Dominic James Dwyer (born July 30, 1990) is a professional
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
player who plays as a
forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
* Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Sm ...
. Born in England, he represented the
United States national team.
While in England, Dwyer represented, among other teams,
Norwich City
Norwich City Football Club (also known as The Canaries or The Yellows) is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. The club competes in the EFL Championship following their relegation from the Premier League in the 20 ...
as a youth. In 2009, he moved to the United States on a soccer scholarship and played for
Tyler Junior College
Tyler Junior College (TJC) is a public community college in Tyler, Texas. It is one of the largest community colleges in Texas, with an enrollment of more than 12,500 credit students each year with an additional 20,000 continuing education enroll ...
and the
South Florida Bulls
The South Florida Bulls (also known as the USF Bulls) are the athletic teams that represent the University of South Florida. USF competes in NCAA Division I and is a member of the American Athletic Conference for all sports besides sailing, w ...
. He was drafted by
Sporting Kansas City
Sporting Kansas City, often shortened to Sporting KC, is an American men's professional Association football, soccer club based in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The administrative offices are located in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, and t ...
of
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
in 2012, and won the
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the culmination of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The game is held in November and pits the winner of the Eastern Conference Final against the winner of the Western Conference ...
with them in 2013. In 2017, he joined
Orlando City SC
Orlando City SC is an American professional soccer club in Orlando, Florida, that competes as a member of the Eastern Conference in Major League Soccer (MLS). Orlando City SC began play in 2015 as the 21st franchise in MLS, succeeding the USL ...
in the largest transfer between two MLS clubs.
Dwyer became an American citizen in March 2017 and was called up to the
U.S. national team later that year for the
2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup
The 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the 14th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the biennial international men's soccer championship of the North, Central American and Caribbean region organized by CONCACAF, and 24th CONCACAF regional championship ove ...
, winning the tournament.
College and amateur
Dwyer was born in
Cuckfield
Cuckfield ( ) is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Mid Sussex District, Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England, on the southern slopes of the Weald. It lies south of London, north of Brighton, and east northeas ...
,
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in South East England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the shire districts of Adur, Arun, Chichester, Horsham, and Mid Sussex, and the boroughs of Crawley and Worthing. Covering an ar ...
.
After the family moved to
East Anglia
East Anglia is an area in the East of England, often defined as including the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, a people whose name originated in Anglia, in ...
he was spotted playing for King's Lynn Community Football by Jess Ibrom Football Development Officer and invited to the Kings Lynn FC Youth Team, and was then signed into the youth program of
Norwich City
Norwich City Football Club (also known as The Canaries or The Yellows) is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. The club competes in the EFL Championship following their relegation from the Premier League in the 20 ...
. Dwyer studied at the
College of West Anglia
The College of West Anglia (often abbreviated to CoWA or CWA) is a four-campus college of further and higher education in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk, England. The college has three campuses, located in King's Lynn, Milton and Wisbech, Cambridgesh ...
from 2006 to 2008.
After playing for
Staines Town
Staines Town Football Club was a semi-professional Association football, football club based in Staines-upon-Thames, Middlesex.
History
Early days
Staines Town FC was founded in 1892 and was known under various names including ''Staines F.C ...
for a year, in 2008, Dwyer joined
King's Lynn F.C.
King's Lynn Football Club was an English association football club based in King's Lynn, Norfolk. The club was founded in 1881 and they were wound up at the High Court on 25 November 2009 with debts of £77,000, going out of business in Decemb ...
, where he broke his right foot three times.
He was then told by doctors that he would never be physically capable of playing at a professional level.
Dwyer was given an opportunity by scout
Joe McLaughlin of Soccer Icon USA, to get a sports scholarship to study for a college degree in the U.S., Dwyer has said that he accepted the offer to get a free degree and that, at the time, he had given up on the dream of a soccer career.
Dwyer moved from England to attend
Tyler Junior College
Tyler Junior College (TJC) is a public community college in Tyler, Texas. It is one of the largest community colleges in Texas, with an enrollment of more than 12,500 credit students each year with an additional 20,000 continuing education enroll ...
in
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, where he won two national championships and was the national junior college player of the year after scoring 37 goals as a sophomore. After two years at Tyler, he made the move to the
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida (USF) is a public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, and other campuses in St. Petersburg and Sarasota. It is one of 12 members of the State University System of Florida. USF is ...
