Name: Jonathan Osorio

Born: June 12, 1992, in Toronto

Position: Midfielder

Pro Club: Toronto FC

Why is he in the news?

With the organization since 2012, Osorio is one of TFC’s longest serving players. Over the last two seasons he has emerged as a regular starter for coach Greg Vanney and played an important role in helping the Reds become one of the best teams in Major League Soccer.

Oh, and he’s a Toronto native taking part in the first-ever all-Canadian MLS Eastern Conference final with the chance to make Canadian soccer history—no team from north of the border has ever qualified for the MLS Cup.

He’s special because

Osorio has logged career highs in games (33, including playoffs) and minutes played (2,679) for TFC this season, becoming a key part of what makes the club tick on the pitch.

The 24-year-old’s pace, creativity and attack-minded approach in the midfield have caused problems for opposition all season long, and he has recently rediscovered his scoring touch. Osorio has goals in three of TFC’s last four games, including the eventual winner in a knockout round win over Philadelphia and a tally in the second-leg rout of New York City FC.

Osorio is dangerous even without the threat of goals, making his current form even more threatening as TFC looks to make a run at the MLS Cup.

Club career

Picking up the game at the age of four, Osorio spent his youth career with Brampton Youth SC, Mississauga’s Clarkson Sheridan SC and Uruguay’s Nacional before joining Toronto FC in 2012.

Osorio made 17 appearances for the Canadian Soccer League’s SC Toronto in 2012, scoring 11 goals. In March 2013, Osorio made his Major League Soccer debut for TFC and has since notched 11 goals and 17 assists for the Reds over four seasons, making 114 appearances (94 starts).

International career

Osorio made his Canada debut at the age of 18 with the youth program in 2010 and was part of the squad that went to the CONCACAF Under-20 tournament in 2011. He debuted for the senior team in May 2013 and has made 15 appearances in total for the men’s national side, including the 2013 and 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cups.

But after a disappointing tournament for Canada in 2015, Osorio failed to receive a call-up from then-manager Benito Floro for nearly 15 months despite logging significant minutes in MLS. Following Floro’s exit as Canadian manager, Osorio made his return to the national team in October, drawing into the squad for friendlies against Mauritania and Morocco.

His most famous moment

Osorio has scored a pair of playoff goals for TFC, the second of which came during the club’s historic second-leg dismantling of NYCFC in the Eastern Conference semifinal.

Here’s a few interesting facts

• Two younger brothers, Anthony and Nicholas, are both in the Toronto FC system

• Both parents are from Colombia

• Scored first MLS goal against the LA Galaxy on March 30, 2013

• Trained with English club Huddersfield Town and Germany’s Werder Bremen during 2013 off-season

What they’re saying about him

“I think the player who doesn’t get enough credit is Jonathan Osorio. He’s had an excellent [2016 season] … in my estimation he’s really grown as a player. When he’s on the pitch linking up with Giovinco, they make things happen.” — David Miller, former Mayor of Toronto and TFC fan, in an interview with Sportsnet’s Soccer Central podcast.

He said it

“It was an amazing moment. It was probably the most important game in the club’s history, the first ever playoff game at home. It was great to score the goal, and me being from here it meant a little bit more to me.” – Osorio on scoring the game winner against Philadelphia in the first round of the playoffs.

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