As a player who thrives on the hostilities usuallyhurled at visiting stars, Dwayne De Rosario has made a career out of enragingroad fans. In 2011, DeRo scoredsix of his league-high sixteen goals away from home, leaving supporters fromNew York to San Jose fuming in his wake.
One of the places where De Rosario silenced thecrowd last year was Vancouver. Inthe season-opener, DeRo - playing for Toronto FC - scored just five minutesafter Eric Hassli had notched the Whitecaps' first-ever MLS goal. The tally, which happened to be the8,000th goal in league history, drew little more than a chorus of disgruntledboos from the throngs at Empire Field.
It was the rare occasion where De Rosario'sexploits went unappreciated in his native land.
"I always look forward to it," De Rosariosaid of returning to Canada, where he has four times been named national playerof the year. "Vancouver is agreat place to be. They have greatfan support for the Whitecaps and it's an environment where I'm very proud tobe Canadian."
But what about the negative response he is sureto get should he once against pierce the Whitecaps' net? Does the prospect of being booed in hishome country bother the reigning MLS MVP?
"No, it's two totally differentthings," said De Rosario. "This time around, I'm representing D.C. and obviously those fansare cheering for Vancouver. Butyou know, I think there is a mutual respect there for a fellowcountryman."
With Montreal joining Vancouver and Toronto asCanadian entries in MLS, 2012 is quickly becoming the year of our neighbors tothe north. The Impact drew 58,912fans to their opener, a number that - while it shocked many - did not surpriseDe Rosario. Now, the 66-timecapped playmaker wants that momentum to translate into Canadians supporting LesRouges as they look to qualify for the 2014 World Cup.
"I'm so proud to see Montreal gettingrecord breaking numbers," added DeRo earlier this week. "Hopefully, in turn, we will getsome of those fans to support our national team. It's not an easy task. But it's something that the CSA and we all need to work on and reallyget the fans to support us as players and as a national side."
Canada has advanced to the third round ofCONCACAF's World Cup qualification process where, later this year, they mustfinish in the top half of a group that includes Honduras, Cuba and Panama. Though De Rosario would love to thrillVancouver-area fans with a World Cup bid, his current focus is squarely on spoiling their Saturday night.
"When I'm on the field now, I'm playingfor D.C.," noted De Rosario emphatically. "This is going to be another big test for us against ateam that are doing really well right now."
