Pair of Toronto FC legends named to MLS’s ‘The 25 Greatest’

TORONTO, Canada—As part of its 25th season celebration, Major League Soccer (MLS) unveiled ‘The Greatest 25’ presented by AT&T: their top-25 most decorated and impactful players in league history.

The list, which was not ultimately ranked, included two former Toronto FC players.

Canada Soccer icon and Toronto-native Dwayne De Rosario spent the better part of 14 seasons in MLS which included stints with five different clubs—including two with his hometown Reds. He represented San Jose Earthquakes from 2001-2005, Houston Dynamo from 2006-2008, Toronto FC from 2009-2011, New York Red Bulls in 2011, D.C. United in 2011-2013, and finally Toronto FC again in 2014.

During that span, De Rosario was named to the MLS Best XI on six different occasions, and of course, was named MLS’s Most Valuable Player in 2011 after winning the Golden Boot. He won the MLS Cup a jaw-dropping four times, including twice when he was named MLS Cup MVP (2001, 2007).

The former Canadian international, a seven-time MLS All-Star, currently sits ninth on the league’s all-time scoring list. I believe De Rosario is also the only Canadian on the list.

Dwayne De Rosario joined Waking the Red Weekly on Nov. 17 to discuss his nomination & more.

Joining De Rosario on the prestigious list of course is Sebastian Giovinco, Toronto FC’s all-time leading scorer. Giovinco spent just four seasons in MLS, but during that span, he took the league by storm, earning a place in the MLS Best XI on three occasions.

In 114 league games, the Italian Stallion scored 68 goals and added 52 assists, winning the MLS Most Valuable Player award and Golden Boot in 2015. Giovinco, of course, also played a crucial role on the Reds’ treble-winning 2017 team, leading Toronto to its first-ever MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield.

Below is the full ‘The Greatest 25’ list. The voting panel for the awawrd was comprised of four groups: MLS Greats & Emeritus (former players, coaches, staff), current MLS Club staff, Media Members and Broadcast Partners (local and national). MLS invited panelists based on years of experience within MLS, geographic balance, and game expertise.

• Jeff Agoos
• Kyle Beckerman
• David Beckham
• Carlos Bocanegra
• Dwayne De Rosario
• Clint Dempsey
• Landon Donovan
• Marco Etcheverry
• Robin Fraser
• Sebastian Giovinco
• Kevin Hartman
• Cobi Jones
• Robbie Keane
• Chad Marshall
• Josef Martinez
• Tony Meola
• Jaime Moreno
• Eddie Pope
• Preki
• Steve Ralston
• Nick Rimando
• Carlos Valderrama
• Diego Valeri
• Chris Wondolowski
• Bradley Wright-Phillips