Toronto FC Media Conference

Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Chris Armas

Media Conference


Nashville 3, Toronto 2

Q. Looked like your team was offered a happy ending but things went south quickly. What happened do you think?

CHRIS ARMAS: Listen, you felt the energy in the building, building. You know, we get the second goal, I think we give a second goal I think in the 8 hath minute so we are up 2-1, and we have to grind that out, right. We are all thinking of ways to help that out, fresh legs, try to bring -- get more width to deny crosses. You're a little bit in survival mode there and we didn't get it done. So they make a push that does us in. So yeah, listen, got to grind it out. Got to find ways to manage that, grind it out, even if you give up a goal grind that point. So disappointing to have the lead late and not walk away with the points.

Q. Can you tell us your vision to take Coswell after the game in the first half, did he pick up a knock or was it a caution for so many games this week, the same for Osorio, I guess?

CHRIS ARMAS: Both of them had tight hamstrings. They asked to come off, so you have to protect them. So the players know their bodies well and when we know information like that, we don't tell them to suck it up, type thing. We say, okay, got to get him out. That's what happened with both the players at those very moments. Those are guys you need. You could see moments in the first half you could control things a little more with the ball.

Q. Two games in a row now where you conceded late and let valuable points slip through your fingers. How frustrating is this to see you put in somewhat decent performances and you come away unrewarded both times?

CHRIS ARMAS: You know, the players are putting a lot into it. You know, to put themselves -- we are in a tough situation in many ways, and then in games, you're on the road here, it's tough to, we score first, which is a big one, they get one, we battle back to get the corner kick goal. Of course it's just frustrating. But we've taken a lot of hits. We've taken a lot on the chin here. And it's demoralizing, I know, for the entire -- for all of us. But it's -- we're going to pick ourselves up and be ready for Saturday because that's what we have to do. The strength is within our team and we'll find the answers by being together, sticking together. We're hitting our storm early in the year here. We'll be stronger for it in the end but yeah, it's frustrating. That's the emotion. But disappointing to have the points and let it go.

Q. Obviously a tough loss, what's the mood like in the locker room, how do you get the team ready for Cincinnati?

CHRIS ARMAS: There's not a lot are -- the locker room is quiet. It's quiet. There's no -- it hurts. You can see everyone, it's hard to swallow, right. It just is. There's a physical and emotional component to it that the guys are putting in a lot and we all know it feels close. Sometimes it's far. It feels far. So just got to get that first one, that first victory and build some momentum. We will pick ourselves up. I said sometimes a quick turnaround is the best thing.

Q. I thought it was a good response from Quentin tonight.

CHRIS ARMAS: I think he had a solid game and showed what he's all about. It was never about repaying faith in him. I have that. I had that. I have that. That's why we went back to him. We know what he's about. I wasn't here all along in these last years. I see the quality that he has. He kept us in the game. Even the other night, he kept us in the game with a couple of big saves and tonight he really kept us in the game. It's a shame the points aren't there for him after the performance.

Q. Is the frustrating compounded by the fact that the last few games, your team has done some really good stuff, some of the goals tonight were really beautiful. The first goal by Osorio with a did you meany run, but things can suddenly go south. Does that add to the frustrating when you seem to be so close?

CHRIS ARMAS: Listen, we're in the business of trying to win football games here. You know, it's about results and of course then performance, so if the result doesn't come yet, already you want to win ugly, but you have put together good stretches. That's how much of a battle. You want it to add up to something, so at our club here, we want to win a certain way. We want to win by playing good football. We want to be able to defend in an organized way. We want to play with some intensity. We are getting ourselves fitter and yeah, do that for longer stretches and concentrate for longer periods of time. Even on longer goals tonight when you look back at it, we're there. We're there to make the play and they are trying, right. Just it's not going our way and we have to make it happen.

Yeah, look, I'm not looking for things to make me feel better because nothing does. We want to win. That's the first part. We're going to take it a game at a time here and maybe some good stuff will add up and feel good about that.

Q. You said after the Orlando game that the team was close. Do you still feel that way or does the fifth game without a win give you pause to rethink whether it's tactics, whether it's personnel or do you just stay the course?

CHRIS ARMAS: So what's your question? I mean, you say it -- you pointed out five in a row we lost, so what was your question again?

Q. With the results not coming in that run, does it give you pause for thought in terms of changing other tactics, personnel? Approach? Anything like that?

CHRIS ARMAS: Listen, we are going to keep asking those questions. Our team has had a lot go against it. It has. We have another road game. Our guys, and zero complaining in our locker room, zero. Like nine for nine road games, right. It's unprecedented. It difficult and our guys are sticking together. If you watch what we did to Orlando, it is right there. I'm not making that up. You can look at analytics, the one we don't have is the victory, but I think that, yeah, tactically, substitutions, it's all -- it's all part of it. So yeah, my job is to look hard at it and to find the solution because I know we have enough. I see the way the team -- we don't get blown away, I'm not sure. You probably have those stats you can share with people, right. I mean, every game is right there. So if it's that close, it's got to be percentages here and there and little ways. I think that we all can give more and we're going to keep working to find that but we are asking those questions and I'm going to find a solution. The guys are running through the wall for me. They are running through the wall for me and it just to get knocked down but I'm going to help them get up and we are going to roll it out Saturday.

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