WASHINGTON – One of the symptoms of D.C. United’s struggles this season, compounded by numerous injuries to key players, has been a lack of buildup in the attack.
And for the previous two matches, captain Dwayne De Rosario has been a bit frustrated with the amount of touches he’s getting playing up top.
“I’m just watching the ball go over my head,” De Rosario said. “In that respect, I’m not really being used to my strength. It never has been.”
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With just six goals this season, 1-8-2 United have only scored one more goal than they have points, with De Rosario contributing one goal and one assist so far in eight games (seven starts).
Against both Sporting Kansas City (a 1-1 draw) and FC Dallas (a 2-1 loss), De Rosario attempted two shots in each match playing striker alongside Casey Townsend, and later Lionard Pajoy.
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Against Sporting, De Rosario’s two shots were off target as United struggled collectively to keep possession, holding the ball just 40.7 percent of the time.
“He didn’t have a lot of the ball because we didn’t have a lot of the ball,” United coach Ben Olsen said of De Rosario’s performance against Sporting. “At times we’ve asked him to be better when the ball does go to him. There’s a lot to work on with this group.”
Olsen noted that he’s hopeful his club can be better in possession once United round into consistent health and settle into a steady starting XI.
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In his previous five matches, De Rosario has started at forward in a 4-4-2 formation four times, the exception coming in a 4-0 loss to Houston on May 8, D.C.’s worst loss of the season, when he started in the midfield.
“In the midfield and building up the attack is where I like to be,” De Rosario said. “Like I always say, I try to just do what I can to help this team out, try to be as diverse as I can.”
