Jason Hernandez admits to having been through a whirlwind over the past few months, but the temporary uncertainty over his future was worth it in light of the final result.
Hernandez, 34, was considered a valuable member of Toronto FC by coach Greg Vanney last season, even though he made just eight MLS appearances after signing with the club in March. Hernandez was out of contract at the end of the 2017 campaign, and with GM Tim Bezbatchenko dealing with a number of salary cap issues, the Reds decided not to renew the veteran defender.
But he was invited to pre-season training camp for 2018, and the belief was that he would eventually re-sign with TFC. Finally, last week, Hernandez officially inked a new contract.
Far from acrimonious, the process was still a bit laboured. In the end, TFC shored up its defence with some veteran depth, and Hernandez, entering his 14th season in MLS this year, returned to the club where he will more than likely finish his pro career.
“For me, this was really the only place I wanted to come back to. It was just conversations between myself and the organization to figure out what would make sense on both of our ends,” Hernandez said ahead of Saturday’s road game against the Houston Dynamo.
“We were in contact ever since our exit meeting [last] December. Being a free agent in MLS, it’s kind of strange process. We were going back and forth, trying to figure out if we could come to an understanding and an agreement. Lucky enough we did.”
Hernandez admits that other MLS clubs made some inquiries about him, but talks never progressed.
“Very early in the off-season there were a couple of teams that showed some interest, but nothing really got past casual conversations,” Hernandez revealed.
Asked why “Toronto was the only place” he considered, Hernandez explained he wanted “be a part of something bigger than myself”
“Did you see last year? [laughs] Really, it’s the way the organization is run from top to bottom, and the people here. You feel like you’re a part of something special. … I wanted to be part of that,” Hernandez said.
A native of New York, Hernandez didn’t have much time to settle in after re-signing with Toronto. The ink wasn’t even dry on his contract when he was put into the starting line-up for last Saturday’s road game against the Colorado Rapids. Vanney fielded a reserve side in Denver, giving most his starters the day off to rest up for the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League final this past Tuesday at BMO Field.
Vanney’s starting 11 featured seven players who had yet to earn a start in MLS this season, and four who hadn’t even played a single minute, including Hernandez (his previous appearance was Sept. 16, 2017). Two others made their first-team debuts for Toronto: Liam Fraser and Ryan Telfer. Telfer was one of three players signed by the Reds from the TFC 2 farm club a day earlier. Julian Dunn, a 17-year-old from TFC 2 who also signed in the lead-up this game, debuted as a second-half substitute.
Still fighting to get in game shape, Hernandez lasted 45 minutes before being subbed out at the start of the second half. With so many changes, it was terribly surprising that the Reds lost 2-0, but Hernandez feels the team gained something valuable.
“For a lot of young guys to get some minutes and that experience, I think that only bodes well for the future. These are players that, whether it’s in the short-term or the long-term, we’re going to be relying on them to contribute, so the more experience they can have in matches like that the better,” Hernandez said.
With Toronto set to play the second leg of the Champions League final against Chivas Guadalajara next Wednesday in Mexico, Vanney will field a similar line-up in Houston on Saturday afternoon. Hernandez, more than likely, will once again be called to play alongside a handful of youngsters and prospects.
“It’s a great opportunity to step onto the field and make a case for yourself. … Jump right into the fire, and see how we hold up. We have a lot of confidence that we’re going to put out a team that will be ready to compete,” Hernandez offered.
Saturday’s game in Houston isn’t the only thing occupying his mind, though.
Puerto Rico is still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria that absolutely devastated the Caribbean island last fall. Lives were lost and millions of dollars in damage was done, and portions of the island are still without power and electricity.
The TFC defender confirmed that members of his extended family who live in Puerto Rico – including his grandmother, an uncle and a cousin – are doing fine. Nonetheless, it breaks his heart to see the island struggling to recover, and he feels Puerto Ricans are not getting the help they deserve and need.
“It’s incredibly frustrating. It’s a unique situation for me because I was born in New York, so I’m American, but my blood is Puerto Rican and my family is from the island. … I look at them as Puerto Rican, but they’re Americans, so see them wanting and needing help is something I can’t wrap my head around,” Hernandez said.
“Sometimes I think if San Juan [the capital] wasn’t [in Puerto Rico], but was in Ohio, they wouldn’t be going through these problems, and things would be much easier and taken care of much faster.”
[radioclip id=3997871]
comment 0 comments:
more_vertsentiment_satisfied Emoticon