AFTER 90: Isn't it time for a song?

A team on his shoulders

HOUSTON DYNAMO 1 - TORONTO FC 2

He's Toronto FC's all-time leading goal scorer, he holds most club offensive records in fact. He's a hometown boy and the club captain who also proudly wears this country's colours. Tonight, he lifted a truly lost looking TFC side to only their second away victory of 2010 on the power of two of the finest free kicks you could take. Then why, oh why, doesn't Dwayne De Rosario get the overwhelming respect and support of a good portion of TFC's support?

It is a minority, but a very vocal one, in the midst of TFC's supporter groups that just refuse to give the man his due. The criticisms range from De Ro being labelled a "ball hog" to a "locker room bad apple" to "inconsistent and selfish." The behind the scenes conjecture is mostly based on message board rumour but critiques of his on the field performances are a bit baffling.

We are far from putting down anyone's opinions here but ask yourself just how much worse TFC would have been over the last two years without De Ro. If the Scarborough native does seem to be "selfish" or "disappear" perhaps it's time to step back and ask what kind of quality options his teammates provide in offence, and, if he has "disappeared" it might just be he's having an off day but we've become accustomed to having him carry this club on his shoulders and always expect it.

Tonight in Houston, the match seemed as if it was "Night of the Playoff Dead". TFC looked so poor that Chad Barrett even called out the team on live TV at halftime and openly ripped their putrid performance. Having gone down 1-0 early, it looked as if TFC was having "yet another 2010 road game". The fact that De Rosario pulled two bits of magic out of a hat on a night when most around him were so poor only illuminates his importance to this club.

If you are one who will never like the confident De Ro (possibly for that reason) stop and wonder when the next time this club will have a hometown boy who leads so dominantly. Perhaps when the stadium sings every match for a likeable yet briefly effective journeyman, we can stop, and instead sing (regularly) for the best player this club has ever had.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Best. Red. Ever.
GOAT OF THE MATCH: Mo Johnston for apparently lying to him about DP money - I'm still petty

MATCH IN FIVE WORDS: Terrible. Pathetic. Sloppy. Then De Ro.

SENSATIONAL HEADLINE: "HOUSTON HAS PROBLEMS"

TOTALLY FAKE POST-MATCH QUOTE: "See, I told you Toronto should have gotten rid of that Canadian guy. What's with all that goal-scoring and road winning? They could have had a nice 0-0 out there." - ex-TFC coach Preki is confused by the desire to score on the road

De Ro breaks through "Night of the Playoff Dead"