Dwayne De Rosario Thread

[Joe MacCarthy]

De Rosario's free kick wins Goal of the Year
By Jason Halpin / MLSnet.com Staff

http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/news/mls_e...2005&fext=.jsp

For the second straight season, San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Dwayne De Rosario has won Major League Soccer's Sierra Mist Goal of the Year award, the league announced Wednesday. De Rosario earned the honor for his free kick blast in the final week of the season against the Los Angeles Galaxy.

De Rosario earned 36.51 percent of the votes cast in the final round on MLSnet.com, the league's official website. Over 121,000 total votes were cast by fans throughout the three-round process.

Just before halftime in the Quakes' 3-1 win over the Galaxy, De Rosario won a free kick about 25 yards from goal. Waving off teammates who approached to take the kick, the Canadian international took a long run up to the ball before striking it with all of his might. The ball hooked around the outside of the Galaxy wall and rocketed into the upper 90, still rising as it flew past helpless Galaxy 'keeper Kevin Hartman.

"I was just thinking, 'I'm going to hit this ball as hard as I can,'" De Rosario said after the game. "It was one of my highlight goals off free kicks. I don't think I've ever scored a free kick like that."

The goal put an exclamation point on a remarkable season for De Rosario. Formerly a forward with the Quakes, he moved into an attacking midfield position early this season and blossomed into a hardworking player adept at pushing the pace of the game.

The Quakes won a team record 18 games and finished the season with 64 points, the second highest total in league history. De Rosario put his stamp on the game seemingly every time he took the field, leading the team in both goals (9) and assists (13) and earning a league MVP nomination.

Winning this season's Goal of the Year makes De Rosario the second player to win the award twice and the first to win in back-to-back seasons. D.C. United midfielder Marco Etcheverry notched the league's best goal in both 1997 and 1999. Last season, De Rosario won with an 18-yard volley against D.C. United in early August.

Finishing a distant second to De Rosario was FC Dallas striker Carlos Ruiz, who made it to the final five with a bicycle kick against D.C. in Week 9. New England Revolution midfielder Clint Dempsey finished third with his flick and volley against the Chicago Fire in Week 5, Real Salt Lake striker Jason Kreis finished fourth with his 100th career goal -- a left-footed volley against the Kansas City Wizards in Week 20, and United's Freddy Adu rounds out the top five with his 50-yard run that started with a touch over the head of an RSL defender and ended with a cool finish in Week 28.

The Goal of the Year voting began Oct. 19 on MLSnet.com with 40 nominees; each of the 29 Sierra Mist Goal of the Week winners was included, in addition to 11 goals that missed out on the weekly award. After a week of voting, the field was narrowed to 10 goals, and another week later, those 10 were whittled to five finalists.

Jason Halpin is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.

[supersjd]

That was one sweet free-kick. Great to see him take the honours two years in a row. Lets see if he can do it for Canada too.

[Ese_Guy]

Originally Posted by RaulMadrid7

That's good to hear.

But can anyone provide a video for the goal at least?

It's embedded in post #10

[Ese_Guy]

Dwayne De Rosario is the second player to win two Goal of the Year awards. (John Todd/MLS/WireImage.com)

[Joe MacCarthy]

Twellman captures MLS Honda MVP
By Jonathan Nierman / MLSnet.com Staff

http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/news/mls_e...2005&fext=.jsp

FRISCO, Texas -- New England Revolution forward Taylor Twellman was named the 2005 Honda MLS Most Valuable Player on Thursday afternoon in a ceremony held at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. The 25-year old, who also won this year's Budweiser Golden Boot with 17 goals during the regular season, edged runners-up Dwayne De Rosario (San Jose Earthquakes) and Jaime Moreno (D.C. United) for the honor.

