There will probably be too much momentum for Chicago Fire center back Austin Berry in the Rookie of the Year race – but that shouldn’t change the fact that D.C. United rookie Nick DeLeon has put together a wonderful first-year campaign.
DeLeon’s goal in last night’s playoff-clinching win was No. 6 on the year for 22-year-old out of the University of Louisville. He was the No. 7 overall pick in this year’s MLS draft.
Santino Quaranta, Freddy Adu and Andy Najar all got to five in their rookie years around RFK, but DeLeon grabbed the mark with a game to spare.
He started fast, and now it looks like he’ll finish on the upswing, but there was a little too much of a flat line in the middle, so Rookie of the Year might be a bridge too far barring something spectacular in United’s regular season finale.
Speaking of finishing on the uptick, D.C. United is now undefeated in its last six and has not lost once at RFK Stadium this year in 16 contests.