Dwayne De Rosario facts for kids
De Rosario in 2023
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Dwayne Anthony De Rosario | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | May 15, 1978 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Scarborough, Ontario, Canada | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder, forward | ||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||
| Scarborough Blizzard SC | |||||||||||||||||||
| Malvern Majors | |||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1997 | Toronto Lynx | 7 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1999 | FSV Zwickau | 12 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Richmond Kickers | 35 | (17) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2005 | San Jose Earthquakes | 108 | (27) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2008 | Houston Dynamo | 78 | (24) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2011 | Toronto FC | 57 | (27) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | New York Red Bulls | 13 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | D.C. United | 68 | (23) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Toronto FC | 19 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Mississauga MetroStars (indoor) | 11 | (8) | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | 408 | (133) | |||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | Canada U20 | 8 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Canada U23 | 11 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2015 | Canada | 81 | (22) | ||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||
Dwayne Anthony De Rosario (born May 15, 1978) is a famous Canadian former soccer player. He played as a forward or an attacking midfielder. Dwayne was known for being a very flexible player.
He started his career with teams like the Toronto Lynx and Richmond Kickers. He became very well-known in the 2000s playing in Major League Soccer (MLS). He played for teams such as the San Jose Earthquakes, Houston Dynamo, Toronto FC, New York Red Bulls, and D.C. United.
Dwayne won the MLS Cup four times. He also won the MLS Most Valuable Player award in 2011. He is one of the top goal scorers in MLS history with 104 goals. Many people consider him one of the best Canadian soccer players ever.
He played for the Canadian national team from 1998 to 2015. He was Canada's top goal scorer for a long time, with 22 goals in 81 games. Dwayne won the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup with Canada. He was also named the Canadian Player of the Year four times. He is now a respected member of the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.
Contents
Dwayne's Early Life and Career Start
Dwayne De Rosario was born in Scarborough, Ontario, which is a part of Toronto. His parents moved to Canada from Guyana. He started playing soccer when he was just three years old with Scarborough Blizzard SC. Later, he played with the Malvern Majors.
When he was 14, Dwayne had a chance to join A.C. Milan, a famous Italian soccer club. He tried out for them and did well, but he decided not to go. He wasn't ready to live in Italy at that age. Dwayne went to Winston Churchill Collegiate Institute in Scarborough for school.
He began his professional soccer journey in 1997 when he was 18. He signed with the Toronto Lynx. Later that year, he moved to Germany to play for FSV Zwickau. After two seasons there, Dwayne came back to North America. He joined the Richmond Kickers in 1999. In 2000, he had a great season, scoring 15 goals and helping his team win many games.
Playing for Major League Soccer Teams
San Jose Earthquakes Success
In 2001, Frank Yallop, a Canadian coach, became the head coach of the San Jose Earthquakes. He quickly brought Dwayne De Rosario to the team. Dwayne proved it was a good choice. He scored five goals and made four assists in his first season. He played a big part in helping the Earthquakes win the MLS Cup that year. He even scored the winning "golden goal" in the final game and was named the MLS Cup MVP.
Dwayne continued to play well in 2002. In 2003, he had a knee injury, but he still came back strong. He helped his team win another MLS Cup championship. In 2004, he scored five goals, including the MLS Goal of the Year.
In 2005, after another player left, Dwayne moved to play in the midfield. He led the MLS in assists with 13 and scored nine goals. He won the MLS Goal of the Year award again in 2005. This made him the only player to win that award two years in a row! He was also chosen for the MLS Best XI team six times during his career.
Houston Dynamo Championships
In 2006, the San Jose Earthquakes team moved to Houston and became the Houston Dynamo. Dwayne went with them. During the 2006 MLS All-Star Game, Dwayne scored the only goal. This helped the MLS All-Stars beat Chelsea, a famous team from London.
Dwayne and the Houston Dynamo won the 2006 MLS Cup title. They beat the New England Revolution in a penalty shootout, and Dwayne scored his penalty kick. The next year, Dwayne helped Houston win their second championship in the 2007 MLS Cup. He scored the winning goal, making him the first player to win the MLS Cup MVP award twice!