Twellman led a versatile New England attack this season with his highest goal production since his first season in the league in 2002, during which he scored 23 times. But perhaps more impressive than his goal tally was his ability to change the game in a split second. Six of the U.S. international's strikes found the net as game-winners, while he also was a provider, recording two game-winning assists and seven overall. None of Twellman's goals came from penalty kicks, while Moreno - who finished one goal behind Twellman for the Budweiser Golden Boot - finished from the spot on nine occasions. New England was the second most potent attacking team in MLS this season with 55 goals scored in 32 games. D.C. United was the only side to hit the net more (58 times).

De Rosario, who was awarded the Sierra Mist Goal of the Year award on Wednesday for his blistering free kick in the final week of the regular season against the Los Angeles Galaxy, was one of the top players in the league throughout the season. His success in an attacking midfield role, after mostly being used as a forward previously, propelled San Jose to the top of the Western Conference with 64 points from an 18-4-10 record. The Quakes were the first team ever to go through an entire season unbeaten at home on their way to the MLS Supporters' Shield. However, their regular season success was not duplicated in the playoffs, as they fell to the Galaxy by a 4-2 aggregate score in the Western Conference Semifinals.

Jonathan Nierman is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.

[Becks]

DeRosario has always impressed me with his style of play whenever I get the chance to watch a MLS match (whenever they decide to air them!)

[Joe MacCarthy]

Tks to Sigma at Vs for headsup

DeRosario knows change is on the horizon
By Andrew Monfried
http://www.ussoccerplayers.com/players/500319.html


Dwayne DeRosario hopes his country can make it to the World Cup in 2010.
(Credit: Douglas Zimmerman/ISI)

TORONTO (Nov. 28, 2005) - On one level, Dwayne DeRosario's career is in flux, yet he is also on solid ground in the most important aspect of his game, the one on the field.

A nominee for League MVP and winner of the top goal for his swerving free kick against the Los Angeles Galaxy, the San Jose Earthquake standout had one of his best professional seasons ever in 2005 with nine goals, 13 assists and a place on the League's Best XI.

The flux part is key though because he does not know where he will play in 2006, or 2007 for that matter. DeRosario won't claim to be an insider on the talks of relocation of the Earthquakes for 2006. He is waiting for the snippets of news to come out of the League office and the newspaper as much as anyone. Whether it's Houston or San Jose for next year, DeRosario is set to be back in MLS.

2007 may be the more difficult choice. With a new Toronto franchise set for play in MLS that year, DeRosario, one of the top players on the Canadian national team, may have the chance to return home to Toronto to play his club soccer. The Scarborough, Ontario native can't say whether he would come home for sure to play for an expansion team though, or if the non-existant free agency in MLS would let him. After all, he led the young core of the Earthquakes to the best regular season record in the League, and barring major shake-ups, the team could remain together and competitive for a few more seasons.

Still, there is the tugging on his heart from his family who still lives in Toronto and the fans in Ontario who would hope an established player like DeRosario would help to solidify the team in their first years.

"There is pressure on me. That's where my family is from," the 27-year-old said. "There is that pressure. That does pass through my mind whether I want to play in Toronto. I am happy in San Jose right now. I will see how things go after that."

His personal situation aside, DeRosario is thrilled to have a team playing in Canada so the country can grow some of its players on home soil.

"It's great for Canadian soccer. It's great for the youth in Canada, something to look forward to. It's a great step forward for soccer in Canada," he said. "Now we have a professional team in Canada to develop our national team."

It's been 20 years since Canada played in a World Cup, but that 1986 group was built on the success of players who played in the twilight of the NASL in Vancouver and Toronto. Like the United States before MLS, Canada has had to rely on a mishmash of player development opportunities like MLS, the second-tier United Soccer League, the burgeoning semi-pro leagues in Canada, American colleges, opportunities in Europe and a poorly funded youth national team program.

Currently, DeRosario is one of four Canadian players in MLS. That could change since the majority of the players on the Toronto expansion team will be Canadian which will allow more players to play together more often at a higher playing level. Still, DeRosario believes the team will struggle if some Americans don't join in the cause.

"There are some great players in Canada that could have a successful team," he admitted. "If they just jump in with just Canadian players, it might be a little difficult. I think they need some American players with some experience to show them the ropes."

