Now THAT'S a comeback

Living in the environs of Washington D.C., I have followed (and expressed my consternation about) the mixed record of the region's professional sports teams.  The Washington Capitals gave the region a break with a breathtaking run to the Stanley Cup championship of the National Hockey League last year, overcoming the travails of many other teams.  The WNBA Mystics also overcame long years of frustration by making it to the championship round, too.

Because Major League Soccer is not one of the Big Four of pro sports, the D.C. United championship years were less heralded, even though I did notice.  Since then, they've been up and down, only with occasional trips to the playoffs.

This year did not look good, even though they were getting a new soccer-focused field.  They were in last place with a 3-9-5 record.  Then they started playing at the new field, and they got a new star from England (Wayne Rooney), who turned out to have a lot of star quality left in him.  So today, they completed an improbable and heartening comeback with the 3-1 win over New York City FC, and are in the playoffs with a `14-11-8 record, which adds up to 50 points. 

To get from 3-9-5 to 14-11-8 requires 11 wins, 3 draws, and only 2 losses. It may be a team sport, but one player can make a difference, and Rooney did.  And that is what I call a comeback.

The season isn't over - it'd be nice to have a home game in the playoffs.  But this is worth enjoying.