DOHA, Qatar – Long before he became a national icon, Dwayne De Rosario primarily had access to one sport. His family, which had immigrated from Guyana, lived in a Toronto suburb, far below the tony bluffs that loomed above. They didn’t sleep in one of the large houses with stunning cliffside views of Lake Ontario, didn’t hike on nearby trails or eat at fancy restaurants. They stayed in what’s called Metro Housing, on public assistance, a government social services program. He couldn’t try hockey, because he couldn’t afford skates.
But soccer? That sport, he could play. He started at age 3. He dribbled and passed and scored and dominated, until, at age 14, AC Milan called. De Rosario rejected the club’s offer to join its renowned development program, because he couldn’t fathom leaving home. Not yet. Not then. He signed his first contract four years later, joining the Toronto Lynx.
Back then, in a country that last made the men’s World Cup in 1986, professional opportunities for Canadian soccer stars were scarce. This owed to a lack of resources and leagues and spotlight, not to mention shaky youth programs, a national team that rotated coaches like T-shirts and how hockey hogged the nation’s attention.