Just like American players considered before MLS opened, DeRosario said his fellow Canadian national team players should consider whether or not it will be time for them to return home to play or continue their careers in Europe. Dozens of Canadian players dot the top European leagues like Tomasz Radzinski at Fulham, Julian De Guzman at Deportivo La Coruna, and Paul Stalteri at Tottenham Hotspur, but they can't all play for Toronto, and their contracts may be more lucrative in Europe.

"It's a difficult situation for Radzinski and De Guzman who are at very big clubs," DeRosario said. "For them to leave a club like Deportivo or Fulham and come to play in Toronto, it's a huge step for them, especially for the first year. They might want to wait a few years until later in their career for that option. At least, they will have that option. I think in the future you will see a lot of national team players playing in Toronto."

Club soccer aside, DeRosario believes the new stadium that will be built in Toronto will be as big a boon for Canada as the expansion team itself. Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium is the only one in the country with both a large capacity and a grass field. Even though Vancouver and Montreal are both planning 12-15,000 seat stadiums for the future, DeRosario believes having an international quality stadium in the country's largest city is the best for the national team.

"It's huge. I am excited that we are having that stadium in Toronto. You get a great fan base coming out of Toronto. You have a lot of passionate fans in Toronto," said DeRosario.

What it comes down to though is money. Canada has played just three friendlies at home in the past five years. If not for the biennial CONCACAF Gold Cup, the full Canadian team might only regroup for World Cup qualifiers on a regular basis.

Because of the weather and the stadium situation in Canada, Frank Yallop's side often play on the road in Europe where their top players can reconnoiter. That does not allow for a lot of revenue to be generated for the Canadian Soccer Association to fund the team or many opportunities for the team to play together. For instance, the United States played 20 games this year with 12 at home while Canada played eight with one at home. Having a football home in the city DeRosario calls home will help to even things out for Canada and perhaps give the country a better chance for the 2010 World Cup.

"We need proper funding so we can prepare better. It's sad, but that is the reality. Frank (Yallop) deserves it, and we all deserve it. Maybe having a team in MLS will give us a chance to have soccer really pushed into the forefront of Canadian sports."

[mrdeeds]

The new Toronto MLS team and Canada for that matter need a homegrown soccer mega-star to rally around in order to help grow the sport in Canada. I am not sure if it will be De Rosario, but he would certainly be a good start.

[Joe MacCarthy]

Tks to sstackho at Vs for headsup

Houston 1836 camp opens on a happy note
Relocated team's players just glad to be back on field

By BERNARDO FALLAS
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/3630135.html

Some fired missiles, others blanks, and still others missed the goal by a country mile.

But at least they were back on the soccer field as a team.

Houston 1836 players opened training camp Wednesday at the University of Houston with, by all accounts, a little rust but lots of fuel in the tank after a three-month layoff.

"Everyone was just getting the kinks out, and it was fun to back with the guys," said Houston 1836 forward Dwayne De Rosario, who was one of 24 players present for the start of camp. "I think everyone feels the same way, just coming here and kicking the ball around and laughing at each other."

The players took it easy, practicing for a little more than an hour at the Carl Lewis Track Field. Coach Dominic Kinnear will continue with one-a-day sessions today and Friday, and add a second session next week.

"The practice wasn't too taxing," Kinnear said. "It was more about getting the body moving and getting good touches on the ball, getting the layoff out of our system."

A lot has happened since a Western Conference semifinal-series loss to the eventual Major League Soccer champions, the Los Angeles Galaxy, ended last season. The team, previously the Earthquakes, moved from San Jose, Calif..

A daily grind
But it's back to business for players and, in a way, time to pay the price for the long break with what's arguably the most grueling preseason of any major U.S. professional sport.

"It's definitely for the strong,"said De Rosario, 27, a native of Canada who last year led the team in scoring with nine goals.

Houston 1836's training camp, including preseason matches, will last eight weeks, which is average for MLS but long when compared with pro baseball, football, hockey and basketball — the longest of which is about six weeks.

