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Every team that goes through a major organizational transformation is going to have to endure its own trials and tribulations along with its share of bumps on the road and Toronto FC is no different from any other sports franchise in this regard. According to TFC Designated Player Julian de Guzman every professional team will fall prey to hard losses and off nights, but the Canadian international believes that how a team responds to a shocking defeat in its next match says more about a side than the initial defeat.
Last Saturday’s 3-0 loss to D.C. United in front of a supportive BMO Field crowd was, in some fashion, a bittersweet affair for the 30 year old midfielder who is still working his way back to fitness after offseason surgery on his knee. On the one hand, the Canadian international was feeling stronger physically than he had in some time. While on the other hand, the team endured a genuine performance breakdown after positive results against the San Jose Earthquakes and the Los Angeles Galaxy.
“Physically, I'm happy I had the chance to play the full ninety, but morally, at the end of the day, I'm embarrassed due to the result. I didn’t expect to play a full 90 minutes but I’m totally ready to do whatever is needed. To play a full 90 with no pain and no negative reaction in my knee is good but at the end of the day the result is not something to be proud of,” said De Guzman following Saturday’s loss.
Toronto’s star midfielder did not mince words when discussing the poor performance of his team in the defeat, as he believes TFC exhibited very little passion, fight and determination in the loss. At the same time, he was also quick to point out that the defeat is something that Toronto FC will have to learn from in order to get better, especially in light of the fact that TFC is now actually one of the youngest teams in the league in terms of the average age of its players.
“It's part of being professional and being part of a professional organization. It's growing pains and this is something any team will experience, especially any young team. At such a high level in football, you are going to have to go through these moments and this is a test to see where we stand and it will come down to the reaction of the team and how we bounce back from a disappointing result like this. Now we have a full week ahead of ourselves. I think all of the guys are disappointed and their heads are down, but our job is bring our heads back up as soon as possible and learn from the mistakes that we made today. And today it was pretty obvious that a lot of passion was missing. The only passion that we saw coming from this game came from the fans and we can't let the fans down like that again. If we had had the same passion that the fans did today, I think the result would have been totally opposite.”
In addition to having the team display the same passion on the pitch as the supporters do off of it, De Guzman believes that mental strength and starting matches strongly from a defensive standpoint are the keys to succeeding in the North American top flight.
“I think it has a lot to do with the mental aspect. I think throughout the week I see us doing well in the practices and, to be honest, I have seen a lot of good progress being made since the start of the season and before the D.C. game. Mentally a lot of us were not in it and then it became a chain reaction on the pitch. In the first 10-15 minutes we were so slow to react that they were able to penetrate with ease and the small details are always what make the biggest difference. If we can start our games with a shutout in the first 20 minutes it would really pick up our rhythm and we could keep possession and make our way out the back. This is something that we have to learn - to mentally pysch ourselves up as a team before the game and come out with fire. We had a lack of passion and that was the key aspect. It was a shame to leave the fans disappointed like that, as well as the entire city and organization. And we definitely owe them something going into the game against Columbus.”
Discussion among supporters after the match ran the gamut from people who decried the lack of talent on the roster to those that stood firm in their belief that, even with the loss, the team is on the right track rebuilding under new Head Coach Aron Winter. When he looks at all of the new faces on the roster, De Guzman sees talent, but he also sees a group of players that still have a lot of growing to do, both individually and as a team.
“You see a lot of potential and talent, but, at the end of the day, that does not make a complete professional player at this level. You also need passion and the mental side of things. I think a lot of these new guys are starting to learn that the game is 90% mental and the rest becomes whatever talent or skills they have. As we continue to work together as a team and they continue to learn from the mistakes that go on in training and also in the games, they will grow and become great professionals in the long run. At moments like this, it's always a learning experience and, if they can take it in a positive way, I can see them becoming great players.”
And according to De Guzman, the team is in good hands with Winter and Bob de Klerk at the helm as both leaders and teachers and, ultimately, he believes fans will be rewarded for the faith they put in the Dutch duo and the players on the roster.
“For me I can see that Bob and Aron have been able to bring together a young group of guys and this is the culture they are from, bringing up young players and grooming them at an early stage and letting them get that professional experience. This what they enjoy doing and being here now in Toronto and having the same type of group with young guys, young talents, it makes their job easy for them. And I think it is a great experience for a lot of the younger players to be a part of it. There is a lot of potential that you can see, but at the same time, a lot of bigger things that have to be learned and grasped down the road. Once they get the hang of it, I think you will see a lot of the young talents doing well this season.”
As a genuine fan of the Dutch style of football and a veteran player of considerable experience himself, the ex-La Liga and Bundesliga central midfielder is keen to play his role in the organizational transformation that is taking place at his hometown club.
“I mean I'm a big believer in Total Football and what they will be able to produce with the young guys. And I enjoy working with the younger guys and talking to them and sharing my experience and being able to guide them with respect to what is expected from the system. It makes my job easier when you have young guys who are determined and they have good character and good potential and talent that they can bring to the table. My role here is not just as a player. I see myself as a teacher who will talk to the guys as well. I think it is a great experience (for all involved).”
According to De Guzman, how TFC reacts to the D.C. loss in their next match against Columbus will be an important barometer of both where the team is at in terms of its development and with respect to what it will say about the pride and determination of the players that now make up Toronto FC.
“The performance against Columbus is the test after what happened today, to see what this loss was about and what it meant to us.”
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