CLEARWATER, Fla. — D.C. United’s first competitive occasion of preseason — and that’s a stretch, given the young opponent, mass substitutions and low-key nature — turned into something a bit more eventful than anticipated Saturday morning.
Captain Wayne Rooney was supposed to play 45 minutes but left after 18 because of a shin injury, later deemed minor by the English superstar and his mildly concerned coach.
Two days after he thought he was joining Paris Saint-Germain, Argentine playmaker Luciano Acosta accompanied the team to Joe DiMaggio Sports Complex but did not play — a moment of pause for a player who didn’t return from France until late Friday night.