Players seem to take it in stride, though.

"It takes times to get games and get situated," forward Alejandro Moreno said. "For us, it's going to take time to settle down and really grow in this market. So it's in our best interest to have a long preseason so people get to know us."

Kinnear said he considers the long camp necessary.

"The reason it's so long is because we get such a big break when the season's over," Kinnear said. "It gives you time to work on things, for players to get healthy, so when April 1 (the season opener versus the Colorado Rapids at Robertson Stadium) comes by you feel that everyone can play 90 minutes."

How the world does it
Many of the prime European and Latin American leagues have shorter training camps but longer seasons. The English Premier League's regular seasonextends for 10 months, compared with 6 1/2 months for MLS from April to mid-October. The Mexican First Division plays two short seasons annually.

"Everyone knows soccer is a grueling sport," De Rosario, said. "You have to be physically fit. You can't do that in two weeks or in a month. It takes time to get back to running up and down the field and getting your lungs opened up and building back stamina and fitness."

[Joe MacCarthy]

De Rosario excited to play Chelsea
By NEIL DAVIDSON
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Soccer/Can...717480-cp.html


New England Revolution goalie Matt Reis (1) blocks the shot of Houston Dynamo's Dwayne De Rosario of Canada during the first half of a Major League Soccer match, July 22, 2006, in Houston. (CPimages/AP/David J. Phillip)

(CP) - Like most Canadians, Dwayne De Rosario watched the World Cup on TV.

The Canadian international, however, is looking forward to his moment in the soccer spotlight Saturday as the MLS all-stars take on English champion Chelsea in suburban Chicago.

"Not being in the World Cup and then getting the opportunity to play Chelsea, that for me is my World Cup right there," said De Rosario, an attacking midfielder for the Houston Dynamo.

While training in Los Angeles, Chelsea has drawn more than a few celebrities including actors Owen Wilson and Naveen Andrews (Lost), former Sex Pistol guitarist Steve Jones and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

There will be more big names on the field Saturday at the Chicago Fire's new Toyota Park home as Chelsea shows off the likes of Michael Ballack, Andriy Shevchenko, Frank Lampard, John Terry and Joe Cole.

While De Rosario will be making his first appearance as an MLS all-star, he has already made quite a mark on the U.S. league. The 28-year-old was honoured for goal of the season in both 2004 and 2005, and was runner-up for the Honda MVP award last year when he was also named to the league's end-of-season best 11.

In 2001, his first year in MLS, he was named MVP of the championship game when his sudden death goal gave the San Jose Earthquakes the title.

The Canadian's contribution to Houston this season was recognized by the fact that De Rosario topped all other players in all-star voting split between fans, media, players and coaches. He was the top choice among media and players, and No. 2 among coaches behind Kansas City defender Jimmy Conrad.

The MLS bills De Rosario as one its most exciting talents and the Canadian has lived up to that hype after switching from striker to attacking midfielder.

In 19 games this season, De Rosario has six goals and four assists. He also picked up a red card in his last league outing after a scuffle with Danny O'Rourke of the New York Red Bulls.

Going into the all-star break, Houston (8-4-8) is second to FC Dallas in the MLS West.

"We're not exactly where we want to be but we're still in good situation - second place," De Rosario said.

There are two other Canadians on the Dynamo roster: veteran goalkeeper Pat Onstad of Montreal and defender Adrian Serioux of Toronto. Serioux's season has been hampered by a toe injury but has done well while healthy.

While De Rosario says he has not given up on his dream to play in Europe, coming home is an option with FC Toronto entering the league next season.

"That's definitely something I would consider, because Toronto is my home, he said. "But like I said, my focus is on Houston. I'll cross that bridge when it's time."

But De Rosario, who played for the Toronto Lynx, welcomes the MLS coming to Canada.

"There's huge talent in Toronto that is really untapped yet," he said. "When they reach a certain level, they have no outlet. Having an MLS team will definitely give them something to look forward to."

