|
|
When Toronto FC Head Coach Ryan Nelsen met with the media at the end of last season, he was unequivocal in his desire to bring on loan right back Mark Bloom back to TFC for the 2014 MLS campaign.
The 26 year old American impressed in six appearances for Toronto at the tail end of last year and, with incumbent right back Richard Eckersley leaving TFC as expected over the offseason, the opportunity to earn a starting spot in Nelsen’s lineup has been there for the taking.
It is an opportunity the right back has taken and run with.
While new Designated Players Michael Bradley and Jermain Defoe have impressed as expected in the club’s five games played to date and played up to their marquee names, it would not be a stretch to highlight Bloom as one of the Reds top performers during the first month of the season.
According to the former Atlanta Silverbacks fullback, his fine play has been buoyed by not only the confidence that has been shown in him by his Head Coach, but also by the manner in which he acquitted himself when he got a chance to play at the end of last season.
“It was a huge confidence boost for me (when Nelsen wanted to bring me back after my loan deal),” Bloom told RedNation. “Coming into the team last year, I kind felt in over my head. I didn’t know what to expect out of myself. But I thought I proved myself in the MLS. So coming in this year with a full preseason under my belt, I was very confident. The confidence that Nelly has instilled in me has really boosted my game in my opinion.”
Interestingly, the environment around the club changed drastically over the offseason with the high profile players that the organization brought in. While Bloom was able to impress last year while Toronto played out the schedule after being eliminated from the playoff race, this year the expectations on the squad are sky high.
Like many of the young players on the Reds, the 6 foot tall defender sees this season the acquisitions of players like Bradley, Defoe, Dwayne De Rosario, Gilberto and Julio Cesar as an opportunity for him to learn and improve his game. At the same time, the team’s new star power isn’t changing how he approaches his role on the team.
“You just try and learn as much as possible from them,” Bloom said. “They are world class talents and they have proven themselves overseas and with their national teams as well. For a player like me, you just take it all in and learn and watch them day in, day out, both on and off the field.”
“They are obviously great players and guys that you can rely on to win games for you,” Bloom added. “But you can’t do that for a whole season. Other guys have to step in each and every game. Obviously the consistency and talent that they bring will help us to win games, but each and every guy in this locker room is going to help us win.”
In Bloom’s estimation, with so many new players on the squad and in the starting eleven, a month into the season Toronto FC are still something of a work in progress.
“It is still a new team and chemistry all over the field is something we are building and learning, especially between me and Jackson,” Bloom explained. “I think we are getting better and better each game at reading each other and understanding each other’s games.”
While he showed glimpses of his quality as a two-way player last season, thus far Bloom has stood out as a player who has been able to influence games positively at both ends of the pitch, which is something that he prides himself on.
“The key is the balance between going forward and coming back,” Bloom said. “Obviously, as a defender it is your job to defend first. Getting that shutout is first and foremost. But then going forward, it really adds a lot to the team and to the attack. So that’s kind of my goal, to get as many crosses in as possible.”
In terms of managing the delicate balance between defending and attacking that all fullbacks are tasked with, the Marietta, Georgia native was quick to highlight the positive influence of the team’s veteran defenders, as well as Coach Nelsen one more time.
“A lot of it comes from Steven Caldwell and Bradley Orr, with them having me on a leash and pulling me back when I’m trying to go forward a little bit too much,” Bloom admitted. “Nelly lets me be creative and he lets me be me. He doesn’t try and force any of the players to be anything they aren’t. He allows me to get forward and I believe that he likes that part of my game.”
Ultimately, with one month of the season now behind him, Bloom is aiming to keep things simple and striving to deliver the type of consistency that he needs to in order to be an effective defender at the Major League Soccer level.
“It is just trying to do the same thing week in, week out,” Bloom said. “I’m going into training every week and trying to earn my spot. Nothing is going to be given to me this year and I am going in with that attitude. As a defender, you have to be consistent and let the coach know what they are going to get in every game.”
|