In 2008, Dwayne played in his third straight MLS All-Star Game. This game was held in his hometown of Toronto. He scored the winning goal in the MLS All-Stars' victory over West Ham United.
Playing for Toronto FC
Dwayne was traded to Toronto FC on December 12, 2008. This was exciting because it meant he would play for his hometown club. He played his first game for Toronto FC in March 2009. He scored his first goal for Toronto in a 1-1 tie against FC Dallas.
On April 8, 2010, Dwayne became the captain of Toronto FC. He was only the second captain in the club's history. He continued to score many goals for Toronto FC. He became the team's all-time leading scorer in the regular season. He was named MLS Player of the Week multiple times for his great performances.
Dwayne had a very successful 2010 season. He was chosen for the MLS All-Star team again. He even scored a goal in the All-Star game against Manchester United. In December, he had a trial with Celtic, a club in Scotland. However, his coach and the league decided he should stay with Toronto FC.
In 2011, Dwayne scored Toronto's first goal of the season. It was in a game against Vancouver Whitecaps FC. This goal was also the 8000th goal ever scored in Major League Soccer history!
New York Red Bulls and D.C. United
On April 1, 2011, Dwayne joined the New York Red Bulls. He scored his first goal for them from a penalty kick.
Later that year, on June 27, 2011, Dwayne was traded to D.C. United. He scored his first goal for D.C. United against his old team, the New York Red Bulls. He had an amazing game on August 6, 2011, scoring three goals (a hat-trick) against Toronto FC. He scored another hat-trick on September 25, 2011, scoring all three goals in just 9 minutes, which set a new MLS record! He finished the 2011 season with 16 goals and 12 assists.
On August 29, 2012, Dwayne scored his 100th MLS goal. He was only the seventh player to reach this milestone.
Return to Toronto FC and Retirement
Dwayne returned to Toronto FC on December 18, 2013. He officially signed with the club in January 2014. After the 2014 season, Toronto FC decided not to renew his contract.
Dwayne announced his retirement from professional soccer on May 10, 2015. He then took on a role as an ambassador for Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment.
Mississauga MetroStars (Indoor Soccer)
In October 2018, Dwayne came out of retirement to play indoor soccer. He signed with the new MASL club, the Mississauga MetroStars. He scored his first goal for the team in their first game.
Playing for Canada
Dwayne played for the Canadian U-20 team in 1997. He also played for the Canadian U-23 team in 1999. He played his first game for the senior Canada team on May 18, 1998, when he was 20 years old.
He helped Canada win the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He also represented Canada in the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup. In 2007, Dwayne won the Canadian Player of the Year award for the third year in a row. He scored five goals in eight games that year, which was the most for a Canadian player since 1993.
Dwayne was chosen for the CONCACAF Gold Cup again in 2011. He scored two goals in the tournament, both from penalty kicks. He continued to score goals for Canada in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification games. His goal against Saint Kitts and Nevis tied him as Canada's all-time top goal scorer with Dale Mitchell.
On December 14, 2011, Dwayne was named the Canadian Player of the Year for the fourth time. On September 7, 2012, he scored his 20th goal for Canada. This made him the all-time leading goal scorer for Canada!
In his last game for Canada, Dwayne scored a goal in a 1-1 tie with Iceland on January 19, 2015. He was Canada's all-time leading male goal scorer with 22 goals in 81 matches until Cyle Larin broke his record in 2022.
Dwayne's Life Off the Field
Dwayne De Rosario was a vegan for a while, starting in 1994. Ten years later, he began eating fish. He is married to Brandy De Rosario. They have four children, including two sons, Osaze and Adisa, who are also professional soccer players. His cousin, Priscilla Lopes-Schliep, is an Olympic hurdler. In February 2020, he was given the Order of Ontario, a special award. He also wrote a book about his life called 'DeRo: My Life'.
