D.C. United continue to lick their wounds following a 4-0 thumping at the hands of LAFC, their first setback of the 2019 season. On the bright side, there’s virtually no time to dwell on the lopsided defeat with the Montreal Impact coming into town for a Tuesday-night fixture at Audi Field.

Sunday’s game went from bad to worse when Wayne Rooney committed a reckless studs-up challenge on Diego Rossi, resulting in a straight red card after the presiding official elected to take another look using VAR. 

ROONEY SEES RED! ? #DCvLAFC https://t.co/g2jvLPoF51

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 6, 2019

The striker took full responsibility for the tackle and confirmed the referee’s decision in the post-game presser. 

"I have no arguments," Rooney said. "It wasn’t malicious; I didn’t try to hurt him. But obviously I caught him. I was expecting a red card really when the referee gave me the yellow. It’s the right call.”

As with the Joseph Mora injury just a week prior against Orlando, it’s next man up for Ben Olsen’s men. MLS veteran Quincy Amarikwa joined the Black-and-Red on a one-year contract fully knowing he would play second fiddle to Rooney, but he saw his first action following the Englishman’s dismissal and will presumably make the start on Tuesday. Looking forward to Tuesday's game, Olsen pointed out the distinct possibility of Amarikwa immediately slotting in.

"Quincy would be one [option]," the head coach said. "His hold-up play is good. He’s combative. He’s a pain in the ass to play against. He’s an experienced guy that knows this league well. He’s shown that he can be an effective forward. He compliments us, in a whole bunch of different areas, whether it’s plugging in as a starter, or coming off the bench and creating havoc."

This is the first chance to fulfill a role he fully embraces.

“My job in the locker room,” Amarikwa noted, “is to be an asset to the players who don’t have the level of experience in the league as I do.”

Amarikwa has never been the type of player to carry a team, but he does possess several qualities that have made him a valuable asset over the years. His stints at five different MLS clubs since 2009—including two at San Jose—before joining D.C. paint a picture of his longevity and ability to meet the needs of a manager and roster season after season. 

The 31-year-old’s best stint came in the Windy City where he notched 11 goals and five assists for the Chicago Fire from 2013 to 2015. Throughout 200 overall league appearances, he’s found the back of the net on 25 occasions. 

Amarikwa’s importance, however, lies in what he offers on top of his production in the goals department. He has built a reputation of physical play, tenacity, and the type of work rate Olsen demands of his players. A willingness to shrug off challenges and hold up the ball for teammates could bode well for the likes of Lucho Acosta, Paul Arriola, and Titi Rodriguez as they look to pick up the slack in Rooney’s absence.

The striker himself noted as much:

"I’m more hardworking, back-to-goal, get stuck in," Amarikwa said. "Having that Swiss Army knife ability to go from the technical and tactical ability of [Luciano Acosta] ... and all of those guys, and then sometimes going we can fight, hit the ball long, and make it difficult for you. [That's] going to be something that teams are going to have a difficult time to adjust with us. Because we have such a diverse range of abilities in the locker room."

Amarikwa does have the occasional golazo, like this insane goal from a couple of years ago: 

Quincy Amarikwa's 40-yard chip in MLS is the best goal you'll see this week https://t.co/NxZiStuB6I pic.twitter.com/g3pXvnkQW6

— Complex UK (@complex_uk) March 14, 2016

Could Amarikwa produce a similar moment of brilliance while finding minutes for D.C.? That remains to be seen, but as long as the journeyman can continue to be a headache for defenders with gritty, relentless play, he will prove a quality backup down the stretch as D.C.’s manager strives to find the right balance for his superstar up top.