows determination to improve D.C. United.
Heath Chesters covers international soccer for Sportsnaut. You can follow him on Twitter at @HeathGCF