

Posted by

Steve Bottjer ,

August 21, 2014 Email

Steve Bottjer

On Twitter:

@BottjerRNO

Now in his second year with both Toronto FC and the Canadian Men’s National Team, Jonathan Osorio is feeling good about the prospects of both teams going forward.



The 22 year old midfielder is an important player for both squads and he has been a player who has adjusted well to the recent changes that have taken place with both his MLS club and his national team side.



At the club level, Toronto FC currently sit in 3rd place in the Eastern Conference and look poised to qualify for the MLS postseason for the first time in the club’s history. With all the changes made by the club over the past calendar year, Osorio’s second year in the North American top flight has been very different than his rookie season.



“We’ve had much more success this year and the environment around the club is different and the expectations are way higher,” Osorio told RedNation. “It’s different from last year but it is different in a good way.”



“It is an honour to be a part of this team given that it is my hometown club and from being a supporter from when the club first started,” he added. “It has been a lot of rough years, but we finally have a good season on our hands. We’re in a good spot but we will still have a lot of work to do.”



While Toronto has excelled this season, Osorio’s campaign has not been completely turbulence free, as the young Toronto native has had to find his place among a team that has brought in a multitude of new players and that has consciously worked at figuring out how to maximize the potential of the three Designated Players that the Reds brass signed over the offseason.



According to the Canadian International, adjusting his game to complement those of players such as Jermain Defoe and Michael Bradley is something that he has taken in stride.



“If anything, I have invited them in with open arms,” Osorio explained. “They are big name players and we want players like that on the team. If my role had to change to accommodate them, that’s fine if it is going to help the team. That’s what it is all about. I contribute a lot in every game and I like to think of myself as an important player on the team.”



In addition to the arrival of a number of influential players on TFC’s roster, Osorio’s early season form was adversely affected by a hamstring injury during a period in which the battle for minutes under Head Coach Ryan Nelsen was particularly fierce.



However, the Toronto native was quick to characterize his early season fitness issues as something that he simply had to approach in mature manner.



“I actually had an injury when I returned to Canada from Uruguay, which left me without a club for a very long time,” Osorio explained. “It was a difficult time for me, so this time around when an injury happened, it wasn’t such a big deal. I dealt with it a lot better than I did before.”



“You learn from injuries,” Osorio added. “Each injury you get, you learn how to deal with it and that way you recover faster. Injuries are tough because if you rush back it will only get worse. I have learned that the best thing to do is to let it heal 100% before you come back.”



Now fully fit and once again excelling for Toronto FC, Osorio is now looking forward to his possible participation in the first Canadian National Team match in Canada since Head Coach Benito Floro took over at the helm of the squad.



“It is always an honour to be called up for your national team,” Osorio stated. “To be able to play in Toronto at BMO Field would be even more special. I’m really looking forward to that game and hopefully we can get a result.”



With both TFC and the Canadian National Team recently experiencing paradigm shifts due to major changes at the leadership level, Osorio was quick to admit that he is hopeful that the recent success his team has experienced at the club level will soon be duplicated at the International level by Canada.



“For sure, both teams are heading in the right direction,” Osorio said. “With the results we have been having, it is clear that TFC is heading in the right direction. Hopefully we can be a championship contending team. And Canada is heading in the right direction as well with the hiring of a legendary coach who has been successful in Europe and Spain specifically. I think the results will come with the national team. It will take time, but it will definitely come.”



As a key member of both squads and with the national team regularly calling up players from Toronto FC, the Canadian International also admitted that he is hopeful that the winning mentality that is now in place at TFC will enhance the atmosphere surrounding the national team.



“When you have that winning mentality, no matter where you go, it is always a big push and big advantage for you,” Osorio said. “Doneil (Henry) and Ashtone (Morgan) have been with TFC longer and maybe they did not have that exact mentality in the past because it is hard when your team is always on the losing end. It has changed this year and you can tell by the way we play when we step on the field.”



