Home Canadian Soccer Will De Rosario add an MLS MVP award to his trophy case?

Will De Rosario add an MLS MVP award to his trophy case?

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Dwayne De Rosario
Dwayne De Rosario has done a lot in his storied MLS career; four championships, MVP nominations, goals of the year.

But he could do something this season that no other MLS player has done since the league kicked off in 1996; win the MVP award in a season in which the winner was traded.

Oops. In DeRo’s case, traded twice.

After scoring in midweek — and controversially drawing a penalty with what looked to be a pratfall — in a 2-2 draw with Chivas USA, De Rosario set up Andy Najar and then scored three first-half goals of his own Saturday as D.C. United thrashed Real Salt Lake by a 4-1 count.

D.C. United is in 11th place, one point behind the New York Red Bulls for the final playoff spot in MLS. But, D.C. United, which was a cellar-dweller in 2010, has two games in hand on the Red Bulls; so, right now, it’s De Rosario and co. who are the odds-on favourites to make the post-season.

De Rosario now leads the MLS in goals, with 13. On Monday, will likely win his third MLS Player of the Week award of the season. He is fourth in MLS with 11 assists.

Put them together, and De Rosario has figured in on 24 goals this season for Toronto FC, the New York Red Bulls and D.C. United.

24!

For Toronto FC fans, many of whom cheered when the player they felt was a malcontent was sent to the New York Red Bulls in the early stages of the season, they can no longer dare say “addition by subtraction” in reference to the trade. New York dealt him to D.C. as it needed to make space for its third Designated Player, keeper Frank Rost.

It was a disastrous move. Rost has been hurt as New York has slid down the standings, and the Red Bulls have missed De Rosario’s ability as a playmaker — which is what he was asked to do in New York; play a role closer to what he did when he led the San Jose Earthquakes/Houston Dynamo to four titles.

De Rosario has twice been a finalist for the MVP award; could this be the year he wins it? He will have to deal with the reality that his self-confident nature and the disagreements he had with TFC management over his contract will poison some voters. This is sports, not a legal jury — and there are voters who will carry grudges.

But De Rosario has made D.C. United better — a lot better — than it was before he got to the American capital. He is scoring and setting up goals. And he’s passed Thierry Henry as the league’s top scorer — and he has games in hand on the Arsenal legend.

Canada could finally boast an MLS MVP.

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