Revolution II: Three Thoughts After Toronto Draw
Revolution II: Three Thoughts After Toronto Draw
Revs II wrap-up their three-game road trip with two points following a draw in regulation followed by a shootout victory!
Richie Williams and New England Revolution II saw some success when they secured two points following a full-time draw and a 5-4 shootout victory over Toronto FC II north of the border. Here are three thoughts.
1 - Third Time’s The Charm
After starting their early season road trip with two straight losses where they were outscored 8-3, Revolution II ended their three-game road trip with a satisfying two points.
Despite Julian Altobelli getting Toronto on the board just seven minutes in, Revolution II brought the fight as Marcos Dias found the equalizer right before halftime, leading to the 1-1 draw and subsequent 5-4 shootout win.
While the road trip did not go how many anticipated, securing two points on the road is definitely a good way to end a rough road trip. Hopefully the points will translate into improvements as Revs II prepare to host four of their next five matches.
2 - Overabundant Offsides
After getting caught offside three times in the draw against Toronto, Revolution II have been caught offside a staggering 13 times through their first five MLS NEXT Pro matches.
Stats on MLS NEXT Pro’s website haven’t been updated as of writing, but their 10 offsides before Friday’s match saw Revs II in a four-way tie for seventh most in the league, with LAFC 2 holding the top spot with 15. With three more calls from Friday, we will likely see Revs II climb the chart.
With only six goals through their first five matches, limiting offside calls in the future will help Revs II find the back of the net more often.
3 - Does The D Stand For Dancing?
Despite conceding just seven minutes into his professional debut, it was a decent start for newcomer J.D. Gunn. The newcomer made three saves while completing 25 of 28 passes, which kept Revs II in the game and led to the 1-1 draw come the end of regulation.
Things only got better for Gunn in the shootout as he stretched to his right to stop Theo Rigopoulos in the fourth round. Gunn pulled out the theatrics when Mark Fisher stepped to the spot in the fifth round. As Fisher stepped back in anticipation, Gunn pulled out the Macarena, attempting to throw Fisher off his game, but it unfortunately did not work. Huge props to Gunn for the effort though.