Dwayne De Rosario is going home.
The dynamic Canadian international midfielder was dealt to Toronto FC for defender Julius James and an allocation in a blockbuster deal with the Houston Dynamo on Friday afternoon.
"Dwayne is a player we've admired for quite some time. When the chance came to work with Houston to get this deal, we were obviously very happy," TFC director of soccer Mo Johnston said in a team-released statement. "He's a wonderful talent and I hope all of our supporters are as excited as we are that Dwayne is now a member of Toronto FC."
De Rosario, who hails from nearby Scarborough, Ont., began his professional career with the Toronto Lynx and spent three seasons with the Dynamo, winning back-to-back MLS Cups. He was named the MVP of the 2007 MLS Cup for the second time in his career after scoring the winning goal in the 74th minute.
De Rosario also won MLS Cup titles with the San Jose Earthquakes in 2001, scoring the golden goal, and in 2003.
"2001 was very special to me because it was my first year in the league," De Rosario said. "Frank Yallop gave me the opportunity to be involved in this league and I went on to score the winning goal for San Jose to win the MLS Cup for the first time in their history. That really marked my name in the league and it is a moment I will never forget."
De Rosario, who has scored 15 goals in 49 appearances for the Canadian National Team, has never hidden his admiration for Toronto or his desire to play there - one day. That day has come.
"Being born in Scarborough and growing up in the Toronto area, it is great to have professional soccer here," De Rosario said. "The support that Toronto FC gets is amazing. The fan base is tremendous and they are passionate, knowledgeable fans."
The 30-year-old had that chance in July when the MLS All-Stars took on West Ham United of the English Premier League. De Rosario came on in the second half to score what proved to be the game-winning goal in a 3-2 win for the MLS All-Stars.
"It's definitely a dream come true, scoring in a game of this magnitude," De Rosario said after the game. "This game is huge. People don't realize how big this is because this is an opportunity to showcase our talent throughout the world and show them how good this league is."
While Toronto FC gains a marquee name and one of the best attacking midfielders in MLS, Houston welcomes a solid center back in Julius James, a 24-year-old from Trinidad and Tobago who played 13 games for TFC, scoring one goal this year, and a sizeable allocation.
James is expected to replace Bobby Boswell, who is out of contract and reportedly interested in a European move.
"This move is in the best interest of everybody and now gives the Dynamo real opportunity to address a number of its off-season goals," Dynamo coach Dom Kinnear said. "We are receiving a bright young talent in Julius James, and now have great salary cap flexibility to bring in players that can add to our strong base."
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