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MLS PLAYOFFS MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 28, 2016

New York, New York

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, and welcome to both our media members and our participants from Toronto FC, and we have on the line with us head coach Greg Vanney as well as Michael Bradley. Thank you so much for joining us today as we preview the Eastern Conference MLS Cup Conference Championship. If we could please start out with a couple comments about the upcoming games from head coach Greg Vanney. Coach, can we just hear your thoughts about the game against Montreal, and the second leg coming up on Wednesday?

GREG VANNEY: Sure. Yeah, it's exciting, obviously, first game. Lots of goals in the game, and we're excited to be coming home and playing in front of our hometown fans in our stadium, and we're looking forward to it. They're a very good team, and we know that we have to be good at the things we've got to do, and it should be another good night of entertaining soccer, and hopefully it's another good match.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach. And, Michael Bradley, your thoughts on the first match while heading into the second match against a big arrival in Montreal?

MICHAEL BRADLEY: We're very excited for Wednesday night. We've waited all year to get to this point. And at this point both teams are 90 minutes away from playing in a final. That in and of itself is incredible motivation. We feel good about the way that we were able to come away from a very good first leg in Montreal. We are counting on an incredible night in Toronto. I think, with the atmosphere, and our fans are ready to create a very special environment that's going to push us from the first minute on. So we're very, very excited.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you so much.

Q. Patrice Bernier is a guy from montreal who doesn't get a lot of attention, but we all know how important he is to their team and how they go. What are your impressions of him and hte influence and his impact? How do you stop him and the other two guys in the infieldfrom being as influential as they were in the first leg?
GREG VANNEY: I think Patrice in many ways, as the leader of the group, his approach to the game, his work rate, his intensity, I think all those things kind of setting the tone for their group, and that's kind of the value I see for him. I think he's clever in how he got himself around the field, and obviously he found his moments to really have an impact.

And I think ultimately for us, it's, yeah, we've got to do the things that we talked about doing and set out to do, and we've got to be aware of guys at all times. We have to -- it's not about one guy for them, it's about our team collectively defending and making sure when we have the ball, we're smart with it. When we don't have the ball, we take things away. Aside from that, we have to come out and compete at the highest level.

Q. First one's for Greg and then Michael after. Greg, have you been to the stadium this morning? Have you talked to the groundskeepers or anything about how the field is?
GREG VANNEY: I have not been to the stadium. I've got a very quick brief that they were pleasantly surprised with the way the field held up. They thought they would see it in a little worse condition after the game than they did, so they feel like they can really make some progress over the next few days.

They took a lot of the preliminary precautions before the game was even played to try to protect the surface as best they can. They have a number of things that they can do with that.

So we expect -- our guys are the best. We expect the field to be in great condition and the lines will be at the proper dimensions.

Q. Michael, I'm wondering if you perhaps had a minute to watch any of the Seattle-Colorado game yesterday? I know you know Jordan Morris. What you made of his effort and sort of what that says about the intensity level of the playoffs and how important they are?
MICHAEL BRADLEY: Yeah, I'm a big fan of Jordan's. I think his package in terms of his speed, his motion to the goal, those are pretty unique things. But what makes him even more unique is when you start adding in the type of kid that he is and the type of mentality that he has. So I've been around a lot of different young players, a lot of young players who are highly touted young players, and I would put Jordan's mentality and approach to the game and to himself improving -- I would put that up there with anybody.

So I'm very happy for him on a personal level. I think, you know, in many ways in this last stretch, you know, people have been very quick, and rightfully so, to talk about the impact that NicolÃ¡s Lodeiro has had. He's been very good. But for me, the guy who has really put them on his back in a lot of situations and in the last few months is Jordan.

So I think yesterday was another example. When they needed a big play, he was the one who was able to come up with it. So, again, on a personal level, very happy for him. You know, we're going to do everything we can on Wednesday night to make sure that we get to see him and the rest of his teammates next weekend in Toronto.

