New England Revolution 0 - Toronto FC 1: 3 Thoughts

The Revs ran through The Six and got zero points

Photo By: J. Alexander Dolan

The New England Revolution returned to MLS play on Saturday as they headed up to Canada to face John Herdman’s Toronto FC

Caleb Porter made some changes to the starting XI with the likes of Dave Romney and Tomas Chancalay failing to earn starts. Henrich Ravas got the start in net while Ryan Spaulding, Andrew Farrell, Henry Kessler, and Nick Lima made up the back four.

Noel Buck and Matt Polster served as the defensive midfielders while Carles Gil was in his usual No. 10 role. Esmir Bajraktarevic and Nacho Gil were on the wings with Giacomo Vrioni at striker.

New England hasn’t done well at BMO Field historically as they have a 5-6-6 record against Toronto on the road but the Revs are unbeaten in its last three matches against The Reds in Canada.

But what do you need to know about the Revolution’s trip to the six? Here are three thoughts.

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1 - The Adventures Of Henrich Ravas

Coming off an impressive match against NYCFC that featured some quality saves, Ravas took a step back against Toronto FC.

While the goalkeeper was once again able to make some quality saves, his play out of the back and the ability to read balls coming his way left a lot to be desired. He once was caught out of net after failing to reach a long ball in the far corner of the field early on and a poor pass out of the back almost saw New England go down a goal.

It was a real mediocre performance but when it comes to confidence, it is unlikely that Ravas’ performance against Toronto will boost Porter’s faith in the goalkeeper. While he made a great save on a penalty in the second half, he seems to be a liability when playing the ball in the back.

2 - Too Much Sauce

Esmir Bajraktarevic is known for his willingness to break out some tekkers and flair but it came back to bite him in this match. Too many times his decision to go for the theatric play led to a turnover or an attack being stopped in its tracks.

Sometimes the smartest play is the simplest play. For instance instead of trying to go through two defenders with a spin move, maybe pass to a wide-open Carles Gil in the middle of the pitch. The youngster got better throughout the game in this regard but it is something he needs to focus on as he progresses as a player.

It wasn’t particularly Bajraktarevic’s best game but hopefully he continues to stay in the starting XI as he provides a spark to the Revolution attack.

3 - Missed Chances And Mistakes

The Revolution were made to pay for the chances they missed and the mistakes they made.

The goal that Toronto scored wasn’t a complete gift from New England but a major factor in The Reds finding the back of the net was a failed clearance from Ryan Spaulding. While the right back had just received treatment for a bloody nose, he needed to better on the play.

But it also wasn’t a great game for Giacomo Vrioni considering the chances he got. His chance early in the second half was a gift from the attacking gods but he failed to convert.

So once again the Revolution failed to get a win. That is an occurrence that has happened far too often this season. Whether it be the coaches or the players, something has to change.