Jonathan Osorio leads the way at Toronto FC, on and off the football pitch

TORONTO — As another Toronto FC season slipped away, veteran midfielder Jonathan Osorio showed he is the conscience of the MLS club — as well as its captain.

Beaten 4-1 by the visiting New York Red Bulls on Oct. 2 in TFC's penultimate regular-season outing, a loss that all but ended the team's slim playoff hopes, Osorio left the field after the final whistle to hear it from disgruntled fans in the south stand of BMO Field.

"It's not easy but as the captain, in these hard times … I felt I needed to do that," Osorio said later.

Toronto coach John Herdman braved the fans three days later after the 1-0 season-ending loss to Inter Miami.

Asked about his future after an 11-19-4 campaign, his first full year at the helm, Herdman looked to his captain.

"I'm committed, fully committed to the journey with Jonathan Osorio," Herdman said. "I mean he's a great man. I've watched him lead and turn into a stronger leader over this last four months. I think the harder it got, the better he got as a leader."

Osorio, 32, had big shoes to fill after longtime captain Michael Bradley retired at the end of the 2023 season. But the Toronto native, a one-club man who has been with TFC since 2013, has led in his own way — more show than talk.

"This club means everything to him," said Toronto fullback Richie Laryea. "The city means everything to him … The contributions he's had this season, seasons past, it's huge.

"He's such a big player to have in this building. We all have to be very appreciative that he's still here. He carries what it means to play for this club."

Laryea knows all about his skipper's commitment. Stepping down as a designated player, Osorio restructured his contract to give general manager Jason Hernandez the DP slot to re-sign and fit Laryea under the salary cap.

"We basically guaranteed his option year," Hernandez said. "He got more security. He gave us back, call it, some flexibility financially so we were able to put him under the cap."

"I think it speaks volumes that up and until this point, he actually hasn't even made it public," he added. "He just did it. Because that's your captain. And that's somebody who says, behind the scenes, 'I'll do whatever it takes to help the club.' A lot of people say that. Some people actually do it."

Osorio's salary is listed at US$836,370 this season, down from US$1.4 million last year. Laryea is making US$1.21 million.

Osorio said the sacrifice, while difficult, was necessary.

"We needed Richie," he said. "Even set aside what he does for us on the field, which is key … He was the perfect piece. And we needed to get him."

"And so I did what I did. I don't regret it," he added.

With 81 caps for Canada. Osorio has also become a mainstay for the national team.

"A very soft-spoken guy, but he always leads by example … He doesn't get the recognition that I think he deserves, because he's a really really good player and so important to the team," said former Canada captain Atiba Hutchinson.

Osorio is deceptive on the pitch, able to pop up in the right places, whether it be to continue an attack or arrive in the penalty box to finish it.

Osorio, whose parents are Colombian, learned the hard way.

As a teenager, he and childhood friend Lucas Cavallini learned the ropes at Uruguay's Club Nacional, where they lived in dormitory-style accommodations with Uruguayan juniors who initially saw them as foreign intruders looking to take their jobs.

This season, Osorio added to the Toronto record book almost weekly.

The Miami game marked his franchise-leading 370th appearance in all competitions. Osorio also ranks third in all-time goals with 65, behind only forwards Jozy Altidore (79) and Sebastian Giovinco (83).

Osorio became the fourth Canadian-born player to make 300-plus regular-season MLS appearances, joining Teal Bunbury (394 games) Dwayne De Rosario (341) and Andy Williams (332).

He has experienced the highs and lows with his hometown club, winning the treble in 2017: MLS Cup, Supporters' Shield and Canadian Championship. And he has suffered at the bottom of the standings with TFC missing the playoffs the last four years.

But Osorio sees light at the end of the tunnel under Herdman. TFC recorded a seven-win, 15-point improvement this year, even after a late-season swoon.

"It's been a roller-coaster, for sure," Osorio said. "If I'm being honest, there's still a lot of things that this team has to deal with. Honestly when you really analyze everything, we've done a pretty good job to be at this point."

He understands the frustration of the fans, but says they have to be patient.

"The truth is in sports and in football. it's just not that quick of a fix and turnaround. You have to build at this. I think we're building. There's light at the end of the tunnel and I have faith … going into the off-season that Toronto will be moving into a better place."

Osorio came close to moving to Europe several times. While he had "concrete" offers, each time he stayed home.

"Sometimes I look back and wonder. But I think again it was my destiny to stay here … You want to leave your club in a better place than where you started."

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2024.

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press