If a league-high ten assists weren’t proof enough of DwayneDe Rosario’s unselfishness, the reigning MVP’s reaction to earning his seventhMLS all-star appearance most certainly was.
“The reason why I’m an all-star is because of those guys inthat locker room,” a humbled De Rosario said from RFK over the weekend. “It is an eleven man sport. The guys that make up this team andthis club are all part of my success.”
A big part.
United’s forward trio of Chris Pontius, Maicon Santos andHamdi Salihi have combined for 21 goals between them this season, as De Rosariohas finally found help in the final third. After being leaned upon - almost exclusively - for goals in2011, De Rosario is flourishing in his role as a creator. Including 2005, when De Rosario had acareer-high 13 assists over 28 matches, the past months have been the bestplaymaking stretch of the Canadian’s career.
“It’s a product of where he has been playing on the field,”explained Head Coach Ben Olsen on Monday. “He hasn’t been around the goal as much, as of late he has been aroundthe goal, he seems to step up and do the job in whatever position we put himin.”
“He adapts game in and game out,” noted midfielder ChrisPontius, who – with nine goals – is a likely candidate to join De Rosario onthe all-star roster. ”You’ve seenhim over his career do it with a number of different teams. It hasn’t just been one successful yearhere and one successful year there.”
On Monday DeRo again showed a penchant for the assist, using the all-star selection as a lobbying platform for his teammates.
“For us being in first place I think you are definitelygoing to see one or two other guys who I think deserve to be there,” notedUnited’s captain. “Hopefully therewill be more of us out there.”
