Wayne Rooney’s night coaching in a TINY college stadium – on Normal Avenue! Viewers in parking garages, empty grandstands and a call for ‘DREAM BIG’… but DC United crash out of US Open Cup in Red Bulls defeat
- Wayne Rooney was coaching in suburban New Jersey on Tuesday when his team lost
- And it was quite a contrast to his storied playing career at Man United
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16 years old today and a week ago, Wayne Rooney played in San Siro vs. AC Milan, as its Man United side were beaten 3-0 by a glittering squad of stars like Andrea Pirlo and Kaka.
Coaching has now taken him to much less glamorous locations.
The DC United coach manned his team at the tiny Montclair State University Soccer Park in New Jersey on Tuesday as his side lost 1-0 to the New York Red Bulls in the US Open Cup.
While New York has its own stadium with a capacity of 25,000 less than a 30-minute drive away, it’s not uncommon for teams to use alternate venues for cup games that are expected to draw less crowds than regular season games.
And so five-time Premier League winner Rooney ended up in this 5,000-seater stadium on a small university campus, which probably drew about half the stands on Tuesday.
The game took place at the ironically named 1 Normal Ave. Of course Rooney, a quick play talent and loose cannon in his younger years, is anything but.
Montclair State University Stadium Soccer Park with a capacity of 5,000 hosted the game
And Wayne Rooney (left, wearing cap) was on the sidelines for the 1-0 DC loss
Players warm up at a parking garage, from where some fans watched the game
Fans can be seen in the stands before the start of the game on Tuesday evening
There were numerous examples of the small town setting for this competition.
The game was played right next to a parking garage, from which a number of penniless fans took their place to watch the game.
Those who did buy tickets were close enough after entering to hurl obscenities at the visiting D.C. United players. One chose to do this.
And while there were no chants chanting Rooney’s name from an adoring Stretford End, one fan was spotted wearing his United kit backwards, eager to show off the name.
Plus, Rooney didn’t even speak to reporters after the game—and stayed in at least part of the pregame warmups—almost aware of the lack of pomp and circumstance compared to his mammoth resume.
More than 500 Man United appearances and 53 goals for England later, if Rooney had chosen a particular route onto the pitch, Rooney would still have been greeted with a ‘DREAM BIG’. AIM HIGH’ sign on the school’s campus.
A wrong turn could also have sent him to a nearby student dining hall for several minutes.
Nights like this are probably not what he dreamed of when he ventured into management.
Nevertheless, the former United captain is certainly carving his own path in coaching, and he’s having some success doing so.
A Rooney fan named Phil shows off his backwards shirt during the Red Bulls victory
A sign can be seen on the Montclair State University campus near the field
A few fans drummed in the supporters area all night long
He earned credit at Derby for the side’s performance amid their points deduction, and a DC side that finished last in the Eastern Conference last year is eighth in MLS this year after 11 games.
However, without Christian Benteke and Mateusz Klich at the start on Tuesday, his side failed to register a shot on target as they were eliminated in the fourth round of the tournament.
Just as he spent much of his playing career, we may soon see Rooney working in top English football.
But not yet, and Tuesday was a stark reminder of the distance he must travel.