Practice was open to the media for the final time in Toronto this season as the Reds engaged in 11 vs. 11 drills head of their clash against the Revolution in New England on Saturday.
Jermain Defoe was in attendance but wasn’t able to practice as his sports hernia injury continues to be a source of frustration. Defoe, Greg Vanney, Dwayne De Rosario and Nick Hagglund spoke to the media on a beautiful fall day at the Kia Training Ground.
Doneil Henry also made news, as the Canadian international’s dreams of playing in Europe get closer to reality.
Jermain Defoe
On the initial groin injury that led Defoe to seek treatment in London
“I spoke to the captain, Steven Caldwell, who had something similar. I spoke to him about the symptoms I was getting and he told me the problems he had. So at the time I thought I had the same thing because I was struggling through games."
On his return to Toronto
“I remember the game against New York, I really struggled in the second half. I tried to adapt my game just to stay on the pitch and help my game but I couldn’t really perform how I normally do. So I’m just frustrated, really.”
On treatment going forward
“It’s a problem I need to get fixed. The doctor here has made contact with a specialist in Germany (that deals with sports hernias). It’s not unusual. A lot of players have had this problem and even if you need an operation it’s only a minor procedure, but it’s something that needs fixing.”
Greg Vanney
On what the final game means
“For me this is a character game. In the grand scheme of things there’s nothing for us to play for, but if you’re a true competitor and a winner then you’re going to go out on the field and find a way to get a result. That’s one thing: continuing to wrap our heads around the style of play and the things that we want to do going forward.
“It’s an opportunity for guys to step in and show something as well, because decisions will have to be made at the end of the year. I don’t think anyone is necessarily playing for their job, but I think guys can make good cases for themselves this season.”
On finding inspiration from teams like DC United
“You have to look at DC, who went from a horrendous season last year and were able to flip it around and win the east. I think those are things that have existed in this league for a long time. DC as an example, has been able to go where they’ve gone because they went and got pros who understand this league, veterans in this league and built a core group of guys. This league is unique, no matter what anybody wants to say, it’s different than any other league and has different expectations.”
On how important experience is in MLS
“We’ve tracked over the course of this year the amount of matches played in the league that we have versus our opponents and anytime we tend to have a higher number of matches played for us we actually do better in those games. There’s more correlation to that in terms of results.”
Dwayne De Rosario
On his future and being suspended for the final game
“Tomorrow, I wake up. Probably won’t be going to Boston because I got suspended, so that’s not good and then unfortunately enjoy a long offseason.
“I haven’t thought about retirement and I definitely plan on being here next year. I still enjoy waking up and playing football.”
Update on Doneil Henry
Doneil Henry was on the verge of fulfilling a lifelong dream.
A trial with English Premier League club West Ham went well last summer. The 21-year-old from Brampton was a few formalities away from playing professional soccer in Europe.
An offer from the Hammers didn’t come, but Henry didn’t relent. His hard work eventually paid off.
Shortly after Henry’s trial, Toronto FC was approached by a club from Cyprus. The club sat down with Henry and his agent, Courtney James, to discuss a potential deal. Henry opted to pursue his dream, and TFC agreed it was the best course of action.
“I think this is a win-win for the player and club,” said General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko.
Henry stayed with TFC on loan from the currently unnamed Cypriot club in 2014 and could do the same in 2015, depending on individual talks between Toronto management and the player.
Those talks are expected to occur next week, with a decision coming soon after.
