Toronto - 1, Nashville - 1
Q. Nice to see you out there again. Was this a game where you feel you should be leaving with more than one point?
JONATHAN OSORIO: Yeah, for sure. I think with the performance that we put we definitely feel that we deserved three points. I think the first half was really good. I felt the team was more together than we have -- than ever, in the whole season, and that's -- you know, that's good. That's how it should be on a team.
As the season goes on, your team starts to jell more and more and I felt that today. We really felt we were fighting together and we were playing well and we were flowing really well. We wish we got one more in the first half, but, you know, this is football, these things happen, they get a goal. I felt like we let Sean down a little bit in that stretch because there was about five minutes prior to that, to the actual goal, that they had a few chances where I think we dropped off a little bit. We dropped off intensity and a little bit of concentration and they had a couple of chances and they fed off of that, and then the goal happens and it's -- you know, it's unlucky. You know, it happens in football.
But all in all we take the positives from this. This is the second place team in the whole league and I thought for most of the game we were the better team.
Q. It's the third time in the last five games where the team has dropped a second half lead. So how do you get to the point -- as you said, there's been some tight games, but getting that second goal and just kind of putting your foot down and putting the game in hand? What has to happen?
JONATHAN OSORIO: It's hard to say. I mean, it's not like we're not getting chances. It's not like we're not getting chances to put the ball in the back of the net. We're getting those chances. It's just about executing now. I think that will come. There's nothing specific to work on or change or anything, just -- it's just execution and I think it's now -- and we spoke about it at halftime, the mentality going into the second half, not letting up, not defending the lead and more so attacking it. We spoke about this.
So it's more so, I think, a mentality thing of the team. We're working on it. We're getting better, but of course it does need to be improved that when we get a lead, we have to have a better mentality collectively -- as a collective, to not only -- not defend that lead, but more so attack it to make that -- to get that other goal.
Q. You're getting back into action at a pretty important time for yourself personally, but also with the national team. What are you looking most forward to going forward both with TFC and Canada?
JONATHAN OSORIO: First of all, the injury I got I think was kind of unlucky. It's an injury that -- in training that happens in football. It kept me out for awhile. The thing that hurts me is that I can't be out there with my teammates. I think the team throughout this stretch with everything that has happened has gone about it in a very professional way. The team has really come together in this time. They have played some really good performances and it just -- it felt good being out there with them to help them and to be out there fighting with them. Yeah, I look forward to doing that going forward.
Yeah, luckily for me the injury happened far enough away that it allowed me enough time to get healthy, play in this game, and then be healthy for the national team as well. We have a big summer ahead of us, so it's exciting.
Q. Coming back from this injury, is it any different, is it harder or easier, compared to past injuries you've had? Was there an injury that was similar?
JONATHAN OSORIO: It's just the longest time I've been out since -- my concussion I think is a whole different story for me. Obviously the concussion, that's the most difficult thing that I went through.
This one, I think, would be second, just because of the amount of time. You know, it's a ligament -- it's not a muscle, it's a ligament and it was sprained pretty well, so it takes time. For me, the five weeks, six weeks felt like a long time.
So, yeah, it was difficult, but nonetheless thankfully the medical staff was really on it and the whole recovery process went well and I came back as fast as I could. Thankfully they got me ready to endure the amount of minutes I played today as well.
Q. You've seen a lot of different eras with this club. Does this time period remind you of anything you've been through?
JONATHAN OSORIO: No, I wouldn't say it reminds me of anything. Different eras -- you know, all the eras I've been a part of are unique in their own way and this one is unique. I would say it's been a tough last two years, three years as far as results-wise, but we are in kind of -- we are building towards something and I know everybody -- it's very easy here to get ahead of ourselves and want it to work right away.
But good things -- really good things take time, and so we need to be patient with ourselves and we need to work at it every day and know that at some point if we keep working, it's going to come.
Q. Kobe is a young player who in your absence has really stepped up. I'm just wondering how closely have you kind of taken notice of how he's performed and what have you made of it? Like I said, he's 20 years old, 19 years old. What have you made of his performance so far?
JONATHAN OSORIO: Everybody has took notice. Everybody. And if you haven't, I don't know what you're watching. He's playing excellent. This is a guy that comes in, works hard every day, is humble. I don't know what expectations he had. I don't think a lot of people had much expectations from him going into the season. He kept his head down and when he was given the opportunity, he took it. And that's I think the most important thing I think young players need to realize these days is that you have to earn your opportunity. Sometimes, okay, your opportunity comes because of certain factors around that happen, injuries or whatever. But regardless, you have to be ready in that moment to take it. Kobe has taken it and ran with it. He hasn't taken it one game, he's taken it several games now. And this is the way to do it. So Kobe, yeah, he's got a bright future. He's a quality player and he's playing so well. And he just needs to keep his head down and keep doing what he's doing. Not get too high, too ahead of himself. Hopefully not, but there is going to be a game where he has an off game and he has to not let that get him too down. So if he does that, the sky's the limit for him.
Q. A quick one on Canada here. What's the aim going into Vegas this week?
JONATHAN OSORIO: To win. To win. I mean, that's simple. I don't know what else to say. The aim is to win. We're going there to win. The national team's come a long way. I think we can say, with everything that we've been through and gone through in the last few years that we can go there and say confidently we're going in there to win.
Q. Does Qatar seem like a long time ago?
JONATHAN OSORIO: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But the memory will never leave us. That memory is forever. But, yeah, it's in the past now. We're looking forward now. That's something that happened. That's a long time ago. We look forward now to the Nation's League, to Gold Cup and then after that we look even forward after that. I think for us it's about now the present. It can't be, okay, we made the World Cup and now we think everything's going to fall in place now. The work keeps going and so, yeah, now we keep our heads in the present and now we try to bring a trophy to this country.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports