With a genuine feeling of optimism permeating everyone around Toronto FC these days, the team’s original Designated Player signing, Julian de Guzman, is a veteran player who can provide a unique perspective on the transformation the team has made under Head Coach and Technical Director Aron Winter. With De Guzman’s tenure with TFC having been one of a rollercoaster variety in which he has dealt with injuries, coaching changes and all different types of organizational drama since he joined the team in summer of 2009, RedNation recently caught up with the long time Canadian International to discuss the current state of Toronto FC and his present mindset as a player with the club.
With his own improved play coming in conjunction with his return to health and with his team’s better performances in the second half of the season, De Guzman admits that he feels renewed as a player and that a huge factor in that renewal has been the culture change that has occurred at Toronto FC under Aron Winter.
“Now I can kind of say that I am playing football again and that I'm enjoying it. You have the right people involved and you are playing with the right guys as well. It definitely brings the best out of not just myself, but also everyone else. So it's good to be in a football atmosphere again and this is what I live for. It's my life and now waking up to this today is a much different feeling than when I was waking up before and I kind of didn't know what I was getting myself involved in. It's good to see that things have changed and I'm very proud of what the organization has done for club,” says De Guzman.
According to De Guzman, the culture change at the team was symbolized by the mental approach that Toronto FC showed in their season defining win over Dallas in the CONCACAF Champions League, as it was in direct contract to the team’s state of mind when they played the New York Red Bulls needing a result to get into the playoffs in their final match of the 2009 season and lost 5-0 in a game that is one of the lowlights of De Guzman’s time with his hometown club.
“I definitely felt a big difference with the Dallas game compared to the 2009 loss in New York. You could definitely feel how much this club has changed in terms of professionalism and also the culture of football. I think that is very important to note. You walk into the dressing room now and you just feel football right away. In previous years, I'm sure you walked into the changing room and it was kind of half football and half other things from your private life. So we are definitely on the right track in terms of what this is becoming and you can see it in the results. Not just on the pitch but also when you see young guys like Ashtone Morgan and Matt Stinson getting called up to the National Team. It shows that there have been a lot of changes towards what this can really become in the future.”
When asked to provide his analysis of why TFC were so dominant in their crucial victory over Dallas, the Canadian International explained that the win was both the culmination of all of the work the players and the coaching staff had put in over the course the 2011 season and a case in which the players rose to the occasion due to the sheer importance of the game.
“I think the Dallas game was one where you could feel the tension leading up to the game in terms of how importance the match was for our season and what it meant for the team and the club. And it was definitely also history in the making, in that it meant that it was making it to the next stage of the Champions League and it was something positive that TFC could be happy about. I think that once the whistle blew, everyone was on the same page and things were going well for us from a defensive standpoint and in terms of attacking. Then once the goals started to come, we started to realize that finally luck was also on our side. So I guess a lot of hard work throughout the season lead to that moment and it was also a great way to finish the season on a positive note in terms of giving hope for not just us, but also the fans, looking forward to another big season next year.”
Considering that TFC were the underdogs heading into their win or go home encounter in Texas, De Guzman believes that you cannot minimize the importance of Dallas win in that showed everyone what Toronto FC are now capable of as a team and provided very constructive reinforcement of the idea that a Major League Soccer squad can be successful playing a Dutch brand of football.
“It definitely showed that the guys are finally having a better understanding of the system. Overall, the system was having a lot more success against both CONCACAF and MLS teams, considering that we were playing against Dallas. The performances were such that we were doing pretty well and that Dallas game pretty much said it all in terms of what Aron and Bob want us to bring in every game, week in, week out. I guess the only other thing now is that they also have a better understanding of league and how things work in both the MLS and the Champions League. You know, flying to Carribbean places and flying out for midweek games on the road. Now we are able to maintain things mentally and physically in those conditions while also being in the system that they have brought to the table and which I think was very effective once the guys have a good understanding of it.”
Ultimately, the sports world is very much one that conforms to the concept of what have you done for me lately. And with that in mind, TFC’s next meaningful match will be another very challenging fixture, as it was recently announced that Toronto’s first opponent in the Champions League will be none other than the recently crowned MLS Cup Champions, the Los Angeles Galaxy. While no one expects the Galaxy to be an easy opponent to defeat, De Guzman believes that drawing Los Angeles was probably still the most comfortable opponent that TFC could have drawn.
“I think it is pretty much what most people wished for. Facing L.A. puts us up against a team that we have played against and we pretty much know what type of football they play. At the same time, they will be involved in the preseason just like we will be. So we'll be on the same page and it will be a good opportunity for us to beat them. And once you make it to the knockout stage, there definitely is no turning back.”
While how far Toronto FC will go in the Champions League is still to be determined, De Guzman is fully confident that TFC have turned the corner under Winter and company and he believes that the new football culture at the clubs presents a valuable opportunity for both the young players who are currently with the organization and future generations.
“I think what the young players have experienced has been an eye opener for them, as I'm sure they had no clue what they were getting themselves involved in. But when you have guys like Aron and Bob involved and they bring this football culture to another level, for sure it is something that they can kind of relate to based on what they would have seen on TV. It's now in their backyard, which is great and it is an excellent opportunity for young talent not just in Toronto but in Canada to get groomed, to get call-ups for their national team and to do well for their club sides at home.”
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