Prince Owusu & John Herdman REACT to Toronto FC DEFEATING Houston Dynamo as MLS RETURNS to play

thanks Nicole hi Prince congratulations on the goal the win tonight um aside maybe you just talk about the team's performance tonight in very difficult situations how did you think how would you characterize how the team played [Music] tonight today we te with the hell of a job um we fighted together we knew we play against Houston but uh um especially against the weather you know it um the weather will be really tough for us and usess used to the sweater we don't and um we knew that uh the game as long as goes the longer go the game it will get harder for us and um but we have to stay tight and um yeah try to to score our chances what we did uh in a set pie what we trained the whole week and um yeah we are happy that we won uh we know this was not our best game today but uh at the end uh we really don't care we just happy of three points we had a lot of games where we was good or even the better team and we lost the game after so um we take B points uh happily with us and uh yes home we'll go to James grai next thanks Nicole hey Prince uh you didn't have a a lot to feed on you didn't see a lot of the ball in that first half how much was it just about staying alert and alive for you waiting for that moment to come um yeah you have to to honestly you have to always uh make your mind um be awake um um as a striker you know um one moment can change the whole game or um the dynamic of the of the game and yeah we knew um set pieces will today a a big big opportunity for us and um so it was and uh we took the opportunity and I'm really happy that I helped the team with a goal see the guys in there in the locker are really tired they put everything uh on the pitch um and we deserve we deserve the win for our work effort what we what we did and um yeah pays off paid off and U I'm really proud of the guys we'll go next to John thanks Nicole Prince can you um break down the goal for us and specifically what did you think of fed's delivery on the corner kick honestly I had a feeling that the ball would come to the back post and um I this is hard to explain it's just a feeling you know if you train every day with a a work class player and then watch him every day watch his movement and you learn and also you um you understand his game so a lot of times uh it's just um things what I saw before in training and uh we did a lot of like I said we did a uh we trained a lot set pieces in training and um was just a feeling so um the feeling was right and I'm happy that work yes we'll go back to James thanks again Nicole uh Prince what does it do for the side to start off this final part of the season with a big three points on the road huge huge um after two weeks break uh to start with a win um because um it's not easy you know you get out of your Rhythm um and especially games in Houston in this environment is uh double heart and uh I think now we have to rest we have to rest and and make sure that we are ready for the for the cup game it's the next important game the last 10 games the next 10 games are very important and you know that you have every the next the next games are like all finals and this is how we also want to start every game you know we know what's uh what type of pressure is now now is a crunch time and uh everybody is alert so uh we know what's uh what we have to do and we know our plans and um you know or we have a lot of experienced players also in the squad uh who already experienced this situation so thanks Al hi John congratulations on the win um aside from the win I mean maybe you just talk about the team's performance what did you what did you make of how your team played what stood out what did you like about how the team played tonight in Houston it was a it was a great performance I think come to houon keep sheet it's our first win since 2010 we don't come here often but it's not a stadium conditions a play style I think players get excited to come to it stuff so I think you know we've talked a lot over these last two weeks about what it's going to take on Championship push what it's going to take and the last run through MLS and what you seen tonight was what it's going to take it's going to take a a squad of players that are going to do everything to get three points for their Club it's what I seen tonight led by this Skipper Jonathan isario I thought you know he organized this team pushed himself to his limits tonight and you know as a team they they responded so you know what I like was the C back because we did say it's not going to be perfect down the Home Street there games that you're going to play and defenses will win um you the playoff birth and I thought that was a a key part of it tonight just real solid defending and every man committing to that that [Music] Clarity we'll go next to James grai thanks Nicole hey John hey James uh just that first half how did you see that sort of plan out and how important was it dropping Oso back a little bit to get a bit more control in in the second yeah we we out there shift structure in the uh first half and shifted to 3 m Midfield after after about 30 minutes they they were able to get that plus one on the side to our right their right hand our right hand side and we had to adjust to that uh so just again flattening the Midfield off great to three and just give us that extra number to to balance out Hector Herrera who is just such a wonderful player I think uh we had some problems trying to to manage the distance between our two midfielders and our front three for period of time but again we knew like coming here there aren't many teams that can get a foothold in the game whether it's the conditions and they obviously adapt well to their conditions and they're so aggressive every single pass backwards you the whole team is stepping on and and making sure it's uncomfortable so you know just the SC through we had a couple of chances in the first half had some some chances as well but you know I thought um you know coming in at halim it was just a a gritty aware performance which is what we needed and then coming into the second half our first 15 minutes we said we'll go for it you know we'll get more pressure on them and uh commit a little bit more and certainly uh care enough we'll go back to John thanks Nicole John a pretty uh immense performance by Kevin long tonight I thought uh wanted to get your sort of take on what you saw from from him yeah I mean he came off the pitch and he just said I love love those games and you know that's the English Championship play against the new DP strike Pon who you know we could see he was in good form coming into this game and you know long he knew he had a tough shift but you can't do it on your own I