, where he played in 2011.
Professional career
Sporting Kansas City
![Dom Dwyer 2017 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Dom_Dwyer_2017_%28cropped%29.jpg)
On January 12, 2012, Dwyer was selected No. 16 overall in the
2012 MLS SuperDraft
The 2012 MLS SuperDraft was the thirteenth annual SuperDraft presented by Major League Soccer. It was held on January 12, 2012 at 12:00 p.m. (ET). The draft was reduced from three rounds to two with the 19 MLS clubs selecting a total of 38 p ...
by
Sporting Kansas City
Sporting Kansas City, often shortened to Sporting KC, is an American men's professional Association football, soccer club based in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The administrative offices are located in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, and t ...
. He was first included for a professional game on March 25, remaining an unused substitute in a 2–1 win over
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The club competes as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference in Major League Soccer (MLS). The franchise be ...
at
Sporting Park
Children's Mercy Park is a soccer-specific stadium in Kansas City, Kansas, United States, and is the home of Sporting Kansas City. The stadium is located near Kansas Speedway, on the far west side of Wyandotte County, Kansas. It opened during th ...
. He made his debut on 29 May in a 3–2 win over
Orlando City in the
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, commonly known as the U.S. Open Cup (USOC), is a Single-elimination tournament, knockout cup competition in men's Soccer in the United States, soccer in the United States of America. It is the oldest ongoing nati ...
third round, playing the first half before being replaced by
C. J. Sapong
Charles "CJ" Nana Kwabena Sapong (; born December 27, 1988) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Major League Soccer club Toronto FC. Born in Manassas, Virginia, Sapong was part of the D.C. United youth academy be ...
; his team went on to win the tournament, although he played no further part in their run. Dwyer made his MLS debut against
Toronto FC
Toronto Football Club (commonly known as Toronto FC or TFC) is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home matches at BMO ...
on September 2, replacing Sapong for the final four minutes of a 2–1 home win for his only appearance of the regular season; on November 4, he made another substitute appearance in the
2012 MLS Cup Playoffs
The 2012 MLS Cup Playoffs was the seventeenth post-season tournament culminating the Major League Soccer regular season. The tournament began on October 31, and culminated on December 1, 2012 with MLS Cup 2012, the seventeenth league championsh ...
against the
Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo FC (formerly officially, but still commonly, called the Houston Dynamo) is an American professional soccer club based in Houston. The Dynamo compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Establi ...
, a 2–0 away defeat.
Following the
2012 Major League Soccer season
The 2012 Major League Soccer season was the 100th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer in the United States and Canada, the 34th with a national first-division league, and the 17th season of Major League Soccer.
The regular season began on March ...
, Dwyer went on trial with
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League (SPL) was the top level league competition for professional football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football' ...
club
St Mirren in hopes of securing a loan to gain playing time.
However, on January 3, 2013, it was announced that the proposed loan for Dwyer had been called off by Sporting.
A little over a month later, Dwyer, along with three other teammates, were loaned to
USL Pro
The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, pl ...
club
Orlando City for the
2013 season as part of the alliance between the two clubs.
He made an instant impact for the Lions by tallying two goals and one assist in the club's first three matches.
On May 4, 2013, Dwyer scored his first career hat-trick in a 7–2 victory over the
Antigua Barracuda
Antigua Barracuda were an Antiguan professional football team based in St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda. Founded in 2010, the team played in USL Pro, the third tier of the United States soccer league system from 2011 to 2013.
The team played i ...
.
Three weeks later, he scored his 13th goal of the season against the
Wilmington Hammerheads
Wilmington Hammerheads FC was a semi-professional American soccer team based in Wilmington, North Carolina. Founded in 1996, the team last competed in the Premier Development League, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid in 2017.
History ...
, tying the all-time season record in the
USL Pro
The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, pl ...
for goals with only 46% of the season played.
On June 7, Dwyer scored his 14th goal of the season against
Phoenix FC
Phoenix FC was an American professional soccer team based in Phoenix. The team was a member of the USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. The team's colors were red and white.
History
On June 18, 2012, BDR Spo ...
, surpassing
Jhonny Arteaga
Jhonny Alexandre Arteaga (born 24 November 1986) is a Colombian former footballer and current football coach.
