De Rosario once played exhibitions for United
The first Major League Soccer jersey Dwayne De Rosario ever wore was that of D.C. United.
In the fall of 2000, a group of rostered players and invitees went on a postseason trip to El Salvador after United missed the playoffs for the first time. Among the eventual MLS and international players on the squad: forward Edson Buddle and defender Adrian Serioux.
Also included in the group was De Rosario, then a 22-year-old Canadian coming off a 15-goal, five-assist campaign with the Richmond Kickers in the A-League. His season had been closely followed by first-year D.C. United assistant Frank Yallop, himself a Canadian, not only because of De Rosario’s potential MLS-level talent but because of what he might offer to Canada’s national team, one Yallop would eventually coach.
But Yallop left Thomas Rongen’s staff after one season for the embattled San Jose Earthquakes, who had just went through an ownership, front office and coaching overhaul.
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D.C. United didn’t want Yallop to go because De Rosario went with him as the Earthquakes’ priority league allocation.
“Knowing Frank, with the national team and stuff, I went to San Jose, and the rest is history,” De Rosario said Thursday, wearing a D.C. United training shirt for the first time almost 11 years later.
In that time, United won one title, while De Rosario won two apiece in San Jose and Houston.
But it’s the present that’s of more concern for United. In urgent need of points to keep Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia (7-4-5) in sight, United (4-5-6) hopes the immediate incorporation of De Rosario will provide both offense and what has been lacking in recent years: belief.
“We’ve struggled with that,” United coach Ben Olsen said. “We’ve got a lot of young talent, a lot of upside, but it’ll be nice to bring in a guy that really knows how to win.”
United forward Charlie Davies even offered to cede a penalty kick to pave the way for his new teammate’s first goal with the team.
“It’s a huge boost,” Davies said. “It’s the step we need to make in the right direction as a team. He’s a piece that we’ve been lacking to really make our team that much more dangerous, that much more dynamic.”
De Rosario said his return to the area brings his career full circle. He met his wife while in Richmond, and when he suits up Saturday, he’ll return to the No. 7 he wore as a kid before changing to No. 14 (double 7) when it wasn’t available.
“There’s a rich soccer history here in Virginia,” De Rosario said. “There’s a lot of success at this club, and hopefully I can help them achieve more.”
