Toronto FC 3, New England 2
Q. Can you give us an idea of what that win meant to you guys after going through so much leading up to tonight's game?
TSUBASA ENDOH: It meant everything. You know, collectively, individually, honestly. It was much needed. We played hard. We came out strong. I mean, you know, it was just we gave it all, and it's something that we showed on the field.
Q. Obviously you must be happy to be going home back to Toronto. Can you tell us what the feeling is in the locker room about coming back north of the border?
TSUBASA ENDOH: You know, all I can say is that we are all excited to be back in Toronto after spending time for, I don't know, more than three months in Orlando. You know, it wasn't easy but we adjusted. It just is what it is. We are professionals, so we adjusted.
So, yeah, but we are excited to be back home, hopefully in front of fans.
Q. And can you tell us, was the game plan different going into this game? You didn't have much time with Javier, but what was his message to you in the couple of days you had working with him?
TSUBASA ENDOH: It was like you said, it wasn't much time to prepare for this game. So you know, we only had a couple days to get ready for this game.
So it wasn't easy, but it was clear collectively what we need to do, and you know, each player did everything. Each player gave everything on the field. I mean, you know, you just leave it on the field, and we got those three points and that was definitely much needed as a team and we can move forward from here.
Q. Do you feel like that was a better representation of what this team is capable of than the previous six, seven, eight matches have been?
TSUBASA ENDOH: It's hard to compare. I mean, like, you know, it's just one game. But you know, it was just a fresh energy from the team. We knew what we need to do on the field, and there's no talk. We just have to show on the field, and that's what we do, right.
So we just go out there and we got the three points and hopefully, you know, it will get better from now on.
Q. You've only started one game this season, I believe, before this, and that was all the way back on May 15th against New York City FC. Why has it been, I guess, tough for you to get playing time here?
TSUBASA ENDOH: Well, I think I missed the whole preseason first of all because of my injury. I had a surgery, and it hasn't been easy to get in the mix. And as a player, it's honestly tough to miss the whole preseason, and just coming into the game and try to understand what the new coach is trying to do.
So I mean, for me, that's part of the reason why. But even after I came back from surgery, I was struggling a little bit. So it wasn't -- I wasn't feeling my best. So that was definitely part of it.
But now I'm feeling 100 percent. I've been ready, so like I said, I have not been playing in the last couple, I don't know, back in 2019, first part of 2019. I just had to keep my head down and keep training. You just need to keep training hard, and you know, be ready. Be ready for this kind of opportunity, and then once it's laid out in front of you, you just need to take it. I've been saying that or I've been telling myself that for every single time every single year when I first was out of university, right.
So, you know, that's all you can do. That's all you can control. So, yeah, I've been ready. I'm not the type of guy who complains, go to the coach or whatever. So, just, you know, keep my head down and just be ready for this kind of opportunity. That's it.
Q. Going forward as a team right now, what do you guys think you have to like sort of concentrate on to sort of keep your play at a consistent level where you can start to get points?
TSUBASA ENDOH: Can you repeat that.
Q. Sure, I'll repeat that. What part of your game as a team do you think you have to concentrate on or work on or keep a consistent performance going forward?
TSUBASA ENDOH: Personally, a discipline. We just need to be disciplined defensively, offensively. You know, we have a lot of probably players on our team that offensively we can damage the opponents.
But then defensively, you know, we just need to be on the same page, and collectively understand each other. Then, you know, if we don't concede a lot of goals, we can definitely win the game because we have a lot of talented, attacking players. We showed today that we could score goals. So that showed on the field, and yeah, we just need to keep building on.
Q. On a lighter note, what's the first thing you do when you get back to Toronto? I don't suppose you have any plants that need watering at your place or anything like that?
TSUBASA ENDOH: The first thing I'll do, probably, maybe I'll go to a restaurant and go to patio (ph) and feel like a normal person again (smiling.)
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FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports