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Sporting KC's Dom Dwyer on the MLS' 20th season, fans and his famous family
Sporting Kansas City forward Dom Dwyer in action earlier this season against the New England Revolution. Dwyer is having a busy year with both a new baby in the family and the pressure of the making the postseason during the MLS' 20th season. USA TODAY Sports

Sporting KC's Dom Dwyer on the MLS' 20th season, fans and his famous family

Dom Dwyer is a man on the move. Watch a Sporting Kansas City game, and you will very rarely see Dwyer standing still — and if by chance his body isn’t moving, his mouth is. He is a joyous 26-year-old professional soccer player, a husband to U.S. Women's National Team soccer star Sydney Leroux and new father to Cassius Cruz Dwyer. 

I first met Dwyer in April 2015. We talked about his new marriage with Leroux, his tattoos and a range of other topics. I remember Dwyer pointing to a tattoo he has on his left forearm that day: a clock with no hands. He told me that he was keeping the clock blank on purpose and waiting for his first-born, so he could ink the time his future son or daughter came into the world. At that time, he said that he and Sydney wouldn’t be having babies for a while, but Cassius was born on September 10, 2016.

Such is life, and Dwyer welcomes its surprises with open arms and his signature cheeky smile.

Since busting on to the MLS scene after being drafted 16th overall by Sporting Kansas City in 2012, Dwyer has set multiple club records, such as being the only Sporting player to ever score at least a dozen goals in three consecutive seasons. He is one of the most prominent scorers in Sporting Kansas City history and on his way to becoming the most prominent, dating back to the franchise's original days as the Kansas City Wizards — the days when Dwyer was an underrated young prospect told he would probably never play again due to serious foot injuries in his homeland England. He couldn't have imagined the life he is living as a prominent face in the soccer world.

I recently caught up with Dwyer as Sporting heads into an MLS playoff push. The club is currently tied with Portland for sixth in the Western Conference and the last playoff spot. (Sporting holds the tiebreaker due to goal differential.) Needless to say the regular-season finale on Sunday against San Jose in Kansas City is a must-win. In another conversation I had with Sporting defender and hometown darling Matt Besler, he described Sporting's 2016 as "up and down." After winning the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on September 30, 2015, Sporting had claimed three major trophies in a span of three years, including another U.S. Open Cup victory in 2012 and an MLS Cup in 2013.

Sporting has made the MLS Playoffs in five consecutive seasons, but 2016 has played out to be much less certain. Dwyer is a big reason for a constant glimmer of hope in Kansas City, though. He has scored 50 goals in all competitions combined throughout the last three seasons — the high being 22 goals in 2014 and a team-high 16 goals so far this season. So much does K.C. love Dom Dwyer that it made a parody of The Godfather tifo banner for the first home game after Cassius was born and called it "The Domfather."

Dwyer could only chat for a bit — he has games to win, goals to push for, fans to greet, family and friends to love, and a one-month-old son to get to know.

Have you put the time of Cassius' birth on your clock tattoo yet? Not yet. After the season probably.

Any new tattoos planned? Yes, but they are secret.

Can you give me a hint what the next tattoo(s) might be? No hint. You’ll have to wait and see.

You're a very charismatic and energetic person. What gets you excited every day? To play football, to wake up to my son, to be with my family, to come do interviews in the morning — no, I’m just kidding.

We're wrapping up MLS's 20th anniversary season. Just how far do you think this league has come? How does MLS now compare with leagues you grew up watching? It’s definitely growing every single year. It’s getting better and better, and it’s starting to compete with other leagues around the world. It’s getting attention.  

Do your family and friends back home in England watch MLS? Yes. The ones on national TV easier, but they try to watch all the other games online when they can.

What do you think MLS still needs in order to compete with all of the world's leagues? No salary cap. I guess freer rosters, no max number of international spots, so (unlimited amount of) players from around the world can come in.

How exactly has MLS changed or grown since you first got here in 2012? It's grown immensely. The quality of play gets better each year. The stadiums are fantastic and the fan support is constantly growing.

I think the positive and honest way you (and Sydney too) use your social media channels is awesome. Why do you think people gravitate toward what you share online? Because it’s fun and honest, and Syd’s quite funny on there.

Who is funnier? Syd.

Do you ever get overwhelmed by the fan response you get on social media? I think Sydney does sometimes, but I don’t really read it too much.

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by fans in general? It depends. I think sometimes if you’re out with your family. Or if you’re at dinner, eating dinner. But other than that, it’s quite a cool problem to have I think.

What do you think is the key to connecting with people on social media? Just being normal. Being a normal person. Being a good person.

This is a pretty blanket, broad question but can you believe how much your life has transformed from when you first arrived in Kansas City to now? Or even how much has happened in the last year? It’s quite a surprise, but you know, I guess it’s still something that I came here to do. Try to achieve good things in football, try and win championships. Obviously the family side is just an added bonus, which is, you know, that’s life.

Are you happy with how your 2016 season has gone so far? Not 100 percent. I’d like to be a little bit higher on the table and secure a position in the playoffs already and maybe fight for the Supporters' Shield. But, you know, we are as we are and we’ll just keep working towards making the playoffs and winning. Just win the last game and prepare for a run, see where we go.
 

What's next for Dom Dwyer? I have no idea. Win another championship hopefully. Then, I guess we’ll see from there. Maybe more babies one day.

You're cute.

A photo posted by Sydney Leroux Dwyer (@sydneyleroux) on Sep 9, 2016 at 9:28pm PDT

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