Where do you think Dwayne De Rosario will end up?

[king1010]

So according to his insta, dero has retired and taken an ambassador role with MLSE.

Great career, Canadas all time leading goal scorer. All the best to him in this new chapter.

[Vince193]

For me, He's the best player we've ever had.

[Keegan]

De Rosario retires as our leading goal scorer in 2015. 

[-Hammer-]

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2015/05/10/canadian-mls-legend-dwayne-de-rosario-announces-end-playing-career-instagram

 

As far as what spurned this? I don't see him as good enough to be worth the import cost in MLS and I don't think he's needed on Vancouver or Montreal. That leaves the NASL and that's a big pay cut and you're basically being brought on to be more a mentor then a player. It's also a lot of roots you suddenly have to transplant to play out what's left of your career (which at best I'd say four more years?). Only place I would see would be Ottawa, and even then it's probably not his cup of tea at this stage.

 

So he'll do this ambassador gig for a while, until MLSE stops paying the bills and then I would expect retirement and from there starting a coaching and development career, and try to grow the game in Toronto. From my understanding he has a highschool education (please correct me if I am wrong) so I don't really see another occupation being dropped in his lap.

Edited May 11, 2015 by -Hammer-

[Gian-Luca]

It had to happen eventually, but I will miss seeing him play - had been watching him play for either Canada and/or my local pro team since 1997......

[king1010]

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2015/05/10/canadian-mls-legend-dwayne-de-rosario-announces-end-playing-career-instagram

As far as what spurned this? I don't see him as good enough to be worth the import cost in MLS and I don't think he's needed on Vancouver or Montreal. That leaves the NASL and that's a big pay cut and you're basically being brought on to be more a mentor then a player. It's also a lot of roots you suddenly have to transplant to play out what's left of your career (which at best I'd say four more years?). Only place I would see would be Ottawa, and even then it's probably not his cup of tea at this stage.

So he'll do this ambassador gig for a while, until MLSE stops paying the bills and then I would expect retirement and from there starting a coaching and development career, and try to grow the game in Toronto. From my understanding he has a highschool education (please correct me if I am wrong) so I don't really see another occupation being dropped in his lap.

A lot of pro athletes who retire only have a high school education but manage to land jobs above their education qualifications. To say you were a pro athlete for 20 years and one of the best players ever for your country in a specific sport may see some employers look past the lack of post secondary education.

I think dero will be just fine in securing employment(once his mlse ambassador role is finished) in this new chapter in life.

Edited May 11, 2015 by king1010

[Vince193]

The usual brigade on Twitter is popping up now talking about how De Ro failed when it mattered. All of Canada failed when it mattered. Do we hate Atiba now for not getting us to the WC?

 

I get now why some players don't enjoy playing for Canada. Absolutely toxic individuals around here claiming to be "fans."

Edited May 11, 2015 by Vince193

[shaku_bert]

It had to happen eventually, but I will miss seeing him play - had been watching him play for either Canada and/or my local pro team since 1997......

i remember seeing him play in Winnipeg at the Pan-Am games.  He certainly had wild skill.  I hope he does well in this new chapter of his life.

[ray]

The usual brigade on Twitter is popping up now talking about how De Ro failed when it mattered. All of Canada failed when it mattered.

 

So true.

 

Thank you and good luck, Dwayne!  I hope you find a role in developing and inspiring the generations of Canadian soccer players to come.

[The Ref]

For me, He's the best player we've ever had.

Myself I prefer Alex Bunbury.

[-Hammer-]

A lot of pro athletes who retire only have a high school education but manage to land jobs above their education qualifications. To say you were a pro athlete for 20 years and one of the best players ever for your country in a specific sport may see some employers look past the lack of post secondary education.

I think dero will be just fine in securing employment(once his mlse ambassador role is finished) in this new chapter in life.

 

Well...really depends on the sport. Many pro athletes can afford to retire after their career is done. However many players end up getting scholarships in the US for their athletic accomplishments or participated in post secondary play in order to build for their career.

 

Don't get me wrong though, I'm not trying to rip into the guy and I hope he does well in whatever he chooses to do after his ambassador gig.

[Lord Bob]

The usual brigade on Twitter is popping up now talking about how De Ro failed when it mattered. All of Canada failed when it mattered. Do we hate Atiba now for not getting us to the WC?

 

I get now why some players don't enjoy playing for Canada. Absolutely toxic individuals around here claiming to be "fans."

It's true, Canada is the only country in the world where underperforming players are criticized. All players go on Twitter and cry if they're called out for a decade of selfishness and underperformance. Owen Hargreaves played for England because their supporters are so well-adjusted.

[jonovision]

Dwayne De Rosario was a good player for Canada with some obvious flaws. By no means was he the best ever. Many will point to his goals record, but a strike rate only slightly better than 1 in 4 is hardly impressive (Tosaint Ricketts, for instance, is only slightly worse, with more of his appearances coming as a substitute). Many of his goals are spot kicks, or piled up against the likes of St Vincent or St Kitts. Depending on your definitions, he only scored 3 or 4 goals in competitive matches against a decent opponent. Sadly, for guys in a Canada uniform that still stands out as pretty good. But there have been better performers in a Canadian shirt. Look up Dale Mitchell's career and you'll see more goals in bigger situations in fewer matches.

