HOUSTON, TX - Houston Dynamo forward and All-Star game MVP Dwayne De Rosario was selected as one of the finalists for the Honda MLS Most Valuable Player Award, it was announced today.
Just yesterday, De Rosario highlighted the Dynamo's first-annual awards luncheon by receiving the award as the team's Most Valuable Player and by also sharing the team's Budweiser Golden Boot with Brian Ching.
"This has been an incredible season for me. I feel fortunate to be considered once again for such an important distinction. Hopefully I'll win it this time around", said De Rosario, who last year finished as runner-up for the Honda MLS MVP Award.
De Rosario, who this year will be competing with D.C. United's Christian Gómez and Real Salt Lake's Jeff Cunningham for the award, was a fundamental piece of Houston's offense during the 2006 regular season, in which the team secured its first-ever trip to the 2006 MLS Cup Playoffs. In 30 games played (29 starts), "De Ro" scored 11 goals, and distributed 5 assists. He also scored the winning goal against Chelsea at the 2006 MLS All-Star Game in Chicago on August 5. This earned him a nod as the game's Most Valuable Player. Along with Ching, De Rosario is also a solid contender for the Sierra Mist MLS Goal of the Year Award.
The finalists for this award earned the most votes in polling of MLS players, general managers, coaches, referees and members of the media. The Honda MLS Most Valuable Player will be announced on Thursday, Nov. 9 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas, site of MLS Cup 2006, which is being played on Sunday, Nov. 12.
