

Posted by

Steve Bottjer ,

July 24, 2014 Email

Steve Bottjer

On Twitter:

@BottjerRNO

While some TFC supporters were not overly impressed that their club had to play a friendly against Tottenham Hotspur just days before facing off against Eastern Conference playoff rivals Sporting Kansas City and D.C. United, many of those supporters likely came away from Wednesday’s fixture against the North London side even more impressed with Reds rookie Daniel Lovitz.



After Tottenham’s highly touted midfielder Erik Lamela had shown genuine quality in giving his side an early lead via a first half brace, the 22 year old Lovitz got Toronto back into what ended up being a very close match with a picture perfect pass to set up Andrew Wiedeman for TFC’s first goal of the game.



Following the 3-2 loss in which the Elon University product was Toronto’s clear standout player, TFC Head Coach Ryan Nelsen highlighted the confidence that a young player like Lovitz can take from a strong performance against a world class side as the main benefit that his club stands to gain from in season exhibition matches against top sides from Europe.



"Dan is another young kid that's just getting better each day," TFC head coach Ryan Nelsen said after the match. "He had a very good game. He was playing against a couple of world class defenders. For a young man that six months ago was at university still, it is a great experience for him."



Lovitz concurred with his Head Coach when asked whether he had taken significant confidence from the fact that he had distinguished himself while playing against one of the top sides in the English Premier League.



“Obviously, the level of the opposition was something that I had never been up against,” Lovitz told RedNation. “It was a great experience to know that the disparity isn’t as great as I once thought it was. To be out there and experience it firsthand gives me the experience to know that my play can really dictate the outcome of games even against the biggest clubs. That’s inspiring for me as a player.”



“As a team, it was great for us to get out there and have guys who needed minutes get them and to give other guys a rest while at the same time giving a good account of the club and the city against a great team like Tottenham,” Lovitz added. “I’m still a little bit in shock to have had the opportunity (to play against Tottenham). To play ninety minutes is an incredible experience for players of my age and even younger. I’ve followed Tottenham since I was very young and to be out there with some of the guys that you only really see in video games is pretty incredible.”



Daniel Lovitz speaks to the media after Toronto's 3-2 loss to Tottenham: While the Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania native was open in admitting he has been buoyed by his recent success against MLS sides in addition to strong performance against Tottenham, Lovitz was also quick to state that his main priorities are to simply keep getting better and to keep his feet on the ground.



“It is still a whirlwind to me and I’m still rolling with the punches and not really knowing what is coming next,” Lovitz said. “At the same time, it is great to build off that and to see how I am progressing as a player.”



“The league itself is developing into one of the more competitive leagues in the world, with the talent that is coming in and with the new organizations popping everywhere,” he added. “You couldn’t ask for a better time as a player to be in the MLS and with a club like this. For me, it is a dream come true.”



Overall, Lovitz feels like he is currently in a good spot with respect to his first season as a professional player. That said, the second round MLS SuperDraft pick isn’t hiding his own sense of surprise at the trajectory that his first year in the North American top flight has taken.



“If you would have told me that would I have got into this many games when I was going into the draft, I would have jumped at even half of the number,” Lovitz explained. “It is beyond what I ever expected. I really don’t want to dwell on that too much though.”



“I just want to take advantage of my opportunities each and every day because as great as this league and this job are, it can change in the blink of an eye with new acquisitions and what the team is trying to accomplish,” Lovitz added. “I’m doing my best to ensure that I am always in that discussion.”