 

The day after his official retirement is probably not the best time to be running him down as a player, but it should not come as a surprise that many who have watched him play for Canada would object to the statement that he is "the best player we've ever had".

Edited May 11, 2015 by jonovision

[Toje]

Myself I prefer Alex Bunbury.

 

[king1010]

I think there are two ways to classify best player we ever had. Are we talking about league play? or are we talking about canMNT play?

[shermanator]

I only started watching DeRo after he came to Toronto in 2009 so I don't have much of a love or hate towards the guy. DeRo was the first, and to date really the only true Canadian star in MLS, and for that he deserves major credit. Hopefully he paves the way for younger Canadian kids to be stars closer to home.

 

His performances for the national team that I watched were underwhelming, but again I was watching DeRo once he was over the hill in this regard. Save for the goal against Panama in the last round of WCQ (where equal credit should be given to Hutchinson), he did not greatly influence the game. 

 

So, the best ever? Probably not. But definitely a great contributor to soccer in this country, and he should receive some adulation for that.

[Jason]

Hats off to De Ro on a great career overall.  I am really starting to feel my age on here.  I remember watching De Ro and Stalteri play for Canada's U20 team in 1997 and thinking these were the guys that would lead Canada to the next level.  Both had great careers and became the #1 and #3 most capped players, but they never did lead us to the World Cup.  

 

Here's a link to that 1997 U20 club: http://www.fifa.com/u20worldcup/archive/malaysia1997/teams/team=44020/groups.html

 

I guess we can understand why Canada never made it to the next level with De Ro and Stalteri - most of the rest of this group never amounted to much as professionals.  I realize that each U20 cycle you aren't going to get a huge number of players who will factor on your MNT, but most of these guys didn't even have notable pro careers.  I think Hastings is the only other player who spent any significant time in Europe.  The rest stayed in North America or didn't play pro.

 

Jason 

[Keegan]

Best Canadian player ever?  I think domestically without question.  There will be some who point to Dale Mitchell and others but those players didn't have nearly as good a career at the club level as Dwayne did.  

 

Also there is no point in comparing Dwayne's strike rate to others for Canada.  He wasn't primarily a striker, his prime for Canada was spent on the left wing around the 2007 Gold Cup.. that year he scored 5 goals for Canada (Venezuela, Costa Rica, Haiti (2), Guatemala) 3 in Gold Cup and the 2 friendlies were decent opponents.

 

Growing up the two footballers who inspired me most were Alan Shearer and Dwayne De Rosario.  I think you don't know what you have until it's gone and in 10 years people will look back at Dwayne's accomplishments with awe.  I would stay up late as a kid to watch San Jose on the west coast just to see him play, this was at a time when there was zero interest in MLS in Canada. 

 

Can anyone see a Canadian in the next 15 years ending his career as decorated as De Rosario?  I thought Will Johnson might but to win MLS MVP, multiple MLS cups, the Gold Cup... that's a big hill.  

[Obinna]

Yeah and to add to that Will Johnson doesn't have the same level of creativity and skill to pull off what DeRo did.

That's not to say WJ won't have a solid MLS career - he's already a 3-time MLS Allstar, an MLS Cup-winner, and has a GOTY award under his belt.

That is something for CMNT fans to be proud of for sure but to be a superstar you need to display individual feats of brilliance - and DeRo did just that!

Congrats on a spectacular career! Truly a generational player. There is nobody on the horizon that has his blend of swagger and innovation with the ball at his feet....

[Obinna]

Yeah and to add to that Will Johnson doesn't have the same level of creativity and skill to pull off what DeRo did.

That's not to say WJ won't have a solid MLS career - he's already a 3-time MLS Allstar, an MLS Cup-winner, and has a GOTY award under his belt.

That is something for CMNT fans to be proud of for sure but to be a superstar you need to display individual feats of brilliance - and DeRo did just that!

Congrats on a spectacular career! Truly a generational player. There is nobody on the horizon that has his blend of swagger and innovation with the ball at his feet....

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

Is he "retired" retired? Or only from club play? He stated in previous interviews that if he got a call from the national team that he was always willing to say yes to it...

 

Could we see him in June/July? (late game sub?)

Edited May 11, 2015 by Olympique_de_Marseille

[jonovision]

Is he "retired" retired? Or only from club play? He stated in previous interviews that if he got a call from the national team that he was always willing to say yes to it...

 

Could we see him in June/July? (late game sub?)

 

Lord, I hope not. 

[king1010]

Is he "retired" retired? Or only from club play? He stated in previous interviews that if he got a call from the national team that he was always willing to say yes to it...

 

Could we see him in June/July? (late game sub?)

 

no

[nfitz]

I wonder if there should be some kind of tribute game.  TFC could always roll him out for the Manchester City game.  I guess there's not likely to be a friendly in Canada while he's still close to game shape ...

[BrennanFan]

deRo is surely one of Canada's best 11 all time.  The most creative attacking player Canada has ever produced.  He gained respect Concacaf wide; all of our competition saw him as our most dangerous threat.  His accomplishments speak for themselves.  He was the face of Canadian soccer for over 10 years, a true media presence who represented Canadian soccer better than any other player.  

 

He deserved a better end to his career.  TFC could have given him one more goodbye contract.  Surely he still has more to contribute than Lovits, Jackson, and even Findley.  

 

Thank you for all the memories Dwayne.  A true Canadian soccer LEGEND.