August 14, 2021 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Toronto FC News Release
SCORING SUMMARY
NE – Tajon Buchanan 20′ (DeJuan Jones)
TOR – Jonathan Osorio 79′ (Alejandro Pozuelo, Yeferson Soteldo)
NE – Gustavo Bou 83′ (penalty kick)
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
TOR – Mark Delgado 48′ (caution)
NE – Brandon Bye 63′ (caution)
RECORDS (W-L-D)
Toronto FC 3-10-6 15 points
New England Revolution 3-3-4 43 points
LINEUPS
TORONTO FC – Alex Bono; Richie Laryea, Omar González, Eriq Zavaleta, Kemar Lawrence; Ralph Priso (Michael Bradley 69′), Mark Delgado, Jonathan Osorio (Nick DeLeon 90+4′), Alejandro Pozuelo (C), Yeferson Soteldo; Ifunanyachi Achara (Patrick Mullins 69′)
Substitutes Not Used: Quentin Westberg, Auro Jr., Justin Morrow, Noble Okello, Jacob Shaffelburg, Jayden Nelson
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION – Matt Turner; Brandon Bye, Andrew Farrell, Henry Kessler, DeJuan Jones; Tajon Buchanan (A. J. DeLaGarza 87′), Matt Polster (Tommy McNamara 55′), Maciel (Wilfrid Kaptoum 87′), Arnór Ingvi Traustason (Teal Bunbury 75′); Gustavo Bou (C), Adam Buksa
Substitutes Not Used: Brad Knighton, Christian Mafla, Scott Caldwell, Emmanuel Boateng, Damian Rivera
JAVIER PÉREZ – HEAD COACH, TORONTO FC
What’s your take on the performance?
I think I always like to focus on the positives, even if we left empty-handed tonight, but the positive is that the key — in the second half last week, again this week for 90 minutes consistently, and then I like to think that if it’s a good performance of the team, that we face the best team in the league, the most effective team in the league they have two shots, they score two goals — two shots on target. I think we have obviously 64 percent of the possession and we have plenty of chances to get more goals but sometimes it goes like tonight. But I think we have to stay positive because we have two very important games ahead of us, and I believe that if we have now, if we keep playing like this, we will definitely have more wins than losses and ties combined.
So we have to stay positive. We have to think forward and keep playing the way we played tonight.
Not often that Michael Bradley doesn’t start a game. Can you just give us the rationale behind that decision?
Yeah, I think I already made the comment. With the stability that we have as a team, we start to give some time off to some of the players. So in that case, if we can find players at 100 percent instead of finding players playing for the whole time, 85 or 90 percent, we are looking to find a starting lineup that brings energy, that is fresh, and like tonight, that we can put the opposition under pressure when we are in possession, when we are not in possession, reduce the time that they can have the ball. In order to do that, you need fresh players, and what you have a calendar like we have this year where we have a game every few days — regardless the player and how important is that player.
Priso looked in a lot of pain when he left the field. Is there any early word on his condition?
Yeah, at the moment he is being examined by the medical staff. We will have more news in the next few hours if not tomorrow. But we stay positive that he can be back with us, maybe one or two games, but it doesn’t look like it’s very severe.
You mentioned before about how the performance was there tonight, and that seems to be the case in recent weeks so how do you go from converting sort of the advantage you have to collecting the full points on offer? What are the small little differences that have to be made?
We keep conceding goals. We have to minimize the mistakes we make at the back, that’s the first thing, and the second thing, up front probably move the ball a little faster into the danger zones. Make runs behind challenging the back line of the position, like we did at times tonight. I’m getting players inside the box like the goal we scored, we have a couple of players inside the box. But fundamentally, we have to minimize the mistakes at the back.
Could you give an update on Jozy? With his foot discomfort, how long of an absence meeting be facing?
We don’t know, this has been going on a daily basis. He is been dealing with pain and with discomfort, and obviously it’s difficult when a player deals with discomfort to perform. So we want to have players that they are in good form, players that they can feel right to play. Jozy at the moment, he doesn’t feel good. We don’t know how long it’s going to go. Hopefully we can find a solution and the medical staff can help him and he can be with us soon.
JONATHAN OSORIO – MIDFIELDER, TORONTO FC
Tough result tonight. How did that play out for you?
Yeah, obviously we’re frustrated with the result I think from the way we play, and we feel that we deserve more. You have to take your chances and at the end of the day it only matters the result at the end of the match, is the only thing that matters.
But we are going to take the positives from this and I think the way we played was very positive, and credit to them, they found a way to win, and in a game that — where they were dominated. But us, I think we definitely feel like we should have at least came out with a point, especially after tying it. But we have to keep going. We have a game on Wednesday. We have to put this one behind us, learn from it and take the positives and I think at the end of the day, we feel that it was a positive performance and now we just have to find way to get the results.
You mentioned the positive performance there, and I think there’s been positive performances the past few weeks, but the points haven’t been coming. How it you turn the positive points into victories?
We keep working. We look at the video and see those little details, it’s just little moments in the game that we have to really concentrate, not lose concentration and make sure that we don’t put ourselves in positions that — where, you know, where we’re giving up goals. I think like for example, in this game, we tied the game. I think the momentum definitely has shifted fully and we need to find a way to not let them get into our end. Little things like that. Yeah, you know, we have a group of guys that know how to win and we know that positive performances are not enough. We’re not satisfied with just positive performances.
But at the same time, you have to look, we have to stay positive. That’s the only way to turn this around and so we take each game, game by game, and we take the good things and we look at the bad things and we try to fix them for the next game.
This team has had some bad performances early in the season, but as you said, there have been a lot of positives recently, especially tonight, there was some times you couldn’t tell which team was leading the league and which was at the other end of the table. When you look at the standing and see where this team is, do you shake your head? Is it hard to believe that given the quality and the way you have been playing recently that you are where you are in the standings?
Oh, yeah, of course. Everybody in this changing room, we look at our team and we see especially more recently we see the way we’re playing, of course it’s very frustrating to see where we are on the table. Very frustrating and I don’t even know how else to put it. But at the same time, you know, we have to look at ourselves in the mirror and we have to fix it. We can’t just say, you know, like I said, positive performances, it’s good for a little bit but at the end of the day, you have to get the results. We’re pushing towards that. I think when other teams play us, they know that, yes, we are last on the table but I don’t think nobody — I don’t think anybody looks at us like a last-place team. I think teams come into games against us knowing it’s going to be a tough game. You know, obviously we feel we deserve more from these last few games, but yeah, we’ve just got to keep working and find a way to turn it around.
Tajon’s first time scoring a goal at BMO Field — you’re obviously someone who has seen what he can do in camp. What did you make of his goal?
I mean, it was a good goal, great finish. Tajon (Buchanan) is an amazing talent. I think we started to really recognize that, I don’t know if it was last year — either last year or two years ago in the playoffs when he had a great run and he just keeps getting better.
To be honest, I really, really saw his potential in the June camp that we had, just the way he was training, the way he comes into games. He didn’t play a lot but when he came in, I saw — me personally, I saw a huge talent, and he showed that in Gold Cup and he’s showing that this every game. I think his performance today, I think the goal was great for their team, but he has a lot more to him.
But to be fair. I think our team played really well against them. He’s a key player for them and we are well aware of that. I’m just very excited for him. He deserves everything that’s coming for him and there’s just so much more and there’s such a huge potential for him. Yeah, more than anything, I think we are all very excited to see what the future holds for him.
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