Career Youth and College
Arteaga grew up in Stamford, Connecticut, where he attended Westhill High School before playing college socce ...
's tally of 13 goals for
FC New York
F.C. New York was an American professional soccer team based first in Queens, New York City, and then Long Island, New York. The team played two seasons, starting in 2011 in the National Division of the USL Professional Division, the third t ...
in 2011.
On June 22, 2013, Dwyer scored the opening goal of an international
friendly against
Fluminense
Fluminense Football Club (), known as Fluminense, is a Brazilian sports club best known for its professional football team that competes in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, the first tier of Brazilian football and the Campeonato Carioca, th ...
of Brazil's
Série A, an eventual 3–4 loss.
On June 27, 2013, Dwyer was recalled by Sporting the morning after Orlando's
US Open Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, commonly known as the U.S. Open Cup (USOC), is a Single-elimination tournament, knockout cup competition in men's Soccer in the United States, soccer in the United States of America. It is the oldest ongoing nati ...
defeat to
Chicago Fire SC
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
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, coordinates =
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.
On August 3, he scored his first goal in MLS against the
New York Red Bulls
The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer club based in the New York metropolitan area. The Red Bulls compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The club was established in October 1994 and be ...
in the second minute of stoppage time, albeit in a 2–3 home loss.
Five days later, Dwyer made his debut in the
CONCACAF Champions League
The CONCACAF Champions League, known officially as the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League for sponsorship reasons, is an annual continental club football competition organized by CONCACAF. The tournament is contested by clubs from North Ameri ...
for Sporting. In the 75th minute, he scored to give Sporting a 2–0 lead against
Nicaraguan
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the countr ...
outfit,
Real Esteli.
Coming back for one more game with Orlando City on September 7, Dwyer scored four goals, a club record for one game, against the
Charlotte Eagles
The Charlotte Eagles are an American professional soccer team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1991, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.
The team plays its home games at ...
in the 2013 USL Pro Championship, leading the Lions to a 7–4 victory.
On November 23, 2013, Dwyer scored the winning goal for Sporting Kansas City in the
Eastern Conference Final against Houston to lead them to the
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the culmination of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The game is held in November and pits the winner of the Eastern Conference Final against the winner of the Western Conference ...
. He was substituted for
Claudio Bieler
Claudio Daniel Bieler (; born March 1, 1984) is an Argentine footballer who plays as a forward for Atlético Rafaela.
Club career
Rise in career
In 2005 Bieler made his professional debut with Primera División Argentina squad Colón de San ...
after 72 minutes of the championship game on December 7, which his team won 7–6 in a
penalty shootout
The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pen ...
.
Orlando City
On July 25, 2017, Dwyer was traded from Sporting Kansas City to
Orlando City, the MLS successor to the USL team he had previously been loaned to, in exchange for in guaranteed allocation funds (split between general and targeted), as well as up to in future allocation funds based on his performance. This set the record for most expensive transfer in the league to date.
Four days after his transfer, Dwyer made his Orlando debut by starting in a 1–1 tie at
Atlanta United
Atlanta United FC, commonly known as Atlanta United, is an American professional soccer club based in Atlanta that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference.
Founded in 2014, Atlanta United began pl ...
. He scored his first two goals on September 16 against the same opponents, also assisting
Cyle Larin
Cyle Christopher Larin (; born April 17, 1995) is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Belgian First Division A team Club Brugge and the Canada national team.
After playing college soccer for the UConn Huskies, Lar ...
as the game ended 3–3. On August 3, he played the second half of the
2017 MLS All-Star Game against
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid.
Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
at
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) since 1 ...
, in which he scored a late equalizer for a 1–1 tie but missed his attempt as his team lost on penalties.
Dwyer signed a three-year contract extension with Orlando City on January 3, 2018. He led the team in goals in
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
with 13 as Orlando finished last in the Eastern Conference and ahead of only San Jose in the overall standings.
Dwyer began the
2020 season injured, missing the opening two matches before the season was temporarily suspended by the COVID-19 pandemic. He recovered by the time play resumed in June via the
MLS is Back Tournament
The MLS is Back Tournament took place during the 2020 Major League Soccer season to mark the league's return to action after being suspended as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the 26 Major League Soccer teams, 24 participated in the tour ...
and started in the opening two group games, substituting off around the 60-minute mark in both in a bid to manage his workload. However, his injury reoccurred, forcing him to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery which ended his season. On December 2, the club announced he would be leaving upon the expiration of his contract at the end of the year.
