The former England striker-turned-coach looks to have his team moving in the right direction after some encouraging recent results

It feels like Wayne Rooney and D.C. United are onto something. When the club hired Rooney last summer, all involved knew the work that would need to be done. The Manchester United legend, who played for D.C. before becoming a rising star as a coach back in his native England, inherited a team that needed a ton of work.

Rooney, in response, has brought in some pieces and made some tweaks, but there's no doubt that this is a long-term fix.

One piece that Rooney brought in is Christian Benteke, a name familiar to anyone who has followed the Premier League for the past decade. The Belgian is an old-school No. 9, a legitimate presence up top that can hold the ball, bring others into the play and, obviously, score goals.

After a slow start to life in MLS, Benteke and D.C. are starting to figure it out. The Belgian scored the goal of the round this week, leading his side to another victory as part of their best run of form since Rooney's arrival.

Rooney deserves credit for that recent run, even if it has come via victories over some less-than-spectacular competition. The ex-England star's tactical tweaks have made all the difference and, with Benteke leading the charge, D.C. seem to be taking the first of what they'll hope will be many steps forward under Rooney's leadership.

With that said, here's a look at this week's MLS Winners and Losers:

GettyWINNER: Christian Benteke and D.C. United

In many ways, Christian Benteke is a throwback, a rough-and-tumble physical No. 9 that offers a different kind of presence. He's also a throwback of an MLS Designated Player, an older European veteran that, in recent years, has been less commonplace league-wide.

But throwbacks work out pretty well sometimes and, even after all these years, sometimes they can add in a few surprises.

Benteke scored a very un-Benteke-like goal in D.C. United's 3-0 win over Charlotte FC, with the Belgian star smashing in a fantastic bicycle kick to headline the lopsided win. The goal was his fifth in 10 games, decent production, all things considered, as D.C. United have now made it three wins in a row.

That winning run has coincided with some changes from Rooney, who has gone more direct tactically in the last few games. D.C. are hitting less passes, hitting those passes longer and, most importantly, scoring more goals, with Benteke the main factor in all of the above thanks to his presence up top.

Benteke has scored in the two most recent of those three matches, with the former Liverpool, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace forward really starting to find his feet in MLS. After scoring one in his first seven appearances as a late arrival last season, Benteke, and D.C. United, are making positive strides under Rooney, who is starting to make his mark on this team.

Under Rooney, D.C. still have a long way to go, but Benteke looks like he'll be able to bridge the gap between the old era and the new, especially if he keeps firing in spectacular goals.

AdvertisementGettyLOSER: Sporting KC

"I don't know how to fix it."

A quote from Sporting KC captain Johnny Russell, and a damning one at that. At this point, there may not be a way to fix it, at least in the here and now. Things really have gotten that bad in Kansas City.

Sporting KC is the last remaining winless team in MLS, having earned just three points from their first 10 games. They've scored just three goals in those games, too. Their most recent defeat? A 2-0 defeat to CF Montreal, who themselves had scored just five goals in their first eight games of the season.

That is to say that it's been bad, very bad, perhaps historically bad. Peter Vermes, MLS' longest-tenured coach and the unquestioned face of soccer in Kansas City, hasn't been able to stop the bleeding and, as we enter the month of May, Sporting KC's season may already be over.

The question remains how long this can go on. Vermes is a bonafide legend and the unquestioned decision-maker at this club, serving in just about every soccer-related role he can. But it all hasn't been good enough, from the player signings to the managing to the actual players themselves.

"Right now, none of us deserve to be wearing the jersey," said Russell. "We need to figure it out and we need to figure it out fast or this is going to spiral out of control."

Vermes, though, believes he can figure it out: "I'm a person that always thinks it is [fixable]. You've got to find solutions. Obviously it's a tough situation that we're in. But the only way to do it is you've got to keep working towards it."

Will he get the time to do it? Time will tell, but it's safe to say this can't go on much longer.

Getty ImagesWINNER: Nashville SC

A reminder of just how good Hany Mukhtar can be, and a reminder of just how good Nashville can be when Mukhtar is, in fact, this good.

The 2022 MLS MVP set up all three goals, getting two official assists, in a statement 3-1 win over Atlanta, taking his total goal contributions to eight in 10 matches. There is still no player in MLS more important to his team than Mukhtar, who has scored or assisted 42 of Nashville’s 63 goals since the start of 2022.

The point is this: Nashville go as far a Mukhtar can carry them and, this weekend, he did just that. Facing a very good Atlanta team, Nashville took it to them.

Depending on if you're a glass-half-full or half-empty person, Nashville's reliance on Mukhtar could be a blessing or a curse. Can a team win while depending so much on one player?

Thus far, Nashville have done just fine and, if Mukhtar's in this kind of form, they can go toe-to-toe with anyone.

Getty ImagesLOSER: St. Louis City SC

We have to start asking the question: Have teams started to figure out St. Louis?

The league's newest expansion side began the season on a tear, pressing their way to a five-game winning streak to begin life in MLS. They came right into the league with an identity, and they used that identity to get the jump on several teams over the first month of the season.

Now, though, the team is struggling. Save for a 5-1 beatdown of Cincinnati, St. Louis did not win in April, earning just one point from their other four matches. The latest defeat was a 2-1 loss to the Portland Timbers, and while they will get a pass due to the absence of star striker Joao Klauss, it is a bit worrying.

Portland were content to let St. Louis have the ball and, thus far, the MLS newcomers haven't really proven that they can dictate a game like that. Their press is relentless and they're a team that can punish any mistake, but when the other team is content to let them be the ones to make those mistakes, can they find an answer?

We'll find out, and that'll be the difference between this team being good or really good. This is still a good team, despite this blip, and their early-season results are no fluke. Now, though, the challenge is to prove that they can evolve and adjust.