Kickin’ it DeRo takes aim at the CSA’s failure to produce a winning national team
De rosario
In DeRo’s opinion ... De s pi t e r e ce n t s ucce s s at t h e go l d cup, c a n a d a’ s fa il ur e t o q u a l if y f or t h e 2 010 w or l d cup s hou l d b e a c a l l t o a r m s t o o v e r h a u l t h e n at ion a l s occe r p rogr a m by Ryan Johnston | sportsnet.ca saying this or that guy saying
the result of a decade worth of
FC brought the most tal-
that, it was always just little
bureaucratic disorder at the top
ented and decorated Cana-
pockets of guys saying things,”
levels of the CSA. The experi-
dian soccer star of this genera-
De Rosario says. “I just say what
enced and talented team that
tion back home. But what the
needs to be said for the team
was pegged by many to chal-
fledgling Major League Soccer
and you hope that people listen
lenge for a spot in South Africa
franchise might not have realized
and respond … and you get what
scored just two goals in its first
is that Dwayne De Rosario is also
you hope to get.”
three matches and was elimi-
the most outspoken.
What needed to be said was that
nated by the halfway point of
Now, with the platform to deliver
the people entrusted to grow
the six-match qualification group
his message, the man known
the game of soccer in Canada
stage.
simply as ‘DeRo’ has the Cana-
were in fact letting it down. In De
It was humiliating, but De Ro-
dian Soccer Association and its
Rosario’s mind, the failure of the
sario, who grew up learning the
handling of the men’s national
Canadian men’s national team
game in the Toronto suburb of
squad squarely in his sights.
in its bid to qualify for the 2010
Scarborough, had warned of the
“I was sick of hearing this guy
World Cup in South Africa was
harbingers of things to come to
2 SPORTSNET.CA PLUS
Though Dwayne De Rosario has sported Canada’s national colours CUTLINE on previous occasions, he excused himself from the team following its failure to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Nick Laham / Getty Images
I
n December of 2008 Toronto
de rosario PLUS SOUND
De Rosario on playing in Scarborough as a boy PLAY NOW simply come to-
the opening game
gether quickly and
kicked off in Toronto
get the results based
on July 1, 2008.
on the fact that the
“People need to pay
team looked good on
more attention to
paper.
the men’s national
“It is a shame be-
team and why it is
cause I think we
not successful,” De
really had the quality
Rosario says. “It
and the players that
should be success-
deserved to taste
ful; we have enough
the World Cup,” De
successful players
Rosario says. “But
around the globe,
like I said: a lot of
playing at big clubs
things did not go
and doing well.
our way and things
There is something
that we were asking
missing.”
didn’t get answered
What is missing is
and we suffered.”
a unified national
For De Rosario, the
one with a clear vision of where the sport needs to go and how it can get
suffering ended after a 2-1 loss to Mexico in the third match De Rosario holds aloft the Major League Soccer Cup after winning the championship with the Houston Dynamo in 2007.
there. In the past 10
of six. With just one point earned and holders of last place in
years the CSA has been
arrange suitable opponents on
the antithesis of these qualities
international dates set aside by
De Rosario announced he was
and was ultimately exposed in
FIFA. Furthermore, in the past 10
finished with the national team
the disastrous qualification run.
years the men’s team has played
under its current regime. Irrec-
At the crux of the resentment
just five matches on home soil.
oncilable differences with then
was lack of preparation. The
So, with very little preparation
head coach Dale Mitchell and the
Canadian men’s national team
De Rosario and the rest of the
perceived apathy shown by the
is notorious for struggling to
Canadian team were expected to
CSA forced De Rosario to quit the
4 SPORTSNET.CA PLUS
the four-team group,
Stan Honda / AFP / Getty Images
soccer association,
Mitchell Layton / Getty Images For MLS
officials long before
As tough as he is on the pitch, De Rosario has taken an even tougher stand with the Canadian Soccer Association. “People need to pay more attention to the men’s national team and why it is not successful,” he tells sportsnet.ca’s Ryan Johnston. SPORTSNET.CA PLUS 5
de rosario PLUS SOUND
De Rosario on his move to England
Scott Pribyl / MLS via Getty Images
PLAY NOW
De Rosario’s presence on the Toronto FC roster this season is a big reason why the team is finally in contention for the playoffs.
things,” De Rosario recalls. “I re-
starting 11 player for England,
member the fields being so nice
his success abroad leaving a bit-
and the players were given top
ter taste in the mouths of many
priority.”
Canadians.
