De Rosario named 2011 Volkswagen MLS MVP

D.C. United announced today that Dwayne De Rosario has been named 2011 Volkswagen MLS Most Valuable Player. The selection marks the Canadian international’s first MLS MVP honor in his distinguished 11-season career. De Rosario is United’s fourth MLS MVP, following in the footsteps of Marco Etcheverry (1998), Christian Gomez (2006) and Luciano Emilio (2007).

De Rosario was recently named to the 2011 MLS Best XI side, earning this honor for the sixth time after claiming the 2011 Budweiser Golden Boot with a career-high 16 goals. The United playmaker started 31 of 33 matches in the 2011 MLS season, registering 12 assists in 2,781 minutes of action. He is the only MVP in all five North American major professional sports leagues to score for three teams in one season, having started his campaign in Toronto before moving onto New York on April 1.

“For me, this is the most meaningful individual honor of my career,” said De Rosario of his first MVP Award. “I couldn’t have achieved this without my teammates, and I’m grateful to the players, coaches, fans, media and people at MLS for recognizing me. That said, I’m disappointed not to be playing in the MLS Cup Playoffs right now, and my goal is to get D.C. United back to where it belongs in 2012.”

“Dwayne changed our entire team this season,” said United Head Coach Ben Olsen. “With him we were always one play away from changing the game. He is truly a special player and he deserves this honor. This award is long overdue – Dwayne has been one of the best players in MLS for quite some time.”

Since arriving in Washington on June 27, De Rosario was United’s most impactful player, helping the Black-and-Red surge towards the MLS Cup Playoffs until the final week of the regular season. In 18 games in a United uniform (17 starts), De Rosario recorded 13 goals and seven assists. Interestingly, De Rosario scored against all of his former clubs that he played against with the Black-and-Red, including the match-winning goal at New York on July 9, a brace at San Jose on July 30 and a hat trick against Toronto FC on August 6.

The attacking midfielder also won a bevy of D.C. United club honors in his first Black-and-Red season, including the 2011 Volkswagen Most Valuable Player Award, Volkswagen Fans’ Choice Award, Volkswagen Goal of the Year and the club’s Golden Boot.

On November 15, De Rosario tied Dale Mitchell as Canada’s all-time leading scorer with 19 goals, after burying a penalty kick in the 66th minute against St. Kitts and Nevis for the final match of the second round of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying. The Canadian National Team claimed first place in CONCACAF’s Group D with 14 points, allowing the Reds to advance to the third round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying.