It certainly wasn’t pretty but Toronto FC escaped from New England with a crucial point as an eight-game road trip to begin the season nears its conclusion.
The Reds fell behind early after a missed marking assignment in the box allowed Revs midfielder Kelyn Rowe to drift free and fire a header beyond the reach of Clint Irwin.
It was the only shot Irwin did not save, as the Charlotte native registered another sterling performance between the sticks for the Reds. “He’s not the guy in the offseason who necessarily got the headlines when we picked him up, but for us, it was one of the most important pickups,” said head coach Greg Vanney. “He’s shown that he’s a very stable figure back there.”
Here are three things we learned from the 1-1 draw in Foxborough.
Clint Is Cool
Lee Nguyen was very close to opening the scoring just two minutes into the match at Gillette Stadium, but Clint Irwin made the save on the U.S. international. A similar moment occurred just after the restart in the second half, with Teal Bunbury in alone on Irwin. Again, the former Capital City shotstopper made the save. He’s been doing it all year.
“Clint has been a phenomenal addition for us,” said Greg Vanney following the match.
The 27-year-old’s demeanor is one of the first things you notice. Highs, lows and in between, you get the same reaction from Clint Irwin. He’s prepared to do his job.
“That’s just really stabilizing for our back line to know that he’s back there,” said Vanney. “They have a lot of faith in him, maybe too much, and they shouldn’t give some of those chances away, but they have a lot of faith in him and he’s answered the bell on all of those calls.”
Reds Need To Play Quick
Jozy Altidore’s first start coincided with a change in formation for Greg Vanney’s side. The 4-3-3 the Reds began the season with was eschewed for a 4-4-2 with Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco up top.
In Focus: Tactical Change Helps Reds in New England
There were some issues to start, with the Reds falling on the wrong side of the ball as the Revolution countered with a narrow formation of their own. Following Rowe’s goal Marky Delgado began to move higher, and TFC moved back into their familiar 4-3-3.
Giovinco’s equalizer was created by quick play in the midfield, with Will Johnson playing the ball early for Altidore. That’s something Vanney wants to see more of.
“If we are too slow in playing forward in transition, then we’re going to have to break down 10, 11 guys every single time and that was happening in the first half,” said Vanney.
Possession Is Misleading
This is not something we learned on Saturday, but it’s worth pointing out again. Toronto FC’s most complete performance of the season thus far, in Harrison against the Red Bulls, saw them fall on the wrong end of the possession battle.
That was by design, as Vanney and his staff went into the game knowing they would have to rely on the counter attack to create chances. That’s the modus operandi for most road teams in this league, but the Revolution threw a curveball at the Reds.
The home side was content sitting back, letting Toronto control possession. It was a good strategy. The Revolution caught TFC in the midfield on numerous occasions in the first half, leading to scoring chances for Jay Heaps’ side.
Winning the possession battle is an old axiom that needs to be retired. Context matters much more.