Q. Greg, I know you guys were really upset about the turf at the Big O. Mauro Biello said this week that his dad taught him at a young age never to complain about the turf or the weather because it was the same for both teams. How do you respond to that?
GREG VANNEY: I don't. I think it's a fair comment. Doesn't mean that we have to like it or appreciate it, but it is the same for both teams. And it's not an excuse. It was just a flat-out point. The turf was bad, and that's a reality. Not an excuse for the results, not an excuse for anything. It's just a fact. That's all it is. So if anyone wants to take it as an excuse, I'm telling you right now it was not an excuse. It's not an excuse. It's just the fact of the situation. It is what it is.

Q. If I could follow up, how much worse was that turf than the other MLS fields that are artificial turf in comparison?
GREG VANNEY: It's worse, because most of the fields that we play on, if not all of them, and barring maybe one or so along the way, most of them now are more like a field grass type of thing where there is some resemblance to an actual grass field.

This particular field is matted down. Whatever threads they might have are all intertwined. So I think aside from it being bouncy in playing it that there are trapdoors in various parts of the field where the field just dies, if the ball hits it's or people step on it, it's inconsistent. But aside from the things that are dangerous, in the grand scheme of things, it's a little bit, what I would call, catchy. It's dangerous for guys to be on that type of surface.

Again, I'm not complaining about the game. I'm just saying where we are and the league now that to play on a surface like that, it's not necessary, and we did, right? So it is what it is. Everybody got through it from both teams, which is good. I'm happy that both teams got away with no injuries, and it was an exciting game for everybody. It sets up for an exciting game in Toronto. I think that's the most important thing now that it's all said and done.

Q. Greg, I just want to know your feeling about the rivalry between Montreal and Toronto. Is there something growing? Was that already there? What do you think? How good do you think it is for soccer that you have this playoff this year with Montreal and Toronto?
GREG VANNEY: Yeah, I think, I truly believe, that the rivalry is growing. I think there's a long sporting history in terms of rivalry between the two cities. But as far as it comes to MLS, I think the history of the rivalry is very young, and the rivalry takes big steps forward the more meaningful the games are. And last year in the playoffs was one of the real first meaningful games. This last one is the another step in a meaningful game, and the one coming up Wednesday is going to be an even bigger step.

And the more there are these outcomes and these competitions where there's a real winner and loser at the end, the more the rivalry grows, because the more emotion and passion and those types of things that are behind it.

So I think in terms of the rivalry growing, I think we're still at the start of it, and I think it's going to keep growing more because you have two good franchises who are fully capable of competing in big matches now. So I think that's exciting.

As far as the fans, I think it's big for Canadian soccer, for the people who stay tuned in, and I think there was over a million viewers, if I recall correctly, that were able to watch. And there were another 60,000 in the stands. And those experiences, whether they be on TV or in the stadium, they're great for the sport up here in Canada.

I know especially in Toronto, and I can only speak for Toronto, there are a ton of soccer fans and families who came from countries where soccer is the number one sport from where they came from. So, again, it's just giving them these interactions with the game and these meaningful emotions that come with the games that I think are just going to continue to push and propel the sport forward and draw new players, new young kids to the game, but also new fans to come out to the stadiums and watch the games.

Q. In many rivalries there's a bit of a hatred between two organizations. I don't suppose it's there yet between Toronto and Montreal. How would you describe the ambience between the two organizations?
GREG VANNEY: I think there's a respect that both sides are giving everything they can to win, and you always want to get an edge on your rival. But I think there is a respect there. I don't think any of the games that we've seen there's been anything silly or stupid on either side in terms of players taking cheap shots, for example, or things like that. I don't think we're seeing -- so far seeing anything like that in any of these ties or rival games, if you will.

So I think on that standpoint, from the on-the-field perspective, it's two opponents who respect each other greatly and understand they have to execute on the field on the day to get results.

Q. Michael, what was the real difference in this team now in 2016 from the one you played in last year?
MICHAEL BRADLEY: It's a different team. There's new players. The players that were here have a year more experience and a year more in terms of playing together and working together every day. So there's nobody around here who is thinking in any way about last year or the team last year. From day one this year preseason it was about understanding that we had the foundation for a good team and we needed to continue to work and improve.

The players that the club brought in in the off-season have been very important in terms of integrating themselves right away and making sure that their qualities have been added in a big way. We have just gone about improving ourselves every single day, and we felt very good about the group that we have, about the direction that we're going, and I think it's continued to come together in a good way.

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