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TORONTO - While Toronto FC has spent the year scouring the globe for talent, its surprise player of the season is a local product acquired before the new management regime took over. Rookie midfielder Jonathan Osorio, identified as a player to watch early in training camp by first-year manager Ryan Nelsen, has shown an opportune scoring touch in grabbing the spotlight. Osorio, who turned 21 in June, has started eight games and seen action in 10 more with Nelsen playing him both in centre midfield and on the flank. "Hes one of the absolutely top young talents in this league," said Toronto president and GM Kevin Payne. "I put him at the same level as (Gyasi) Zardes and the other forward (Jose Villarreal) from Los Angeles that everybodys making a big deal about. "I think Johnnys actually probably got a better all-round game than either one of them." Nelsen believes Osorio is a legitimate rookie of the year candidate. "For a guy who you could kind of say is coming out of nowhere in a way, its been an absolutely fantastic year," said the former New Zealand international. "But what I love about Jon is that he only wants to get better and wants to improve every day." Thanks in part to Osorio, Toronto snapped a six-game winless streak last weekend with a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Crew. Osorio scored in the 87th minute to pull Toronto into a 1-1 tie that set the stage for Andrew Wiedemans 94th-minute winner in a torrential downpour at BMO Field. While he had been shifted to the wing recently, the arrival of Spanish winger Alvaro Rey is likely to return Osorio to the middle. Osorios four goals are second only to Robert Earnshaws six on a team where goals have been hard to come by. Toronto has just 19 in 21 games. Top strikers Danny Koevermans (calf) and Earnshaw (hamstring) have both been sidelined of late. Osorio says hes always had "a nose for the (penalty) area." "Im one to always attack the box and I think I do it pretty well. So as long as I keep doing that — thats where more than 50 per cent of the goals happen in football." Osorios goals have all come late. And would have meant more had it not been for defensive lapses. Osorio scored in the 78th minute against Los Angeles (the Galaxy replied in stoppage time for a 2-2 tie), in the 66th minute against Philadelphia (the Union scored in stoppage time for a 1-1 tie) and the 83rd minute against New York (the Red Bulls scored in the 89th minute for a 2-1 win). "Its a great story for our other academy kids," said Payne. "When they see kids actually transition from the academy to the first team and get games and have the opportunities to make impacts, that really helps their confidence. They now believe that Wow if I work hard, there really is a pathway. "That kid is very talented. Johnny Osorio. Hes a tough kid ... He looks like a cool, detached sort of player on the field but he actually has a great deal of emotion within him. He plays with a lot of passion." Osorio didnt spent much time with the Toronto academy. He signed in September after impressing with SC Toronto in the Canadian Soccer League. In February, he was at Toronto FCs camp in Florida and was included in Nelsens his first starting 11, against the Columbus Crew. "You knew it right there, he had confidence in me to play and to be ready to play at a professional level," Osorio said. The young Canadian says he is growing in confidence every week. "I feel really good out there," he said. "Im always hungry to score goals or assists or help the team in any way." Said Nelsen: "Nothing fazes him. Not even bad moments in games. He always tries to do things positively. Instead of going into his shell, he tries to keep doing stuff. And I love that because the game and life in general rewards those people." Osorio took the long road to his home-town club, spending two years at Club Nacional in Montevideo, Uruguay, thanks to his talent and the connections of coach Jorge Amura at the Clarkson Sheridan Soccer Club in suburban Mississauga. He spent two years there, starting in the under-19 ranks before making his way into the reserves before deciding to return home at the end of 2011. Cheap Jordans NZ . Pedro scored from a pass by Lionel Messi in the 33rd minute and added two more goals in the 47th and 72nd after Valdes saved his second penalty in four days following his stop in Wednesdays 4-0 over Ajax in the Champions League. Air Jordan Basketball Shoes NZ . After dropping their final six games of December, the Wild opened the new calendar year with four consecutive wins. Following a loss to Colorado on Saturday, Minnesota rebounded the following night to blank Nashville 4-0, but then had the tables turned on them Tuesday. http://www.discountairjordannz.com/ . As the crowd erupted, Davis knocked the ball off the glass and back into his hands. With 1:14 to go in overtime, Davis sixth block also became his 17th rebound. That, along with his 32 points -- which tied a career high -- proved too much for Denver to overcome, and the Pelicans held on for their third straight victory, 111-107 on Sunday night. Air Jordan Shoes NZ .J. -- New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz will miss the rest of the season after having surgery on his left knee. Air Jordan Retro NZ .Y. -- Leading 3-0 with only 11:25 left, the Colorado Avalanche committed a seemingly meaningless penalty to give the New York Islanders a power play. OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Golden State Warriors get an opportunity to exact some revenge for the first time this season when they host the Los Angeles Lakers in the opener of a three-day, home-and-home series Wednesday night.The club also meet Friday night in Los Angeles.The Warriors will take a 12-2 record into the doubleheader, having won eight in a row since a shocking 117-97 drubbing at the hands of the Lakers at the Staples Center on Nov. 7.It appears the early wakeup call was just what the Warriors needed. The two-time defending Western Conference champs have rebounded to win eight straight, including four in a row on a just completed Eastern swing.After being held to a season-low 97 points in the loss to the Lakers, the Warriors have responded with an average of 120 points during their winning streak.The impressive offensive run has propelled Golden State into the league lead in scoring (117.1) and assists (30.9) per game.The Warriors led the NBA in both categories last season -- albeit it with lesser numbers (114.9 points, 28.9 assists) -- en route to their record 73-win season.Weve been great on the road the last three years, Warriors guard Klay Thompson told reporters after Mondays 120-83 win at Indiana. We want to keep that mentality and carry this momentum back home.Were looking forward to facing this Lakers team that beat us.Golden State will welcome a key piece of their historic run back to Oracle Arena on Wednesday night when they duel for a second time -- the first time at home -- with their former assistant coach, Luke Walton.Walton, who led the Warriors to thheir 24-0 start last season while Steve Kerr was recovering from back surgery, is now the coach of the Lakers.ddddddddddddWaltons presence and the three resulting high draft picks following 27-, 21- and 17-win seasons have made the Lakers one of the leagues most improved teams.With 2014 first-round pick Julius Randle averaging 13.3 points and a team-leading 8.1 rebounds, and 2015 first-rounder DAngelo Russell contributing 16.1 points and a team-high 4.8 assists, the Lakers have vaulted from the NBAs worst offense last season (97.3 ppg) to the leagues third-best (109.9).Even 2016 first-round pick Brandon Ingram has started to get into the flow, having scored in double figures three times in the last six games after just one in his first nine outings.Ingram came off the bench to score 11 in a 111-109 home win over the Oklahoma Thunder on Tuesday night in a game in which Russell sat out to rest a sore knee and Randle was limited to 21 minutes by a sore hip.Russell is not expected to play Wednesday in Oakland, either.The Lakers (8-7) are on the road Wednesday after an inconsistent homestand in which they lost two of four. Theyve dropped three of five overall, having allowed an average of 117.2 points in those games after holding four of their first 10 opponents -- including Golden State -- under 100.That didnt stop Walton from delivering a message to his club before heading north.Theyre probably the ones that are a little nervous right now, he said. ' ' '