Revs shoot to end road woes
FOXBORO — As the Revolution left their Gillette Stadium environs following training yesterday and embarked for Canada’s BMO Field, where they will face first-place Toronto FC tonight, coach Jay Heaps said the focus will be on implementing a major effort from the get-go.
“I think the mindset is we have to put together 90 minutes. I think that we’ve done decent on the road with three draws, but we’d really feel like 90 minutes of complete play is what we need to do to get the three points,’’ said Heaps, whose club is in search of its first road win in eight tries (0-5-3).
Tonight will represent the second of three meetings between the two Eastern Conference foes. The Revs defeated Toronto, 3-0, on June 3 at Gillette behind goals from Benjamin Angoua, Diego Fagundez and Juan Agudelo while Cody Cropper posted a clean sheet in net. The Revs have enjoyed remarkable success in recent years over their Canadian opponents, going 6-1-2 since the start of the 2014 regular season.
“It’s a big game. They are a very good team. I think they are second or third in all of MLS. They are a very good team and they’re good at home,’’ said Revs midfielder Kelyn Rowe. “I think we’re going to have to try and jump on the advantage that they played last night (Wednesday) and the fact they have an early game on Friday. So, for us, it’s about going in and working hard and try to win the midfield. If we do that, like we did at home against them, we’re going to win the game.’’
Rowe feels the Revs match up well with Toronto despite their lopsided positions in the conference where Toronto sits in first place with a 9-2-5 mark and New England is in eighth at 5-6-5. The Revs gain a boost with Toronto FC captain Michael Bradley suspended for tonight’s match due to yellow card accumulation.
“I think we match up well with Toronto. We’re lucky enough where (Michael) Bradley is out against us again,’’ said Rowe, referring to the prior meeting when both Bradley and Jozy Altidore were away while on U.S. national team duty. “We match up really well with them in the midfield and that’s where I think we can take over the game. I wouldn’t say we’re confident to go in and just get three points because they are a very good team, especially at home. But, we’re definitely confident going in that we can play with them.’’
The Revs are still bristling over the tough 2-1 loss to Chicago Fire on Saturday night that snapped their previous seven-game (5-0-2) undefeated record at home this season.
“It’s one of those that you have to turn around quickly. Obviously, it wasn’t our best finishing night. We had too many lapses. We have to make sure we go into Toronto and focus on that and leave the Chicago game behind us,’’ Rowe said.
Heaps agreed the Revs are looking ahead, not backward.
“It’s behind us. Where we felt the game was lost was in the start. We just weren’t sharp enough at the beginning. At the end, we had everything: Blood, sweat, and tears. We just weren’t good enough and that’s what happens when you play good teams,’’ Heaps said. “If you’re not 90 minutes focused and give away one or two bad plays, it’s going to cost you. They had two good chances and took them. We had 10 good chances and we didn’t and unfortunately it was the difference.’’