He has three years left on his MLS contract.

Notes: Ricardo Clark and Eddie Robinson, both of the Houston Dynamo, will replace injured all-stars Landon Donovan (hamstring) of the Los Angeles Galaxy and Pablo Mastroeni (knee) of the Colorado Rapids. ... Managers Jose Mourinho (Chelsea) and former Canadian national team boss Frank Yallop (Los Angeles Galaxy) swapped team shirts Wednesday.


Dwayne De Rosario is one of four Houston Dynamo players ready to face Chelsea. (Tony Quinn/MLS/WireImage.com)

[Joe MacCarthy]

MLS all-stars blank Chelsea
By NANCY ARMOUR
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Soccer/200...721139-cp.html

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. (CP) - Chelsea's high-priced talent wasn't enough to beat Major League Soccer's all-stars.

Toronto's Dwayne De Rosario scored in the 70th minute Saturday night and backup goalkeeper Joe Cannon made several nice saves late, giving the MLS all-stars a 1-0 victory over Chelsea, the two-time English Premier League champions.

It's the third time MLS' all-stars beat an international squad, and the second straight win over a Premier League team. The MLS squad beat Fulham in last year's all-star game at Columbus, Ohio.

Chelsea has spent big since Roman Abramovich took over four seasons ago, shelling out about $750 million US to build a roster of international stars that now includes Andriy Shevchenko, Michael Ballack, Didier Drogba, Joe Cole, John Terry, Frank Lampard, Hernan Crespo and Michael Essien.

Shevchenko, the European player of the year in 2004, and Ballack, Germany's captain, are the latest additions, making their debuts for The Blues on Saturday after being acquired during a two-week span in May. Both were substituted for at halftime.

But the big names didn't translate into goals for Chelsea, despite a flurry of late chances. Essien's shot in the 84th minute went right into the hands of MLS goalkeeper Joe Cannon, and Arjen Robben's header in the 90th sailed wide of the goal. Terry also had a shot in the 87th, but it banged off of Cannon, the Colorado Rapids' goalkeeper.

Instead, it was the Houston Dynamo's dynamo who came through.

De Rosario, a midfielder and key offensive player on the Canadian national team, said he would treat this game as his tournament since Canada did not qualify for the recent World Cup in Germany.

It showed in the 70th minute, when he took a pass from Ronnie O'Brien, balanced it on his foot and then took a blistering shot that Hilario, Chelsea's backup goalie, had no chance at.

De Rosario has earned 37 caps for Canada and scored seven goals since his debut with the national side in 1998. In his MLS career so far, he was runner-up in the 2005 player of the year voting and the first player in league history to win the goal of the year in back-to-back seasons (2004 and 2005).

The loss isn't likely to cause much concern for Chelsea. Coach Jose Mourinho is more concerned with finding the right lineup before Chelsea starts Premier League play Aug. 20 against Manchester City. Chelsea also has a Community Shield game next Sunday against Liverpool.

Most of Chelsea's players could start on any other team, and Mourinho has to find the right combination. Though Ballack had some nice work in the middle, feeding his new teammates with crisp passes and disrupting a couple of runs by the MLS all-stars, Shevchenko appears to still be trying to find his rhythm with his new team.

He had a shot from about 15 yards out in the 41st minute, but it rolled right into starting goalkeeper Troy Perkins' hands. Two minutes later, Drogba threaded a nice pass to Shaun Wright-Phillips, who danced around Perkins, kept control of the ball and crossed it to Shevchenko, who was in front of the box.

But Jimmy Conrad stepped in front of Shevchenko, blocking the pass.

Chelsea actually appeared to score a goal in the 28th minute. Ballack fed Drogba from about midfield, and Drogba put the ball past a diving Perkins. The kids carrying the "Goal" flags even went running down the sidelines.

But Drogba was whistled for being offsides, and replays showed the call was correct.

