With Toronto FC having achieved a record of 5 wins, 3 losses and 2 draws over their last 10 matches in all competitions, plenty of plaudits have been thrown the way of Torsten Frings and Danny Koevermans, the two Designated Players the club signed during the summer transfer window. While those two exceptional players have indeed made a major difference in the fortunes of TFC in the latter part of the 2011 season, Toronto’s third and original Designated Player, Julian de Guzman, has been no slouch in terms of his own performances in recent weeks. The Canadian International has started to score regularly and has played his best football since joining the Reds back in the summer of 2009. With the reasons for De Guzman’s improved play being a regular topic of discussion among Canadian soccer fans, RedNation Online caught up with the technically gifted midfielder to discuss the resurgence of both TFC as a club and De Guzman as a player.
With the recently shorn De Guzman looking like a different player both physically and performance-wise on the pitch, an amateur psychologist might read into the fact that a new haircut seems to be as symbolic of a new beginning as it is a fashion statement. Asked if there is any particular significance in his new haircut, De Guzman responded matter of factly and briefly on the topic of arguably the most famous head of hair in Canadian soccer.
“I figured it was time for a change. The last time I had a haircut like this was probably six or seven years ago, so I figure I'd start with a fresh cut, fresh feeling and it's just one of those things.”
Hairstyle aside, many have speculated as to why the National Team member has more recently started to display the type of form that many Canadian soccer fans had expected from him when he was initially signed by Toronto. De Guzman has certainly looked quicker recently and it’s not a stretch to believe that he is only now back to 100% fitness after struggling with a knee injury over the last couple of seasons.
Others point to the signing of Torsten Frings as a move that has given the Canadian an experienced partner in the midfield and allowed him to play to his strengths as a smaller, technical player. Additionally, Canadian soccer pundit Paul James strongly believes that it has been the influence and high demands of TFC Head Coach Aron Winter that has brought out the best in the 2008 Canadian Player of the Year. Ask De Guzman himself and he will tell you that his improved play has come due to a combination of reasons.
“In football it has a lot to do with the guys around you on the field and what brings the best out of you. I think that guys like Frings, Koevermans, Eric (Avila) and a lot of the new additions to the team have been very helpful, not just for myself, but for the entire team. You can see it in the performances and results as of late."
"For myself personally, one of my goals for this season was to come back fit after recovering from the knee injury. It was on and off in the early parts of the season, but as of late I have regained full strength again. I don't think about the knee at all now going into the games and I have been staying on top of it with the physios we have here, who have done a great job. That definitely helps my confidence in every game, so it has a lot to do with the physical aspect and the guys around you. At the moment it has also been the best time for me to step it up.”
With Toronto FC winning and De Guzman looking more like the player who was dominant for the Canadian National Team at the 2007 and 2009 Gold Cup tournaments, a smile that was often absent from the face of the Toronto native has started to appear more regularly both on and off the field. While De Guzman is happy to admit that he is currently enjoying life at TFC, he is also quick to stress that he is not that different from any of the other players on the team in that improved performance and results simply make life happier for any group of players who are competitive and who are constantly judged on the results they produce.
“With positive results and also the atmosphere we have in the change room, it's a great combination of happiness for every player on the team. You can feel it going into the game and then when we are walking off the pitch with good results and a good performance. It's a huge factor for any professional to find some type of happiness and I think we have found that comfort. Also, we have been able to gel together really well, so being able to go onto the pitch with guys that have your back will definitely give you that confidence. And coming off the pitch with good results will definitely bring happiness at the end of it.”
With Toronto FC unlikely to make the MLS playoffs in 2011, De Guzman is nonetheless confident in stating that TFC has turned a corner and will be significantly better in 2012. He also believes that club management should be applauded for making the required changes to the team during the season rather than waiting until the offseason to bring in the players who would thrive in Aron Winter’s system.
“You can see the team's approach through how they were able to change things around and they didn't wait until the end of the season and offseason, which is when TFC usually would make their changes and start their season with a fresh new team. But they've gotten a head start on that and Aron Winter and Bob De Klerk have brought in the players that they want to work with. Now that we are in the closing stages of this season, they are able to also pass on the system to the guys that they feel confident with. In the games that we have played, you can see that the guys are understanding the system a lot more, have an even better understanding of each other and what Aron and Bob are able to do in terms of bringing the best out in each individual, whether we are playing 4-3-3 or any other system."
"The guys are really understanding what Aron and Bob want. With every game that we have remaining in the season, we still look at each game as if we still have a chance to make the playoffs or every Champions League game like we have a chance to make it to the next stage. We still have our objectives we are trying to accomplish, but, at the same time, we always want to put in a good performance and show that we have a better understanding of the system. Going into next season, we are going to give the fans and also ourselves a better feeling and a lot more confidence that it will be a better squad than in previous years.”
With Toronto FC currently still in contention to move on to the next round of the CONCACAF Champions League, many TFC fans are hoping that the team will be able to win a crucial match against Panamanian side Tauro in what many are calling the biggest match of the season for the club. De Guzman concurs with the importance of the Tauro match and believes it was imperative for the team to have defeated Colorado at home in the league in order to give the team momentum for their crucial Champions League fixture next Tuesday.
“It will probably come down to be the most important one. Tauro (at home) will pretty much be a game that will decide a lot of things this season. You can say that today's game (against Colorado) was a big game in terms of capturing three points, getting a home win and getting the respect and love from the fans. So going into the game against Tauro, we will have that backing at the same time and we'll feel confident going into a game where we definitely need a win. It will be our fourth game in ten days, so I think the guys have done well. We have ended this week on a high note and now we can start the new week with a good feeling and hopefully we'll walk away with three points.”
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