Wayne Rooney opened his 2019 goal scoring account for D.C. United at Audi Field in Week 3, pouncing for his first MLS hat trick against visiting Real Salt Lake.
Rooney scored his first two goals in a span of seven minutes. In the 34th minute he converted a penalty kick awarded following Video Review, which determined Marcelo Silva had stepped on the leg of Rooney's teammate, Paul Arriola, inside the penalty area.
Then he chipped charging goalkeeper Nick Rimando with two touches after Leonardo Jara dispossessed RSL's Aaron Herrera in his own half and sent the Englishman a perfect diagonal ball to split the defense.
Rooney followed that with a third in the 65th minute on a feed from Junior Moreno following some exceptional D.C. interplay down the left.
In his second season with the Black-and-Red, Rooney entered Saturday with a single assist in 2019. In 20 appearances after his summer arrival last year, he became D.C.'s leading goal scorer with 12, and added seven assists.
