Rooney’s spectacular steal, cross sets up winner for DC

Neymar scores early goal as PSG starts season with 3-0 win

Luciano Acosta completed a hat trick in the 96th minute to give D.C. United a 3-2 victory over 10-man Orlando City on Sunday night.

Wayne Rooney set up the winner by chasing down and tackling Orlando’s Will Johnson, who was crossing midfield and racing toward an empty net after D.C. brought its goalkeeper up for a corner. Rooney then turned the other way and sent a long ball to Acosta, who headed it home to put United (5-9-6) in front.

Dom Dwyer tied it in the 71st minute, getting behind the central defence on Oriol Rosell’s through ball and chipping it over the goalkeeper to tie it at 2 for Orlando (7-15-2). Orlando’s Cristian Higuita was sent off for a high arm swing making contact with Yamil Asad in the 55th minute. Acosta’s second made it 2-1 in the 64th minute. He finished Asad’s cross from close range and collided with the goalkeeper shortly after the shot. The goal was upheld after video review confirmed that Acosta was onside. Acosta opened the scoring in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time with a give-and-go to Rooney and a rocket to finish from a narrow angle.

Rosell sent a cross along the end line that D.C. goalkeeper David Ousted inadvertently deflected into his own goal in the 50th minute, making it 1-all for Orlando. Neymar took just 10 minutes to score defending champion Paris Saint-Germain’s first goal of the season, and teen striker Timothy Weah netted the first of his French league career, in a 30 home win against Caen on Sunday.

On the same pitch where he broke his foot against Marseille six months ago, Neymar ran onto a pass from midfielder Christopher Nkunku and coolly slotted the ball past goalkeeper Brice Samba and into the bottom left corner.

Samba was at fault for the goal after botching a clearance and instead passing straight to Nkunku.

The visitors almost equalised moments later but veteran Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon made a smart stop from striker Malik Tchokounte’s volley.

But after another mistake, when Caen lost the ball in midfield, winger Angel Di Maria broke down the right and set up midfielder Adrien Rabiot for a tap-in in the 35th.

Buffon saved again, this time near halftime, and smiled after preventing a headed own-goal from PSG captain Thiago Silva.

It was a comfortable first league game in charge for PSG coach Thomas Tuchel - who replaced Unai Emery and he chose to rest several players. They included forward Kylian Mbappe, who helped France win the World Cup, and Belgium right back Thomas Meunier.

Tuchel picked three 19-year-olds in his side, underlining his reputation from his time as a coach in Germany , where he fast-tracked players from the youth academy at Mainz.

Neymar, making his first appearance since Brazil’s World Cup quarterfinal defeat to Belgium, had a quiet game after his goal and was replaced 10 minutes from time by the 18-yearold Weah.

Samba made another glaring mistake near the end, gifting another goal after failing to properly clear a back pass. Weah, who is the son of Liberia President and former PSG striker George Weah, gleefully stroked the ball home.

Monaco, Lyon and Marseille also clinched victories - meaning the top four from last season all won their opening games - and Marseille leads on goal difference from PSG after beating Toulouse 4-0 on Friday.

Also Sunday, Strasbourg won 2-0 at Bordeaux.

Strasbourg played most of the game with an extra player after Brazilian defender Pablo was sent off in the 13th minute for pulling back forward Ludovic Ajorque as he ran through on goal.

The Alsace side made the pressure count in the 68th through a goal from midfielder Ibrahima Sissoko, and striker Nuno Da Costa struck 10 minutes later.