Osorio eyes ‘dream’ sequence
Local product knows how much TFC crown would mean to hungry fans
Jonathan Osorio remembers feeling comfortable and confident that Toronto FC would lift the MLS Cup as the team was in the thick of last December’s final against the Seattle Sounders.
The Brampton native also recalls all too well how “very different” he felt after the Sounders emerged with a shootout victory.
Getting comfortable with different is something Osorio — the only Canadian likely to see playing time in Saturday’s rematch at BMO Field — had to learn throughout this year. With the introduction of Victor Vazquez and the emergence of Marky Delgado in Toronto’s midfield, Osorio tied his career low for regularseason games played, with 27.
He started just nine of those matches, by far the fewest of a Major League Soccer career that started in 2003.
“I’ve had to go through a pretty big change this season,” Osorio said this week.
“The things that happened to me this season have made me grow as a player a lot, and also as a person.” The change wasn’t always easy. “I’m glad, actually, looking back at it,” Osorio said. “Maybe during the time I was not happy, but looking back at it I’m so glad the way things have played out, and I’ve just been working hard and trying to make a mark on this team and help as much as I can to get to here.”
Osorio has made more of an impact of late. Five of his nine starts came in the last 10 games of the regular season, and he was on the field at kickoff for both legs of the Eastern Conference final victory over the Columbus Crew.
“It meant a lot,” he said about getting back into the starting lineup for that series.
“It just meant that all my hard work is paying off, and (coach Greg Vanney) sees that. It’s nice when you’re working hard and you get noticed for it. I’ve just been working hard and trying to trust my quality and keeping my confidence high.”
Osorio, who started five of Toronto’s six playoff games last year, said he might use the 2016 loss as motivation — immediately before or during Saturday’s rematch. He added, though, that leading up to this week it wasn’t much on his mind.
Winning the MLS Cup is.
As a one-time fan of Toronto FC who has spent time watching from the stands and cheering the team on, the Reds’ resident local knows better than anyone what winning the league championship would mean.
“It would mean everything,” Osorio said.
“It’s what we want. It’s what this city has been dreaming about. It’s what this club has been dreaming about, everybody on this team.”