Toronto FC Media Conference

Saturday, March 12, 2022

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Lukas Macnaughton

Media Conference


Columbus - 2, Toronto - 1

Q. Obviously not the result you guys would have wanted. But first start in MLS for you. Just wanted to get your perspective on how you felt you did in your first career start in the league?

LUKAS MACNAUGHTON: I mean, I think maybe it was you that asked me last time, how was it moving to the MLS. But I thought there were moments that were great. But I thought also there were moments, as a team and individually, that need to be a lot better, especially in the second half. It became a quite open game -- a lot of transitions, a lot of balls given away. Just a little bit of sloppiness when we were up one, we can stay tidy, close out the gaps and keep it a clean sheet.

So on a personal level I think there's some positives. But always a lot of room to improve.

Q. Lukas, it's only minutes after the game, but can you say what the mood of the team is now after three games? You guys haven't won yet, though, you've had a depleted lineup and you guys certainly played well at times. Do you have a sense what the players are feeling right now?

LUKAS MACNAUGHTON: We're obviously disappointed. You go into halftime 1-0 you expect to win the game, especially when you're playing well and you're creating chances, and we had a chance, one or two at least, to go 2-0 up. And if we do that it makes the game quite easy.

We're disappointed, but like I said there's moments that were very, very good. And so we don't think that it's not like we're playing horrible football. It's not like we're creating chances, it's not like we're getting dominated in the last three games. We've had very good games.

We're disappointed, but we're not demotivated. We know if we keep working, it's going to come in, and it's going to come together very well.

Q. We talked a lot about transition defending after the Red Bull game, and the two goals today were very different. What did you see on those two plays? How did they work out?

LUKAS MACNAUGHTON: The first ball comes across, and Jayden goes out to block the shot. And everybody knows in the league the other (indiscernible) has got a fantastic shot. It goes in, I think. I think the keeper doesn't really see much.

And then the second one, we don't win the first ball and it drops the second ball and they're on top of it; they won it.

And I think that's kind of the theme of the second half. The second balls, the transitions, they were a little bit quicker and they get those chances. Unfortunately we don't finish ours. They put away theirs, and that's it.

Q. That's quite a shiner you're sporting there. Can you say what happened on that play?

LUKAS MACNAUGHTON: I went up for the header and I just got his elbow. I don't know how that got a yellow card, but that's how that happened.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
117796-1-1045 2022-03-12 21:19:00 GMT

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