

Posted by

Steve Bottjer ,

July 6, 2015 Email

Steve Bottjer

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With the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament kicking off this week, the Canadian Men’s National Team now has the opportunity to make a splash in a major competition and possibly even seal a spot in the Copa América Centenario. Even more importantly, the competition presents a prime opportunity for the on the rise young players on the Canadian squad to gain experience in meaningful matches against the region’s best and build confidence and cohesion towards the team’s ultimate goal of qualifying for the next World Cup.



One young player who is brimming with confidence heading into the tournament is 23 year old attacking midfielder Jonathan Osorio. The Toronto FC stalwart was among a group of young players who delivered standout performances in Canada’s two wins in World Cup qualifying over Dominica in June.



According to the Toronto native, those two matches against CONCACAF opposition provided a perfect prelude to the 2015 Gold Cup tournament.



“I think the Dominica games showed that we a have a great young team coming up and that we have progressed very far since Benito took over with the team,” Osorio told RedNation. “Both games were really good results. The away match was played under difficult conditions and we got a good result and we could have even scored a lot more goals. It was the same thing in the match at home. We played well and played aggressively. I think that is what we have to do going forward to keep that momentum in the Gold Cup.”



“We have a group of young players who are confident,” Osorio added. “All of our young players are doing well in their respective teams, especially those in MLS. I think that is a great sign for Canadian football. We believe that our time is now and we want to show it in the Gold Cup. However, the Gold Cup is just small step towards our big step, which is making it to the World Cup in Russia.”



While Canada were dominant against Dominica, as many have already stated recently, winning matches against a higher level of competition presents a much bigger challenge for Canadian team. However, it is a challenge that Osorio and his teammates are relishing.



“The Gold Cup is a huge test,” Osorio explained. “Now we get to see what we are really like against the better teams in CONCACAF and in the world as well. Costa Rica is a team that made it to quarterfinals in the last World Cup. The United States has just beaten Germany and the Netherlands away from home. So these are some of the best teams in the world and we want to show that we can compete with these teams and get good results.”



In terms of overall team form, Canada heads into the competition on a run of clean sheets defensively. Furthermore, the Canadian attack has also looked quite potent, with the a trio of athletic, quick and mobile forwards in the form of Cyle Larin, Tosaint Ricketts and Tesho Akindele impressing greatly in recent matches.



According to Osorio, those new Canadian attacking threats play right to his strengths as an offensive midfielder.



“For me personally, it is great (to play with those players),” Osorio stated. “I think those are the types of players who help me raise my game, as well as me helping their games. We all complement each other. Of course, I am the type of attacking mid that can slip in those balls, so if we have fast forwards who can run onto those passes and finish, we will be in good shape. If I get the ball enough and I get enough chances to see them, we will definitely create a lot of chances going forward.”



With consistency often being the main issue for many young players at the International level, Osorio believes that it is psychological aspects of the game that are the key with respect to him being able to deliver his best every time he steps on the pitch wearing a Canada kit.



“It is about coming to each game with the same mentality,” Osorio said. “It is taking the same confidence that I have when I am in form and taking it into games even when I’m maybe not in my top form. That will keep me consistent. As long as I keep doing the little things in the gym and with my club and I keep improving, once I go to the national team I will be 100% to give my all for the national team.”



Overall, Osorio heads into the Gold Cup on arguably his best run of matches at the club level following a bit of a challenging start to the MLS season due to the need to find his niche with a Toronto FC side that went into the 2015 campaign with a new Head Coach and a number of major offseason player acquisitions.



“It was hard in the beginning because it was maybe a bit overwhelming with all of these big players around me,” Osorio explained. “In the past years, there were big players but it wasn’t like this where you have these guys who have achieved so much and all of the attention is on them. I sometimes felt like I had to something spectacular in order to be noticed. That was kind of overwhelming because before when I was a rookie it was easy. I scored 5 goals and there was no one else scoring and that was the story.”



“I do like the way things are now better because it is a bigger challenge,” he added. “It is better for me as a player because I will only improve. If I want to play on a big stage with a big team, whether it is here for a number of years or with a team in another country, I want to be playing beside the best players and still be known to be one of the best players on the team.”



At 23 years of age and with both several years of professional football and 11 caps at the International level to his credit, Osorio is currently buoyed by the professional environment he is in week in, week out given that it allows him the opportunity to both be a mentor figure for young Canadian players and to learn from truly world class professionals such as Sebastian Giovinco, Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore and Benoit Cheyrou.



“I think it is the best position to be in for me as a player,” Osorio said. “When you are in the middle and you have players to look up to, as well as players you can set an example for, I think that is best feeling. While I am this age I am going to take advantage of it and enjoy every second of it. I just want to show my young teammates like Jay (Chapman), Chris (Mannella) and Jordan (Hamilton) that we as Canadians are no different from other players. We can compete with them and we are on the same level. We just have to have the confidence to show it.”