Dwayne De Rosario
A Canadian soccer maestro whose audacious goals and creative flair defined an MLS era, earning him the league's highest individual honor.
Born 1978 (age 48)·Canadian soccer player·Birthday: May 15·Generation X
Biography
Dwayne De Rosario didn't just play soccer; he authored moments of pure spectacle. Emerging as an offensive catalyst for San Jose and Houston, he became synonymous with breathtaking, long-range strikes and a swaggering style of play. His knack for scoring in championship games was uncanny, helping secure four MLS Cup titles. The pinnacle came in 2011 with D.C. United, where a stunning season earned him the MLS MVP award. For the Canadian national team, he became the all-time leading scorer, a symbol of attacking ambition for a nation forging its soccer identity.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Dwayne was born in 1978, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dwayne Was Born
The biggest hits of 1978
#1 Movie
Grease
Best Picture
The Deer Hunter
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Dwayne's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1978Born
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1983Started school
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1991Became a teenager
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Could drive
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1996Could vote
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1999Turned 21
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2008Turned 30
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 40
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 48 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the MLS Most Valuable Player award in 2011 while playing for D.C. United.
- Captured four MLS Cup championships (with San Jose in 2001, 2003, and Houston in 2006, 2007).
- Finished his career as the tenth-leading goal scorer in MLS history with 104 goals.
- Is the all-time leading scorer for the Canadian men's national soccer team.
Did You Know?
He scored a famous 'bicycle kick' goal for San Jose in the 2001 MLS Cup playoffs.
He is a published poet and has released a book of his writings.
He founded the De Rosario Academy to support youth soccer development.
“I always played with a chip on my shoulder. I always felt I had something to prove.”