In the wake of the men’s national
The sting of abandonment would
team being eliminated from 2010
strike again in 2008 when teen-
contention last October, the CSA
age prodigy Jonathan de Guz-
released a budget promise of
man received his Dutch passport,
$25 million by 2013. The CSA’s
leaving behind the same fields
operating budget in 2007 was
where De Rosario played as a
$12 million, $4.5 of which was
child in Scarborough.
directed toward the senior men’s
As a patriotic Canadian, the deci-
team.
sions of both Hargreaves and de
“I won’t say (the England ex-
Guzman did not seem traitorous
ample) is successful, but the way
to De Rosario, but rather the
they treat their players and the
fallout of the bureaucratic defi-
preparation surrounding prac-
ciencies.
tices and such is first-class,” he
“It is sad that we put people in
says.
the position where they want
But in pointing out the success of
to play for other countries,” De
England, De Rosario is swinging a
Rosario said. “I think if the orga-
double-edged sword.
nization was committed to our
The grass being greener on the
national team they would want
other side of the ocean has long
to stay. At the end of the day it
team.
Disappointment at the profes-
But being off the team did not
repairing the reputation of a
been a temptation for Canadian
is a personal choice. They know
“It was very disappointing. In
sional level has been foreign to
deter De Rosario in his verbal
country that has slumped to No.
players looking to make a name
they’re Canadian, I don’t think
this day and age if you play one
De Rosario. In eight MLS seasons
crusade. In fact, his homecom-
92 in the FIFA world rankings, De
abroad. Calgary-born Owen
either would ever deny that, but
forward you are going to get
the 31-year-old has never missed
ing with Toronto FC provided the
Rosario is quick to point out that
Hargeaves ducked out on his own
like I said it is sad that the situ-
punished, and we got punished,”
the playoffs and has four league
player with a captive audience
the simple things would be an
press conference to link up with
ation made them choose to play
De Rosario says. “We were very
titles on his resume. He is also
to proliferate the message he
ideal place.
the English national team before
where they are now.”
defensive-minded going in to
one of 18 Canadian men to win
has been preaching from afar for
“I went to England as a kid and it
World Cup 2002 in South Korea/
On the opposite end of the spec-
those games even though we had
an international soccer tourna-
most of his career.
was an eye-opening experience.
Japan. Hargreaves would estab-
trum, with 52 senior caps to his
an attacking-minded team.”
ment, the 2000 Gold Cup.
As for where the CSA can start
I saw how professional they do
lish himself as a member of the
credit, De Rosario was forced to
6 SPORTSNET.CA PLUS
SPORTSNET.CA PLUS 7
de rosario PLUS SOUND
De Rosario’s prediction for 2010 World Cup
make a personal choice regard-
was forced to move on without
ing his own future with the Cana-
the no-shows. The question is
dian team on the eve of the 2009
will the door still be open come
Gold Cup.
next qualifying.
A promise made to Toronto FC
“(The no shows) will have to
the day he was brought home by
answer that question,” Hart said.
the MLS club would win out as De
“When you are talking about your
Rosario turned down the oppor-
national team it comes down to
tunity to return to the men’s na-
the players who want to play.
tional team, which was under the
About people having faith in the
new leadership he sought back in
team and the future, I can’t pre-
October. Mitchell was replaced by
dict that.”
Stephan Hart, who orchestrated
De Rosario insists he is not done
an immediate return to attacking
wearing the No. 14 jersey for
soccer.
Canada. In fact, it can be ar-
While the new style would com-
gued that the coaching change
plement a player like De Rosario,
and the subsequent success is
club success and settling his wife
in some small part a product of
and three children after being
his criticisms. While the expecta-
uprooted from Houston to To-
tion of playoff soccer in Toronto
ronto took priority.
has moved De Rosario on to the
“It was a decision I made to
next challenge, he is not about
make a full commitment to TFC
to lay down the responsibility of
right now and to focus on my
remaining one of the few strong
season,” De Rosario says. “It is a
voices in Canadian soccer.
big year ahead of us and I want
“Player have needs and wants
to make sure we accomplish
and not only for yourself but for
what I have in my mind for this
the betterment of the team and
team.”
for your country. That is where
Ironically, Canada shrugged off
I stand,” De Rosario says. “I am
the yoke of last year’s disap-
still going to be a part of the
pointment to finish first in its
national team and I am certainly
group at the Gold Cup. Coach
still going to voice my opinion.”
Hart, the man behind the revival, 8 SPORTSNET.CA PLUS
Miguel Riopa / AFP / Getty Images
PLAY NOW
De Rosario and Canada teammate Jim Brennan battle Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo during a friendly in Portugal in 2006. SPORTSNET.CA PLUS 9
Harry How / AllSport
de rosario
De Rosario holds his son in one arm and his MVP trophy in the other after being named the star of the Columbus Crew’s MLS championship team in 2001. De Rosario scored the winning goal in overtime. 10 SPORTSNET.CA PLUS