[Joe MacCarthy]

MVP De Rosario leads All-Stars to win
By Thomas Foote / MLSnet.com Staff
http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/news/mls_n..._mls&fext=.jsp


Dwayne De Rosario (R) celebrates his winning strike in the All-Star Game. (S. Levin/WireImage.com)

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- After scoring the game-winning goal that gave the MLS All-Stars victory against Chelsea FC, Houston Dynamo midfielder Dwayne De Rosario was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2006 Sierra MLS All-Star Game.

De Rosario scored a beautiful goal in the 70th minute, the only goal of the game that once again matched the best of MLS against one of the best club sides in the world. The goal broke open a deadlock that saw both teams struggle to create many clear chances.

"I turned and thought I had space, but it got closed down," De Rosario said. "I touched it forward and decided to hit it."

"Hit it" may have been a little bit of understatement. Midfielder Freddy Adu had a great view of the goal.

"He's definitely one of the best players in the league," Adu said. "The guy's got a cannon."

It might have been the shot heard round the world for MLS. With the goal the MLS All-Stars beat the two-time defending English Premier League champion, certainly one of the leading clubs in terms of payroll value, and one many consider one of the best in the world.

"They scored a great goal," said Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.

FC Dallas midfielder Ronnie O'Brien set up the goal with a throw-in from the right flank. O'Brien knew the right place to put the ball.

"I knew he wanted it on his right shoulder, I knew that he was going to come inside," O"Brien said. "I knew he was going to turn and shoot it with a big kick and put it in the net."

O'Brien downplayed his role in what was a masterpiece of a goal. But O'Brien managed to set up a deadly scorer, to get what both teams wanted so badly -- a goal.

"All credit to him. I did the easy part," O'Brien said.

O'Brien was helped by watching De Rosario. He knew that when De Rosario dipped his shoulder, that was an indication where he wanted the ball

As a defender in MLS, fellow All-Star Jimmy Conrad knows what problems De Rosario can cause for a defense -- even one as highly touted as Chelsea.

"He's a handful. He gets in good spots and makes things happen," Conrad said. "If they're going to lay off him, he's going to fire a shot. You can't really leave that guy open."

De Rosario was kidded a bit by MLS head coach Peter Nowak. Nowak said he was sure the U.S. national team would love to have his services -- but there's a problem: He's a Canadian.

"I would love to play in the World Cup, but I don't think I'll change my team," De Rosario said.

De Rosario was obviously pleased with his performance as he politely answered questions in the postgame press conference, accompanied by his daughter Adisa. She began to fuss a bit, apparently wanting to get in her daddy's arms.

It was a world-class performance by the MVP of the MLS All-Star Game, and in her daddy's arms was the place to be.

Thomas Foote is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.


Dwayne De Rosario was a dynamo in the midfield and scored the game's lone goal. (S. Levin/WireImage.com)

[Joe MacCarthy]

Shot from the midfield stripe

2006 HIGHLIGHTS
08/30: De Rosario's Hail Mary:
Commercial before goal
http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/mls/sights/index.jsp?club=mls

[Joe MacCarthy]

Sept. 17, 2006, 3:57AM
On Soccer
Midfielder De Rosario plays like he's Europe-bound

By Glenn Davis Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...c/4192746.html

When the Dynamo take the field tonight against Chivas USA at Robertson Stadium, fans might be coming to see Mexican stars such as Claudio Suarez and Francisco Palencia, who will be out with an injured knee.

Many might not realize this could be one of the final opportunities to catch talented Dynamo midfielder Dwayne De Rosario in action.

Europe is clearly calling, with rumors of English and German clubs interested in his services.

For fans in Houston, it might be a case of, "Dwayne, we hardly got to know you."

The timing would be right for De Rosario, 28, to move to Europe.

If offers come, the reality is it will be tough to keep him in an orange uniform next year.

"When you have a player as talented as Dwayne, it would be expected he would gain European interest," said team president Oliver Luck. "We'll do everything in our power to keep him with the Dynamo. Given the limitations of the salary cap, it will be difficult to bid with a top European club."

