Toronto oust D.C. United as Wayne Rooney's MLS career ends

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:19 am

Jonathan Osorio scored two of Toronto FC's four goals in the first half of extra time, as the hosts recorded a 5-1 victory over D.C. United in an Eastern Conference opening-round playoff match on Saturday.

Richie Laryea and former D.C. United player Nick DeLeon also tallied in extra time to help fourth-seeded Toronto FC rebound after Lucas Rodriguez forged a tie off a set piece in second-half stoppage time.

Marco Delgado scored in the 32nd minute, and Quentin Westberg made five saves for Toronto FC, who will carry an 11-match unbeaten streak (5-0-6) into their conference semifinal contest at New York City FC on Wednesday. TFC went 1-0-1 against NYCFC during the regular season.

Laryea broke the 1-1 tie, capping a nifty passing sequence from Michael Bradley and DeLeon in the 93rd minute. Osorio's right-footed shot from close range doubled the advantage just two minutes later.

Osorio completed the brace with a shot from the center of the box in the 103rd minute, and DeLeon capped the scoring three minutes later with a bending rocket into the top-right corner.

Wayne Rooney's MLS career ended as D.C. United were eliminated by Toronto FC.
Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images

Toronto FC played without star striker Jozy Altidore and defender Omar Gonzalez. Altidore sustained a quad injury in the regular-season finale against Columbus, while Gonzalez failed a fitness test prior to Saturday's match due to a hamstring injury.

The loss for fifth-seeded D.C. United spelled the end of the MLS career of Wayne Rooney. The former Everton and Manchester United star announced in August that he'll be going back to England to be a player and assistant coach for second-tier Derby County.

"We wish him the best," D.C. United defender Steve Birnbaum told MLSsoccer.com after the match. "We know he's going to go on and do great things. It was a pleasure to play with him. Wanted to play for him, to play with him. I learned a lot from him.

"[Rooney is] one of the greats. [He] came in last year and turned our team around completely. He's been a great presence for us. We've been lucky to have him. I can't say enough about the person that he is."

D.C. head coach Ben Olson echoed Birnbaum's sentiments, thanking the former England captain for his time with the Black and Red.

"He gave a lot to the organization," Olsen said. "From a team standpoint, on the field, some wonderful moments.

"He was a great teammate, good to our fans, appreciative of the support we got -- the fan base, but also the community of the D.C. area. Personally, it was a joy to work with him, he's made me a better coach."