Wayne Rooney Criticizes D.C. United’s Preparations Ahead of 5-0 Loss to Arsenal

D.C. United and MLS All-Star manager Wayne Rooney expressed his disappointment with his team’s preparations prior to their 5-0 defeat against Arsenal at Audi Field in Washington. Despite previous victories against top teams like Chelsea and Bayern Munich, Rooney’s squad, which did not include newly-signed Lionel Messi, faced difficulties during the match. Declan Rice, Arsenal’s new midfield star, made his first appearance for the club, while Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard, Jorginho, Gabriel Martinelli, and Kai Havertz all found the back of the net for the Premier League side.

Lack of Training Facilities and Tactics

Rooney criticized the training facilities and lack of tactical preparation for his team. When asked about his takeaways from the match, Rooney stated, “Absolutely nothing. Listen, it’s difficult. On Monday, the players arrived and we played a small-sided game.” The following day, Rooney’s request to train elsewhere was not granted, and the team ended up training at the National Mall. Due to time constraints, they were only able to play head tennis, leaving them with no opportunity to work on tactics. Rooney acknowledged the challenge of facing a team like Arsenal without adequate preparation and expressed his shock at the difference in quality between the All-Stars and one of Europe’s best teams.

Refereeing and Allegations Against MLS Broadcast Partner

Rooney also criticized the standard of refereeing in the league, as four of his players received yellow cards before halftime. He believed that the referee made the game about himself and emphasized the need for improvement in the MLS. Additionally, Rooney claimed that members of his coaching staff were forced out of their seats by members of MLS broadcast partner, Apple. However, MLS denied this allegation, stating, “It is not true that any members of Apple’s staff were seated in the technical area during the game.”

Arsenal will continue their preparations for the Premier League opener against Nottingham Forest on August 12. They have upcoming friendlies against Manchester United on Saturday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and against Barcelona on July 26 in Inglewood, California.