De Rosario: "We want five stars above the crest"
Ben Olsen knew what he had acquired after only one game. While Dwayne De Rosario's legend was far from secret prior to joining D.C. United in late June, the club's Head Coach had to see it for himself in a Black-and-Red uniform. "[De Rosario] worked his tail off tonight - he's really a special player, and he's going to be a very good addition to this team."
These were Olsen's words following a 2-2 draw with Philadelphia on July 2, De Rosario's first match for United. Despite a week of physical and emotional toil that saw the talented midfielder shipped down I-95 after only three months in New York, De Rosario stayed true to his hyper-professional reputation, providing an assist on Josh Wolff's opening goal during a 2-2 home draw.
One week later the Canadian playmaker was back at Red Bull Arena, home of the club that had just traded him away despite productive performances in central midfield (two goals and four assists). De Rosario’s effort that night set the tone for the remainder of his season at United, as he worked tirelessly to earn his side an advantage. He scored the game's only goal in the 61st minute with an emphatic far post strike, downing the Red Bulls in cathartic fashion.
De Rosario training
De Rosario had a knack for troubling former employers with United in 2011, as he went on to score a brace in San Jose on July 30 (United's first Bay Area win in 13 years), followed by a dominating hat trick performance against Toronto FC on August 6. That feat was not the last three-goal outing United fans would see at RFK Stadium, as De Rosario scored the fastest hat trick in MLS history on September 24 against Real Salt Lake (goals in the 22nd, 27th and 31st minutes).
The RSL game was hailed as "amazing" by teammate Andy Najar. Olsen admitted to media after the match that those types of performances did not surprise him anymore - De Rosario's effort and execution were consistent in every match. "This is what he does and this is why we wanted him. He’s just been exceptional and the guys have jumped on his back as well and rode the wave today," said United's Head Coach after the game.
Olsen continued, "The great thing about Dwayne is that he will forget about this [performance] and move on and try to do it again." This sentiment is exactly why De Rosario may be United's best League MVP. For all the goals, assists and individual honors, what the Canadian wants most is to experience further team success. Even with his many personal accomplishments, De Rosario continues to be driven by a palpable desire to claim Major League Soccer's ultimate prize (despite having already won four MLS Cups).
In a recent offseason interview with dcunited.com, De Rosario reflected back on his distinguished career, discussing his finest MLS Cup moments for an MLSsoccer.com countdown. Towards the end of that interview the Canadian began to feel emotional. According to De Rosario, this reaction was related to the fact he was missing out on the MLS Cup Playoffs. He lives for the big stage, the best platform our sport has to offer, and he won't rest until he is able to return United to former glory.
"D.C. is a club with a lot of history, but we didn't reach our goal this year," said De Rosario. "You put on that jersey and see four stars, it's prideful, and each time you put that jersey on you see how hard the guys play for it. We want five stars above that crest, it's a mindset. You see how much effort it takes to win championships, and that's why we need to work very hard each day in training."
When asked about the future of the Black-and-Red, De Rosario believes the right core is in-place for postseason success in 2012. "Our chances are bright in terms of making the [MLS Cup] Playoffs, but we need to take things one step at a time."
"We have players like Chris [Pontius], Andy [Najar], Brandon [McDonald, Dejan [Jakovic] and [Josh] Wolff - a lot of very talented guys here that make my job easier. If we stay healthy and fit, we'll be in the [postseason] picture."
Today De Rosario will enjoy the highest individual honor of his profession, a first on his lengthy list of accolades. Yet for this tenacious attacker, a fifth MLS Cup is what he truly covets - both for himself and D.C. United.
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