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Toronto FC midfielder Jonathan Osorio undergoes sports hernia surgery

Toronto FC midfielder Jonathan Osorio has undergone sports hernia surgery.

The MLS team said the 26-year-old from Brampton, Ont., had the surgery Thursday and is expected back for pre-season training in January.

Osorio joins striker Jozy Altidore (ankle) and midfielder Victor Vazquez (knee) in undergoing recent surgery.

Osorio had a career year in 2018, with 17 goals and eight assists in 43 games in all competitions. In MLS play, his 10 goals were second only to Sebastian Giovinco (15) among TFC players.

The Canadian international won the Golden Boot in the CONCACAF Champions League and the George Gross Memorial Trophy as the Canadian Championship MVP.

Osorio seemed free of health issues during the MLS season. He appeared in 30 games and his 2,603 minutes were second only to captain Michael Bradley (2,857 minutes in 32 games). 

"Everybody carries knocks. It was a long season," he said at the team's post-season wrap Monday. "There's injuries here and there but I didn't have anything to keep me out."

Osorio was rewarded in late August with a new long-term deal making him "one of the highest-paid Canadian players in the world," according to team president Bill Manning. His existing contract expires at the end of the 2018 season.

At US$209,825, he ranked 14th on the 2018 Toronto payroll (15th if you counted Ager Aketxe who is currently on loan in his native Spain), according to the MLS Players Association.

TFC used targeted allocation money to sign Osorio, meaning his new deal is more than the league's maximum salary budget charge of $504,375. He is not quite at the million-dollar mark but has the potential to get there, according to a source.

"If we had a team full of Jonathan Osorios, we would be in a good place no matter what," coach Greg Vanney said when the new deal was announced. "He just shows up to work every day. He gives us everything he has every day whether it's training, whether it's soccer tennis ... he's always playing to win."

 

Follow @NeilMDavidson on Twitter

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press


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