One might think the European interest could be a distraction for De Rosario.

Yet he remains focused.

"There is definite interest overseas," De Rosario said. "But my focus is here with the Dynamo and bringing a championship to Houston."

De Rosario is my league MVP this year up to this point.

Narrowly edged last year for the award by the New England Revolution's Taylor Twellman, De Rosario will be tough to be denied when you look at his effect on the team beyond his statistics.

De Rosario's 10 goals and five assists are only a part of the story. So are his searing free kicks, delicate chips, unpredictable plays and explosive power and pace.

He has had to do it much of the season without forward Brian Ching, who has missed time because of the World Cup and injury.

The Canadian international is a two-way midfielder who can be found giving as much to the game in his defensive half of the field as he gives to the attacking half.

He has become a patient player, and he adds an important dimension to the Dynamo attack. His influence on teammates and the impression he has on opponents are invaluable.

Just ask former Houston-area product Chris Gbandi, a defender with FC Dallas.

"De Rosario, coming out of the middle, is fearful," Gbandi said. "It tends to make you sit back more."

De Rosario is one of the coach's pregame talking points in every opponent's locker room.

It is that influence on the mindset of opponents coupled with his ability to inspire teammates that make him stand out.

But there's more.

De Rosario brings unbridled passion and commitment to each and every training session and game.

I am hard-pressed to remember a time in MLS where he looked disinterested, which has been the rap around the league on many occasions with the likes of Amado Guevara in New York or Landon Donovan in Los Angeles.

It's hard to believe that only two years ago, De Rosario was an intermittent starter with the San Jose Earthquakes.

Many called him a supersub, a label no soccer player wants.

"I never liked being a super-sub," De Rosario said. "It was frustrating, but I knew my time would come."

When Donovan, then a Quake, left for Germany, De Rosario's time did come.

Head coach Dominic Kinnear put De Rosario into the attacking midfield role vacated by Donovan, a move that has turned out to be right on the money.

De Rosario's transition into the role has been seamless and career-changing.

Last month he struck a beautiful game-winner as the MLS All-Stars defeated English Premier League champion Chelsea 1-0.

De Rosario has won the MLS goal of the year for the past two years and he might win a third.

Who can forget the awareness and execution that he showed scoring against Chicago goalkeeper Zach Thornton from the halfway line a few weeks ago in a 2-2 tie at Toyota Park?

If you are a sports fan, watch De Rosario while you can, because he's about to board a plane, and the next stop just might be England or Germany.

[Joe MacCarthy]

Tks to Can. in UK at Vs for headsup

De Rosario makes his case for MVP
Steve Davis
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns...=mls25&cc=5901

I'm thinking about Marco Etcheverry, back in the day, when he was running the midfield with such authority for D.C. United.

I'm thinking about Roberto Donadoni and the panache he supplied, if only briefly, on his one-and-done tour of MLS.


Houston's Dwayne De Rosario is a complete two-way midfielder. Thomas Shea/WireImage

I'm thinking about Landon Donovan -- when the confident and engaged Donovan surfaces, as opposed to the bored and plodding Donovan.

These are guys who could force you to take special notice when they were around the ball in MLS. Donovan, in fact, is doing it right now. "Sit up straight and watch close," you scold yourself, "because you never know what this cat's gonna do."

Such players are joys to watch (not to mention a little too rare in MLS right now). Their eyes are alight with ideas, their feet alive with the ability to execute them.

Today, I'm thinking about such artists. In fact, I'm adding a name to the list.

I'm thinking about Dwayne De Rosario.

The Houston Dynamo man has rounded into one of the league's top midfielders -- and one with a special bent for the crowd-pleasing, spectacular strike. His raw numbers aren't as flashy as Jeff Cunningham's or Christian Gomez's. And he doesn't approach the end of MLS Season 11 with a compelling comeback-kid tale, a la Ante Razov.

But the Canadian international is having a smash-bang season for Dominic Kinnear's relocated southern Texas outfit. And there's a case to be made that "De Ro" should claim the league MVP crown that eluded him last year, when he was one of three finalists.