Toronto FC
On May 11, 2021, he signed with
Toronto FC
Toronto Football Club (commonly known as Toronto FC or TFC) is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home matches at BMO ...
through the end of the 2022 season.
On January 10, 2022, Toronto FC traded the forward, along with the No. 3 pick in the 2022 SuperDraft, to FC Dallas, in exchange for $50,000 in general allocation money, with Dallas immediately buying out Dwyer's contract.
Atlanta United
In 2022, Dwyer went on trial with MLS club
Atlanta United
Atlanta United FC, commonly known as Atlanta United, is an American professional soccer club based in Atlanta that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference.
Founded in 2014, Atlanta United began pl ...
. In February, it was announced that he would sign a two-year deal with the club.
On February 27, just about a week after inking his deal with Atlanta, Dwyer was subbed on for
Luiz Araújo due to a hamstring injury in the 22nd minute, and scored his first MLS goal in 2 seasons against
Sporting Kansas City
Sporting Kansas City, often shortened to Sporting KC, is an American men's professional Association football, soccer club based in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The administrative offices are located in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, and t ...
, as he contributed to Atlanta's 3-1 win in the season opener. Dwyer was waived by Atlanta on January 6, 2023.
International career
Born in England, Dwyer moved to the United States in 2009 and gained U.S. citizenship after eight years of residence in March 2017. Following his naturalization, Dwyer was called up by the
United States men's national team on June 3, 2017, as part of their 40-man preliminary roster for the
2017 Gold Cup.
On June 25, 2017, Dwyer was named to the final 23-man Gold Cup roster for the United States men's national team. Dwyer scored in his first
cap
A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...
in a 2–1
friendly victory over
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
on July 1, 2017. He scored again in his second cap on July 8, 2017, in the U.S.'s first match of the Gold Cup, a 1–1 tie with
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
, making him only the ninth player in USMNT history to score two goals in as many appearances. He was one of six players replaced in the roster after the conclusion of the group stage of the tournament on July 16.
Personal life
Dwyer received his
U.S. green card in 2012. In January 2015, he married
Sydney Leroux
Sydney Rae Leroux (; born May 7, 1990) is a professional soccer player and Olympic gold medalist who currently plays as a forward for Angel City FC in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
Born in Canada to a Canadian mother and an American ...
in a private ceremony, announcing it on February 14 on their social media. Their son, Cassius Cruz Dwyer, was born in September 2016. On March 17, 2017, Dwyer became an American citizen. Their daughter, Roux James Dwyer, was born on June 28, 2019. On August 6, 2021, Leroux announced on social media that she and Dwyer were divorcing.
Career statistics
Club
International
:''Scores and results list the United States' goal tally first.''
Honors
Sporting Kansas City
*
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the culmination of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The game is held in November and pits the winner of the Eastern Conference Final against the winner of the Western Conference ...
:
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
*
U.S. Open Cup:
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
,
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
*
Eastern Conference (Playoffs):
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
United States
*
CONCACAF Gold Cup
The CONCACAF Gold Cup ( es, Copa de Oro de la CONCACAF, french: Coupe D'or CONCACAF) is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the continental champion of North Ameri ...
:
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
References
External links
*
Tyler bioUSF bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dwyer, Dom
1990 births
Living people
People from Cuckfield
Naturalized citizens of the United States
American soccer players
Black British sportspeople
United States men's international soccer players
English footballers
English people of Jamaican descent
American people of Jamaican descent
British emigrants to the United States
South Florida Bulls men's soccer players
Tyler Apaches men's soccer players
Sporting Kansas City players
Orlando City SC (2010–2014) players
Orlando City SC players
Toronto FC players
Atlanta United FC players
Expatriate soccer players in the United States
Expatriate soccer players in Canada
Sporting Kansas City draft picks
Major League Soccer players
Major League Soccer All-Stars
USL Championship players
2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
CONCACAF Gold Cup-winning players
Designated Players (MLS)
Association football forwards
English expatriate sportspeople in the United States
English expatriate footballers
English expatriate sportspeople in Canada