United captain Wayne Rooney earned a spot on MLS' Team of the Week for Week 32 after recording his third brace in MLS in the Black-and-Red's 2-1 come-from-behind victory over the Chicago Fire last Sunday.
Rooney scored the equalizer and the game-winner after United fell behind to Chicago early in the second half of Sunday's game. Since debuting for the club on July 14, Rooney has scored nine goals and tallied seven assists in 16 appearances, and has helped pull United within grasp of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
His third brace of the season also tied him with Atlanta's Josef Martinez for the most in 2018.
The Black-and-Red controlled most of the play Sunday afternoon against the Fire but were frustrated after a disallowed goal and a few missed opportunities allowed Chicago to grab the lead early in the second half. Knowing that a loss would put United's playoff push in jeopardy, Rooney brought United level when he capitalized on his own rebound in the 62nd minute.
With Chicago one their heels, Rooney led the charge again by sending a clever flick into the penalty area for Júnior Moreno, who was immediately taken down in front of goal to draw what would be the decisive penalty kick.
After a quick adjustment, Rooney stepped up to the spot and blasted a precision shot past Chicago goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland to complete the Black-and-Red's comeback.
The win brought United's points streak to six games, which is their longest of the season and the longest since 2016. Rooney's goals also brought United's goal total to 56 in 2018, making it the highest scoring campaign since 2007 when the Black-and-Red scored 57 goals. Now, United sit just two points out of the sixth and final playoff spot in the East with two games in hand on sixth-place Montreal.
This is the second time Rooney has been named to the MLS Team of the Week. The full team can be seen below.
