DE ROSARIO UP FOR MLS MVP, HASSLI NOMINATED FOR NEWCOMERS

A season of upheaval is ending in the spotlight for Canadian Dwayne De Rosario.
The 33-year-old attacker's journey took him from a contract dispute at Toronto FC to a scoring spree at D.C. United, with a stop at the New York Red Bulls in the middle. Despite the moves, he led the league in scoring to claim the Golden Boot Award with 16 goals and 12 assists.
On Monday, De Rosario was announced as a finalist for Major League Soccer's Volkswagen MVP Award, along with midfielder Brad Davis of the Houston Dynamo and defender-turned-attacker Brek Shea of FC Dallas.
"It would mean a lot (to win it), to be honest," De Rosario told an Oct. 28 conference call when asked about the MVP award. "I've been runner-up quite a few times but to actually win it I think would be huge.
"Not only for myself -- I think it's much bigger than me -- but for all the Canadian kids aspiring to play professional soccer especially in Toronto and especially where I come from. I think it would be a huge motivational lift for a lot of kids that look up to me and want to play professional soccer, that you can do it, regardless of what your situation is. You could overcome everything and still see your dream and career."
The MVP winner will be announced Nov. 18.
"I don't see any reason why he shouldn't be league MVP," D.C. United coach Ben Olsen was quoted on his team's website, "He was a big part of our success and he came in and did what Dwayne does -- make special plays and entertain."
Vancouver Whitecaps forward Eric Hassli is a finalist for Newcomer of the Year, along with Luke Rodgers of the New York Red Bulls and Mauro Rosales of the Seattle Sounders FC.
The big tattooed Frenchman finished with 10 goals, including the Whitecaps' first in MLS in the season-opening win over Toronto on March 19 at Empire Field.
Hassli also won worldwide attention with a spectacular volley June 11 against the Seattle Sounders.
De Rosario played just two games for TFC this season before being traded to the Red Bulls on April 1. He played 13 games there before being shipped to D.C. United on June 27.
Discarded by two teams, the veteran Canadian put on a show with his playmaking and scoring skills. De Rosario is a game changer who can slash open a defence for a teammate, or score himself with his feet or his head, from anywhere around the penalty box.
He had 13 goals and seven assists in 18 games with D.C. United, winning four club awards: Most Valuable Player, Fans' Choice, Golden Boot, and Goal of the Year.
In September, he made MLS history with the league's fastest hat trick, scoring in the 22nd, 27th and 31st minutes against Real Salt Lake.
He called it a "difficult year" for he and his family, but paid tribute to D.C. United for helping him adjust.
"There was a lot to deal with, I can tell you that much," De Rosario said. "With the relocation, constantly having to work alongside different players. Just having to overcome all of that.
"But they (D.C. United) really made it easy for me and made me feel at home as soon as I got here and I felt comfortable. The fans took to me and they showed me a lot of support -- same as the organization."
Powerful, mobile and hard to stop, Shea had 11 goals and four assists in 31 games for Dallas. Davis, who pulls the strings in the Houston midfield, led the league with 16 assists and triggered the Dynamo offence with his set piece deliveries. He also had four goals in 34 games.
De Rosario started his pro career in 1997 with the Toronto Lynx, playing up front with another mobile youngster named Paul Stalteri. Both went on to captain Canada.
DeRosario had a brief stint with FSV Zwickau, a minor German club in 1998. Without the proper passport, and hampered by Canada's lowly ranking in the world standings, he would have problems finding the right home in Europe.
So he made the MLS his league.
De Rosario, currently in Florida with the Canadian national team, has won just about everything else in MLS but MVP (he was runner-up in 2005 and was also a finalist in 2006).
He won the MLS Cup in 2001 and 2003 with San Jose and 2006 and 2007 with Houston, earning MLS Cup MVP honours in 2001 and 2007.
DeRo also won goals of the year honours in 2004 and 2005 and is a five-time all-star and five-time member of the league Best XI.
Los Angeles Galaxy star David Beckham is nominated for Comeback Player of the Year, along with Charlie Davies of D.C. United and Dominic Oduro of the Chicago Fire.
Coach of the Year is between Bruce Arena of the Galaxy, Sigi Schmid of the Seattle Sounders and Peter Vermes of Sporting Kansas City.
Goalkeeper of the Year finalists are Kevin Hartman of FC Dallas, Kasey Keller of the Seattle Sounders and Faryd Mondragon of the Philadelphia Union.
Top rookie is between Michael Farfan of Philadelphia, Perry Kitchen of D.C. United, and C.J. Sapong of Sporting Kansas City.
Winners will be announced this week and next, starting Tuesday with the rookie award.
The voting, based on regular season performances, was done by current MLS players, club officials and media.