Official DC United Reporter
By Sarah Kallassy // @SarahKallassy
The past seven days have been tumultuous for D.C. United, to say the least. A 5-1 drubbing by the Philadelphia Union last Sunday saw D.C.’s midfield further depleted, as homegrown player Chris Durkin suffered an ankle injury described as a ‘snap and pop’ by coach Ben Olsen. Then, only three short days remained before the summer transfer window came to a close on Wednesday.
D.C. United has historically waited until the last minute to make major transfer window announcements. However, with a plethora of injuries and a recent shaky record both at home and on the road, making the right decisions during this window were critical for the Black-and-Red to keep their playoff run aspirations alive.
And then… there were decisions outside of D.C.’s control.
About That Match
Sunday’s D.C. United match against the Philadelphia Union had just about everything, except a D.C. win. A goal by Alejandro Bedoya in the 3’ (after which he called upon Congress to do something about gun violence) tipped the scale in Philadelphia’s favor, and D.C. was unable to recover.
DC’s Junior Moreno proceeded to be booked with a red card in the 40’, taking DC United down to 10 men shortly before halftime. While Philadelphia collected a handful of yellow cards, they also racked up another goal. The Black-and-Red were sent to halftime down 0-2.
Even after defender Fred Brillant found the back of the net in the 54’, the flurry of goals that followed from Philadelphia left D.C. empty handed at the final whistle. The Black-and-Red finished with zero points to show, and down two midfielders from this match alone (Durkin due to injury and Moreno due to a red card).
Wayne Rooney is Heading Home
D.C. United’s captain Wayne Rooney flew to the UK on Monday, sparking rumors that quickly ignited a social media blaze. As it became public knowledge that Rooney was meeting with Derby County to discuss a player-coach role, speculation rose as to whether or not his transfer would be immediate.
Even in the late hours of Monday evening, an immediate transfer of Rooney to Derby County remained a possibility, and Black-and-Red supporters wondered if they had seen the last of their English captain. Thankfully for both D.C. United and the team’s supporters, Rooney will stay on until the end of the 2019 season before leaving the District for good.
If Not for The Last Minute, Nothing Would Get Done
With news of Rooney’s imminent exit hanging over the District, D.C. United was busy making moves in the final days and hours of the summer transfer window. Rumors abounded including the likes of Mario Balotelli and Mesut Özil, and of course, Yamil Asad (who will not return, much to our chagrin).
After the dust settled and the transfer window officially closed, it was Ola Kamara, Emmanuel ‘Ema’ Boateng, and Felipe Martins who made their way into the Black-and-Red’s ranks.
Ola Kamara
Norwegian international Kamara has spent the better part of 2019 with Shenzhen FC in the Chinese Super League. The forward was acquired for $2.5 million, D.C. United’s second largest transfer fee ever. Previously, Kamara has played for the Columbus Crew SC and LA Galaxy in MLS, as well as several clubs internationally. Unfortunately, Kamara is unavailable for today’s match against the LA Galaxy due to a visa hold up.
Emmanuel Boateng
Ema Boateng is another LA Galaxy alum, having played for LA the past four seasons. 25-year-old Boateng began his career at the Right to Dream Academy in his home country of Ghana before moving to the US to play Division I soccer at UC Santa Barbara. A flexible player, Boateng is capable of contributing to D.C. United’s midfield or attack. He is available to play in today’s match against his former team.
Felipe Martins
The decision to sign Martins from the Vancouver Whitecaps has drawn much ire from D.C.’s supporters. However, at a time when D.C.’s midfield is sorely lacking, Martins is a much-needed addition to the roster. Martins himself has acknowledged the long memory of D.C. supporters and has pledged to win them over through his hard work.
[Prior to this week, D.C. mutually parted ways with both Zoltan Stieber and Chris McCann. Akeem Ward was released and Gordan Wild, formerly a midfielder for Atlanta United, was signed.]
The Zlatan Show Comes to D.C.
As D.C. United face off with the LA Galaxy today in a sold-out match, one of the most often asked questions has been, “will Zlatan play?” Ibrahimović has missed playing in a few matches recently (due to distance, turf, or other factors) however he will indeed be in the District tonight. The Swede will go up against his former Manchester United teammate, Wayne Rooney, for the last time ever in MLS (barring a miracle where both teams meet in the playoffs).
D.C. United is expected to shake up the roster a bit this evening. With D.C.’s midfield mostly out of the picture (Canouse and Durkin with injuries, and Moreno with a red card), we may actually see Boateng and Martins hit the pitch. Kamara is still out of consideration due to a pending visa.
Will the Black-and-Red rise to the occasion with Rooney on his way out the door? My friend Laura reminded me of an important fact this week…
As always, Vamos United! I’ll see you all at Audi Field tonight!
Featured image: @dcunited
Follow and chat with me on Twitter // @SarahKallassy
Check us out on Instagram @mlsfemale