thought Sig and Shane O'Neal for as long as he could sort of help manage the distances around him tended to have that cover and I just thought long he was Brave tonight he um you know stepped off the front when he needed to you know we knew Bon didn't have a huge amount of pace so he could be more aggressive and yeah I mean when you work in a back five the central center backs key he he shifted tonight he he dealt with the their number nine but again you do need those two center backs around you to give you the cover and Debby Flores in front of them I think it was a good sort of central spine from Sha Johnson who was solid through the longy and then you've got Debby who was in front Prince putting a shift in right through the center of the pitch so yeah you need this as I keep saying boys keep saying you know in this playoff run like it's not going to be pretty you just have to push and get through these games games and scrap for the points and it felt good it really did feel good I mean I don't come in here to Hon to think we're going to dominate the ball dominate the game you come into hon to grab three points and get get the hell out we'll go back to James thanks again nicoa John the goal in Miami for Prince who has ruled an own goal but he got his tonight he was a Hungry Man at that back post and maybe just on him and and on the ball from fed as well yeah I mean fed's class is is always his quality is always there and when quality meets a quality run and and I think that's what Prince bread and butter is he needs that service he needs that quality the goals so it was great to see him arrive I mean we've been working on the set pieces this week the lads have really dialed in something again the skipper raised to say look set pieces are going to be key so we put attention on that Terry dfield did some work this week which was good with the lads and you know we we put a lot more time into it this week than you know we've done previous weeks just with the extended time so it delivered and yeah I mean this is it you got to take the calls anywhere you can whether it's set pieces deflections you know these games we've you know played better in and lost this year and this is a one that I'm really happy with it reminds us of sort of the beginning of the Season where we were just fighting and scrapping right till the final whistl together but one more thing was just to say the lads coming off the bench I mean we we were rotating some players obviously fed Richie Etc um Derek eten you know rotating plays because we've got a a March in two days time which is it's crazy but we you know we're going to come out of Houston and play a game in two days and you know those guys will have a little bit more gas in the tank as well so we took some risks bringing you know key players off the pitch and it just shows that guys can come in and bring that level of concentration it's brilliant John it it was reminiscent of those early early year one-nil wins you guys were seeing out are those extra sweet for a coach yeah they are because you know the clean sheet element is really important when everyone dials in to say we're going to give it everything to keep it clean sheet whether it's the goalkeeper but for sure to have that confidence that you know the work's going to get done we have worked on our defending in the last couple of weeks just denying those Central areas getting the wide center backs tighter you know those elements were were on short and I thought again longy did well sigy did well Shan then I mean coming in off the bench was really good so but you you again the guys in front have got to put their shift in they did really well to um just just keep forcing them into those wide areas and when you play with a bu three we keep saying this with you know the quality of play as longer you see he's one of the best headers in the league and you bring an M beer in you know those players can deal with those crosses so yeah I was happy I mean there was some hairy moments but there's never a game in MLS when they're on hairy moments so um yeah proud just proud of the character the intensity the fight and uh all the results went out way tonight but they only go you way if you make your way and we made our own way tonight and we've capitalized on what would be a big evening for TFC given how the the league pned out today and last one for me before I let you go John uh big game on Tuesday just what was the message to the group heading out of this one one game that it's sign I mean the lads know we've got a exciting home match I mean we're really looking forward for um you know that's it's again we want back excited to to get out on the pitch and compete against them um the players are really clear about you know that game being important for for the club and for our our next our next step which is to see if we can bring silver home silver way home so you know that that match is is an exciting one for this group and again what was good is players knew they were going to come out of the game to be ready for that match and some players were left at home as well to make sure they got the full recovery and not the travel in their legs so yeah we're excited excited again in front of our fans it's uh feels like it's been ages it's going to be good we'll go to John next thanks Nicole John a big win tonight but also sorry hey John can you hear me yeah I've call you John well sorry um a big win tonight but also a costly win in that both sario and berneski picked up their fifth yellow cards which means they're suspended next week does that sort of put a it doesn't discount the win obviously but I mean how do you feel about that I mean going into that game next week without you know two key starters it's been the story of this season John um you know I tend to expect that it's not going to go as planned you know I mean even some of the subs we have to make tonight were the ones that weren't planned just because of fatigue injury Etc like potential injury so you know this is this is the wild MLS but I I've just got to rely on the squad now you know the squad showed tonight that again we can rotate um and and it gives at least Federico and and Jonathan absolute clarity about what they can do on Tuesday in that Cup match they they can really let loose and go for it now without having a DC United game in the back of their mind so we keep saying this you know we we we have to go next man up at TFC it's been like that this season and to lose your Skip's never good and to lose you know obviously feder Rico and the impact he has is is never good but you know we will have ouren all you know hopefully back fit and and ready to roll for us so we'll push we we're going to fight we'll have our fans we'll have our fans hopefully in playoff mood as well