De Rosario surprised by MVP honour

Dwayne De Rosario agrees it is pretty unconventional that he won the Major League Soccer Most Valuable Player award this season.

Despite having 18 goals and 12 assists in 33 appearances, the attacking midfielder’s club, D.C. United, narrowly missed the playoffs. Yet, De Rosario is steadfast in his belief that he deserved the honor.

“Everyone has their opinion and they are entitled to have that opinion. MVP is Most Valuable Player, it’s about one individual and his success, how he overcame obstacles and helped his team out,” explained De Rosario.

It is the first time in De Rosario’s successful 14-year career that he has been acknowledged as the league’s top player.

However, the Canadian international said that as happy as he is to have won, he is disappointed that D.C. could not make the playoffs.

De Rosario has won four MLS cups, two each with the San Jose Earthquakes and the Houston Dynamo and he admitted that he would like to win more titles, hopefully with United.

“I never play for personal awards, I play for team success.” said De Rosario. “I think DC is a team to look out for in the future.”

Houston’s Brad Davis and FC Dallas’ Brek Shea were second and third in voting respectively and De Rosario was complementary of the two Texas midfielders.

“I’d like to congratulate Brek Shea, who is the future of MLS and Brad Davis, whose had a great career and a great season,” he said.

De Rosario and Davis were teammates during Houston’s back-to-back title run between 2006 and 2007.