TORONTO – In an up and down 2017 MLS season for Jonathan Osorio that saw more valleys than peaks, the Canadian midfielder could start in his second consecutive MLS Cup on Saturday when Toronto FC hosts the Seattle Sounders at BMO Field.
That seemed unlikely just a few months ago. For the bulk of his MLS career, Osorio has been a regular contributor for TFC with his playing time and responsibility increased each season. In total, the 25-year-old Toronto native has made more appearances (164) than any player in franchise history.
As a rookie, Osorio played in 28 games (18 as a starter) for the Reds and played 1,697 minutes during the 2013 campaign. Over the last three years, Osorio has averaged 25 starts, and he’s ranked in the top five on the team in playing time with an average of 2,238 minutes per season. A year ago, he was a key figure in TFC’s run to the MLS Cup, scoring two goals and starting in five of the Reds’ six playoff games, including the final.
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This year has been a different story, though. The off-season addition of Spanish playmaker Victor Vazquez and the emergence of Marky Delgado resulted in a fierce competition for paying time in central midfield. Osorio was the odd man out – he made juts nine starts and played 1,060 minutes, his lowest regular season totals during his tenure with Toronto.
But Osorio was given more playing time at the end of the campaign, and after coming on as a sub in both games of TFC’s opening playoff series against New York, he started in both legs of the Eastern Conference final against Columbus – in the decisive return match, he started at the expense of Delgado. And although Greg Vanney refused to tip his hand this week, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if TFC’s coach kept the faith with Osorio instead of Delgado for Saturday’s game.
For Osorio, accepting a reduced role was a humbling experience. Looking back on it now, he’s thankful for the experience as it allowed him to undergo personal growth.
“This year, I’ve done a lot of growing up. A lot of maturing. For me, the biggest thing was accepting the things I can’t control. Last year not so much, but before that, I used to think I could control things that are impossible to control. I’ve had to learn that that’s not how life works. This year I’ve learned to be patient. I’m not a very patient person, but I’m better at it,” Osorio told Sportsnet.
“Patience” is a word that Osorio routinely peppers our conversation with when referring to how things have played out for him in the 2017 campaign. He had to be patient when he lost his starting job at the start of the year to the younger Delgado. Patience was required when Osorio, a fleet-footed playmaker who likes to take opponents on, was asked to add more defensive and combative elements to his style of play. And he had to patient in terms of winning back fans who previously supported him when he was adjusting to his new role at first.
“This year was about patience for me. Looking back at it, it’s easy to say, ‘Oh, Jonathan didn’t play the best this year.’ But I don’t think that was ever the case. It was never a case of me played bad, but that in the early part of the year I wasn’t in the best form. But I was still performing and doing the job, I think,” Osorio offered.
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As the season wore on, Osorio looked more assured on the pitch, more at home, and more in sync with Vanney’s vision of the game, which calls for quick ball movement. He was rewarded with more playing time, and he has been one of the Reds most reliable and consistent performers since September.
His timing couldn’t be more perfect ahead of Saturday’s MLS Cup, which is a rematch of last year’s final. Delgado was the steady hand during the bulk of the regular season, but he’s failed to impress in the post-season. Osorio, on the other hand, has gone from strength to strength during the business end of the campaign and when called upon in the playoffs.
“Coming into the late stretch, a lot of things have happened and I got myself back to top form because I knew the playoffs were coming. I love big games. I don’t know why, but I love getting up for big games. The more the game means, the hungrier I get,” Osorio said.
“I’ve learned a lot this year, and it’s made me into a better player.”
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