DeRo United Futbol Academy
In 2012, Dwayne started the DeRo United Futbol Academy. This academy helps young soccer players develop their skills. In 2018, they even had a team in the League1 Ontario women's division. In June 2021, the academy became an official partner of Dwayne's former club, Toronto FC. It joined their academy system and was renamed DeRo TFC.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Toronto Lynx | 1997 | A-League | 7 | 2 | — | — | — | 7 | 2 | |||
| FSV Zwickau | 1997–98 | 2. Bundesliga | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 1 | ||
| 1998–99 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Richmond Kickers | 1999 | A-League | 16 | 1 | — | — | — | 16 | 1 | |||
| 2000 | 23 | 15 | — | — | — | 23 | 15 | |||||
| Total | 39 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 16 | ||
| San Jose Earthquakes | 2001 | MLS | 21 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 2 | 25 | 7 | |
| 2002 | 27 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 4 | ||
| 2003 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 4 | ||
| 2004 | 21 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 23 | 6 | ||
| 2005 | 28 | 9 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 28 | 9 | |||
| Total | 108 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 120 | 30 | ||
| Houston Dynamo | 2006 | MLS | 30 | 11 | 3 | 1 | — | 4 | 0 | 37 | 12 | |
| 2007 | 24 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 36 | 9 | ||
| 2008 | 24 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 39 | 11 | ||
| Total | 78 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 3 | 18 | 4 | 112 | 32 | ||
| Toronto FC | 2009 | MLS | 28 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | 34 | 14 | |
| 2010 | 27 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 1 | — | 39 | 17 | |||
| 2011 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 1 | |||
| Total | 57 | 27 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 75 | 32 | ||
| New York Red Bulls | 2011 | MLS | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 13 | 2 | |
| D.C. United | 2011 | MLS | 18 | 13 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 13 | ||
| 2012 | 27 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 7 | ||||
| 2013 | 23 | 3 | 5 | 5 | — | — | 28 | 8 | ||||
| Total | 68 | 23 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 74 | 28 | ||
| Toronto FC | 2014 | MLS | 19 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 1 | ||
| Mississauga MetroStars | 2018–19 | MASL | 11 | 8 | — | — | — | 11 | 8 | |||
| Career total | 412 | 131 | 22 | 10 | 23 | 4 | 30 | 7 | 487 | 152 | ||
- 1.Includes Canadian Championship, DFB-Pokal, and U.S. Open Cup.
- 2.Includes CONCACAF Champions' Cup and CONCACAF Champions League.
- 3.Includes MLS Cup Playoffs and North American SuperLiga.
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada U20 | 1996 | 4 | 4 |
| 1997 | 4 | 1 | |
| Total | 8 | 5 | |
| Canada U23 | 1999 | 6 | 3 |
| 2000 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 10 | 3 | |
| Canada | 1998 | 1 | 0 |
| 1999 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2001 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2003 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2004 | 10 | 4 | |
| 2005 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 8 | 5 | |
| 2008 | 8 | 3 | |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 11 | 4 | |
| 2012 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2013 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 2 | 2 | |
| Total | 81 | 22 | |
Awards and Achievements
Team Awards
San Jose Earthquakes
- MLS Cup: 2001, 2003
- Supporters' Shield: 2005
Houston Dynamo
- MLS Cup: 2006, 2007
Toronto FC
- Canadian Championship: 2009, 2010
D.C. United
- U.S. Open Cup: 2013
Canada National Team
- CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2000 (Winner); 2002 (3rd place)
Individual Awards
- MLS MVP Award: 2011
- MLS All-Star: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
- MLS Best XI: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011
- MLS Golden Boot: 2011 (Award for top scorer)
- MLS 100 goals club
- MLS 50/50 Club (Scored 50+ goals and made 50+ assists)
- MLS Goal of the Year Award: 2004, 2005
- George Gross Memorial Trophy: 2009, 2010 (Award for best player in Canadian Championship)
- Canadian Players of the Year: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011
- Red Patch Boys Player of the Year: 2009
- Major League Soccer 25 Greatest Players
- Ontario Sports Hall of Fame inductee, 2019
- The Order of Ontario appointee, 2020
- Inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame, 2022
Images for kids
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De Rosario in 2023
See also
In Spanish: Dwayne De Rosario para niños
