Courtesy of MLSsoccer.com:
NEW YORK (Sunday, Oct. 23, 2011) – With 16 goals, D.C. United forward Dwayne De Rosario has claimed the 2011 Budweiser Golden Boot, awarded to the League’s top goal scorer at the end of the regular season.
De Rosario’s career-high goal tally tied him with San Jose Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski for the league lead this season. As in FIFA competitions, MLS uses assists as the first tiebreaker to determine a single Budweiser Golden Boot winner, and De Rosario had 12 assists; Wondolowski had three. Wondolowski, the 2010 Golden Boot winner, is the third player to have won the Golden Boot and then tie for the lead the following season. He joins former MLS players Stern John (led in 1998 with 26; tied in 1999 with 18) and Carlos Ruiz (led in 2002 with 24; tied in 2003 with 15).
This year De Rosario became the first player in MLS history to score goals for three different teams over the course of a single season. As a member of Toronto FC, De Rosario scored one goal in two games before being traded to New York where he contributed two goals in 13 games. After joining D.C. United in a trade for Dax McCarty on June 27, De Rosario scored 13 goals and added seven assists in just 18 games.
Among his 16 goals and 12 assists are two hat tricks (versus Toronto FC on August 6 and versus Real Salt Lake on September 24), three game-winning goals, and four game-winning assists.
De Rosario has scored 93 league goals in his 11 MLS seasons, seventh most on the all-time list.
NOTE: Details on the MLS Cup Playoffs schedule will be announced this evening in a separate release from MLS Communications.
Top Goal Scorers in Each Season:
2011: 16 goals – Dwayne De Rosario (D.C. United); Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
2010: 18 goals – Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
2009: 17 goals – Jeff Cunningham (FC Dallas)
2008: 20 goals – Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)
2007: 20 goals – Luciano Emilio (D.C. United)
2006: 16 goals – Jeff Cunningham (Real Salt Lake)
2005: 17 goals – Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution)
2004: 12 goals – Eddie Johnson (Dallas Burn); Brian Ching (San Jose Earthquakes)
2003: 15 goals – Carlos Ruiz (Los Angeles Galaxy); Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution)
2002: 24 goals – Carlos Ruiz (Los Angeles Galaxy)
2001: 19 goals – Alex Pineda Chacon (Miami Fusion)
2000: 26 goals – Mamadou Diallo (Tampa Bay Mutiny)
1999: 18 goals – Stern John (Columbus Crew); Roy Lassiter (D.C. United); Jason Kreis (Dallas Burn)
1998: 26 goals – Stern John (Columbus Crew)
1997: 16 goals – Jaime Moreno (D.C. United)
1996: 27 goals – Roy Lassiter (Tampa Bay Mutiny)