De Rosario, simply put, is the best all-around player in MLS right now.

Donovan, of course, is mashing the accelerator in Los Angeles and may single-handedly drive a very average team out of MLS playoff no-man's land. Gomez can make a reasonable MVP case at D.C. United, although his surrounding cast looks better than any of his competitors'. Still, if De Rosario, 28, keeps applying steady pressure, the award should be his.

He's always dangerous. He's consistent. He's a solid locker room citizen who has gradually accepted more responsibility for making Houston go. The Dynamo's dynamo has 10 goals and five assists through 25 games this year.

He carried an extra bucket for much of the summer while Brian Ching went to Germany for Bruce Arena, then turned up injured for much of August. That left young Alejandro Moreno and Chris Wondolowski scrapping for goals up front, which put even more pressure on De Rosario to make things happen on offense.

And De Rosario did elevate his game during that time, commanding his part of the field. His touch is clean. His head is always up. The ball stays tight on his feet, which are usually shuffling pretty quickly.

Heck, you know a guy is good when he has two nicknames: sometimes he's "De Ro," sometimes he's "DDR."

"He's always been dangerous, always been creative and unpredictable," Kinnear said this week. "This season, you can add consistency to his characteristics."

Kinnear demurred when asked if De Rosario should be the league choice for MVP. He prefers to concentrate on his team and an impending postseason run instead of wading into politically weighted debates. That's for the rest of us. So let's proceed.

De Rosario is in his second season of not just connecting for goals, but conjuring up special ones. (He always had that in him, going all the way back to the 2001 final, when he decided the game after just 11 minutes on the field with an overtime tally.)

De Rosario's wonder-strike free kick last year against the Galaxy took the 2005 Goal of the Year honor. He humbly suggested later that there's plenty of luck involved with a beauty like that, and that he's never even hit one that well in practice.

De Rosario also supplied the league GOY in 2004, following Etcheverry as the only other player ever to claim that award twice. (Etcheverry. Hmmm. There's that name again.)

De Rosario delivered another GOY candidate Aug. 30 at Toyota Park. Yes, Zach Thornton should have done better as De Rosario spanked a ball from the midfield stripe, hurling Chicago's beefy keeper into a desperate and unsuccessful backward scramble.

Still, how many MLS players have the confidence and awareness to even try such a thing? And how many have the talent to pull off the 60-yard bomb?

Toyota Park was also the scene of another important De Rosario effort this year. Technically speaking, accomplishments in an All-Star game probably shouldn't weigh into MVP debates. But let's be honest here. What De Rosario did against Chelsea that day, scoring the league's only goal and running the midfield with verve, did MLS proud.

As for the MLS race, Dallas is running away with the West. But that doesn't mean much in terms of getting to MLS Cup, especially given the Dynamo's apparent edge over its Texas rivals. The teams met five times this year (four in MLS matches, once in the U.S. Open Cup). Houston went 3-1-1 in the series.

Why the apparent mismatch? Because De Rosario and central midfield mate Ricardo Clark are far more athletic in the center of the park than Dallas.

Clark, 23, has developed into a splendid player himself. His nimble tackling and yeoman work allow De Rosario to channel a little more of his energy into the attack. But that doesn't mean that De Rosario isn't a two-way player. Kinnear's tight system demands that both men in the center of the field chase and clog passing lanes.

Watch De Rosario play. He's attacking. Then he's behind the ball. Now he's attacking again. Now he's back behind the ball.

De Rosario's place in the center of the park came more or less by accident. Clark and a young Danny O'Rourke were manning the center early last year. Kinnear recognized that the team needed more offensive push from that position. So he moved a lifelong forward back into the midfield and, voila, produced a star.

"But I give him credit for that," Kinnear said. "I thought, 'Let's try this and see if it works.' Now, I'd never think about playing him anywhere else."

Steve Davis is a Dallas-based freelance writer who covers MLS for ESPNsoccernet.