Toronto FC Vs New England Revolution: 3 things we learned – Points shared
By Harvey Cruz
Toronto FC and New England played to a scoreless draw in Group C of the MLS is Back Tournament on Tuesday morning. Here are three things we learned.
Entering Tuesday morning, both Toronto FC and the New England Revolution had their fate in their own hands. Residing in the top two positions before kick-off, a win for either would confirm them as group winners.
Both teams rotated a little, New England more than their Canadian opponents. Greg Vanney brought in Nick DeLeon in place of Tsubasa Endoh, while Bruce Arena made six changes to keep his teams’ legs as fresh as possible as they head towards the knockout stages.
Ultimately, the changes disrupted the rhythm of both teams, leaving the game a stalemate as Ayo Akinola squandered the best chances of the game thanks to some excellent Matt Turner goalkeeping. The draw gives both teams five points, which should be enough to qualify, even if they slip to third place. D.C. United, though, can still win the group if they beat Montreal by more than one goal.
Here are three things we learned.
3. Revolution rotation does just enough
Coming into the contest, Bruce Arena made six changes for this game after fielding the same starting XI in the first two group games. With four points after two games, you could see the reasoning after all but wrapping up a spot in the Round of 16.
However, what Arena might not have seen was how poor the first 45 minutes were. Mustering only two shots, as many yellow cards and no shots on target made for frustrating viewing. To their credit, Toronto FC kept New England at bay and held possession for large periods, although their final pass or shot was often wasteful.
Arena mentioned this would be the case and brought on Cristian Penilla and Gustavo Bou in the second half. The momentum shifted in the Revs’ favor, but they couldn’t finish their chances either. Adam Buksa looked certain to scored from a few yards out but was denied spectacularly by Alex Bono, while several final passes just went astray. Ultimately, the Revs will be happy with a draw as it allowed Arena to provide some key players with much-needed rest.