Toronto FC officially opened preseason training for the 2022 campaign on Wednesday in California.

It’s been a busy off-season already and that is expected to continue as the club builds towards their first match on February 26 away to FC Dallas, but that first day of stepping on the pitch as a unit and beginning the hard work of putting it all together is always a big moment.

“It was great to be outside, get guys on the grass,” said Bob Bradley, fresh off the training pitch. “Up until now there's so much talk, but to get going, to start establishing some ideas on how we want to play, start coaching some players, start to create some training where players have to think and recognize moments and situations, that part was great.”

“The overall response on the first day was quite good,” continued the newly-installed TFC Head Coach and Sporting Director. “As always anxious, at times it goes a little bit too fast and we mess up plays, other moments where the ball doesn't move quickly enough, we don't see things as fast as we need to, but that all comes from the work every day so that was awesome.”

The usual first day mix of jitters and exuberance were to be expected.

“The group of guys that are here is excited to get going,” said club captain Michael Bradley. “The beginning of preseason is always a fresh start – even more so this year, given the new coach and new staff. In all ways, you walk out onto the field today and you looked around and there was a real sense of energy and excitement.”

“We'll continue to build every day as we move things along here, but certainly there's real optimism about getting things going. Already today [there was] work on how we want to play, how we want to go about things, how we want to step on the field and try to play our football,” he added. “On Day One you begin laying that groundwork and everyone is in a good way.”

While Michael will be familiar with Bob’s on-field instructions, for some it was the first chance to interact fully with the new boss.

“After the first training session, all good impressions,” said Jonathan Osorio. “He’s a well-established coach. He has a certain way that he sees football and he has a certain way of how he sees [for] this team to play and already he's instilling those ideas into the players.”

“Today we did a lot of playing and it was good to see the ideas that he brings forward,” he continued. “He's holding everybody accountable, coaching everybody and trying to make sure everybody's getting better and that everybody is engaged and trying to pick up his way of thinking. It was a really good first day; really excited to see how the team goes forward into the first game.”

Preseason preparations begin with a camp in California that will stretch into early February. TFC will then return to Toronto for a few days before settling in Texas to build into that first match at the end of the month.

For individual players, a good off-season comes in two parts: the first is getting the rest that the rigours of the previous campaign demand, the second is beginning to build that foundation to do it all again the following year.

“After the last game you took a little time away,” outlined Osorio. “As players our minds are always football, football, football for the whole year, it can be really taxing on the mind and as well as the body of course.”

“For me, I took time away for a little bit, a week, couple of weeks, had a great vacation, went away with my girlfriend and just tried to enjoy, and then when I came back got straight to it, knowing that a big season is coming for Toronto FC,” he added, highlighting some big games at the end of January for the Canadian national team.

The upcoming FIFA international window will see another three-game window of World Cup Qualification in Concacaf with Canada set to travel to Honduras and El Salvador either side of the home match against the USA in Hamilton, Ontario.

“With the games at the end of the month, with me being out of season, I wanted to really work and get myself really for these games,” levelled Osorio. “I've been doing everything I can to be game ready and as ready as I could be.”

The new season has officially begun. Preseason matches are on the horizon and moves, both incoming and outgoing, have been made. Much remains to be done.

“Yes, we certainly have a lot of work to do,” summed up the coach. “Throughout the last couple of months, it's been clear that there's a lot of work that will go into building the roster over the next month or even months.”

“We've tried to concentrate on looking at all possibilities. Internally having really good discussions about how we can build from here,” Bradley continued. “It's great to get started on the field – the work there always is of the utmost importance, but at the same time we also know there's a lot going on off the field.”