De Rosario named 2011 MLS Most Valuable Player

Major League Soccer announced D.C. United midfielder Dwayne De Rosario was voted the Volkswagen MLS Most Valuable Player for the 2011 season. De Rosario will receive the award and be presented to media in the Los Angeles area covering MLS Cup at The Home Depot Center on Friday 18 November at approximately 13.30 PT.

With files from Major League Soccer

Major League Soccer announced D.C. United midfielder Dwayne De Rosario was voted the Volkswagen MLS Most Valuable Player for the 2011 season. De Rosario will receive the award and be presented to media in the Los Angeles area covering MLS Cup at The Home Depot Center on Friday 18 November at approximately 13:30 PT.

Players, club representatives and media voted on the award. De Rosario received the most votes from each voting category, with an overall score of 72.72. Brad Davis of Houston Dynamo (43.66) and Brek Shea of FC Dallas (27.59) were the runners up.

Previously a finalist for MLS MVP honours in 2005 and 2006, De Rosario wins the award for the first time in his career in 2011. He was also the 2011 MLS Budweiser Golden Boot winner as the leading scorer (16 goals) as well as a MLS Best XI selection for a record sixth time. He won MLS Player of the Week honours three times during the course of the year.

After starting the season with Toronto FC, De Rosario moved to the New York Red Bulls three games into the season. In late June, De Rosario was traded to D.C. United, where he hit his stride and amassed 13 goals and seven assists in 18 games. De Rosario became the first player in MLS history to score for three different teams in one year.

De Rosario is named MLS MVP in the same week he tied Canada’s all-time goal-scoring record in international football. De Rosario and Dale Mitchell are now equal with 19 goals apiece at the international “A” level. De Rosario scored his 19th career goal for Canada on Tuesday 15 November, a 4:0 win over St. Kitts and Nevis in FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. De Rosario also co-led the Canadian team with four goals in 2011 (equal with teammate Simeon Jackson).

The Canadian Soccer Association congratulates Dwayne De Rosario on his MLS Most Valuable Player award for the 2011 season.

Volkswagen MLS Most Valuable Player Winners

2011: Dwayne De Rosario – D.C. United
2010: David Ferreira – FC Dallas
2009: Landon Donovan – LA Galaxy
2008: Guillermo Barros Schelotto – Columbus Crew
2007: Luciano Emilio – D.C. United
2006: Christian Gomez – D.C. United
2005: Taylor Twellman – New England Revolution
2004: Amado Guevara – MetroStars
2003: Preki – Kansas City Wizards
2002: Carlos Ruiz – Los Angeles Galaxy
2001: Alex Pineda Chacon – Miami Fusion
2000: Tony Meola – Kansas City Wizards
1999: Jason Kreis – Dallas Burn
1998: Marco Etcheverry – D.C. United
1997: Preki – Kansas City Wizards
1996: Carlos Valderrama – Tampa Bay Mutiny