Thaindian News

Houston, Nov 19 (IANS) US Major League Soccer (MLS) has picked Dwayne De Rosario of DC United the winner of 2011 Most Valuable Player (MVP).

The 33-year-old Canadian, who played the last 18 games of the regular season with DC United after spending the first half of the year with Toronto FC and the New York Red Bulls, beat Houston Dynamo’s Brad Davis and FC Dallas’ Brek Shea to become the fourth DC player and first Canadian to win the award.

The DC United midfielder received 72.72 percent of voting by media, players and club officials, Xinhua reported.

Houston Dynamo’s Brad Davis was second with 43.66 percent while FC Dallas’ Brek Shea came third with 27.59 percent.

Earlier this year, MLS crowned the veteran Canadian as winner of the Golden Boot for his 16 regular season goals, tied with those of San Jose Earthquakes striker Chris Wondolowski.

But De Rosario had 12 assists while Wondolowski had only 3.

De Rosario began this year with Toronto FC, his hometown club, but was dealt to New York Red Bulls April 1 after just two games.

From his central midfield spot he helped guide the Red Bulls to the top of the table by the end of April. But a prolonged, team-wide slump through May and June prompted Red Bulls to deal him to United for Dax McCarty.

MLS pointed out that his arrival in DC United lit the spark that propelled De Rosario to one of the most memorable hot streaks in league history.

He racked up 13 goals and seven assists in his 18 games with DC United, giving him a total of 16 goals and 12 assists on this year.

He was the only player in MLS to reach double-digits in both categories in 2011.

While his hot streak continued, DC United’s winning ways eventually stopped. A six-game winless run to finish the season saw them miss out on the playoffs, making De Rosario the first MLS MVP to play for a side that missed the post season.

Since 1998, De Rosario has been an outstanding player of the Canadian national team, playing either at forward or midfield, and has registered 19 goals in 63 caps. He was named Canadian Male Player of the Year for three consecutive years from 2005-07.

De Rosario’s 16 goals this year brings his MLS career total to 93 since he joined San Jose Earthquakes in 2001. He is the seventh on the all-time MLS scoring list and the third among active players.