Reds rally for draw with New England
Federico Bernardeschi opened the scoring early and Domenico Criscito fired an impressive goal late as Toronto FC extended its unbeaten run to five games with a 2-2 Major League Soccer draw against the New England Revolution on Wednesday.
Bernardeschi scored on a penalty kick in the 31st minute after Ayo Akinola was fouled inside the box taking a pass from Jayden Nelson. In the 75th minute, down 2-1, Criscito volleyed a cross from Michael Bradley to tie the game.
The Revolution’s Thomas McNamara scored in the 37th minute in front of the net after Toronto goalkeeper Alex Bono saved two shots from McNamara and Justin Rennicks from inside the box. Rennicks scored inside the box after being sprung free behind the defence for an open shot in the 48th minute.
Both teams entered the match on four-game unbeaten streaks. Toronto had gone 3-0-1, outscoring its opponents 11-4 and scoring threeplus goals in all but one game during the run — a 0-0 draw against the Revolution on July 30. New England went 2-0-2 while not conceding a goal.
TFC, which is in 11th place with an 8-1-6 record, will face Inter Miami on the road Saturday as it continues to fight for every possible point to find its way into the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
Bernardeschi was active early and often for TFC, getting his first shot off within eight minutes of the game’s start and his first one on target six minutes later. Although he continued to find creases to squeeze passes and crosses to spring his teammates, TFC missed on multiple opportunities.
Bernardeschi proved a corner kick in the 15th minute that both Akinola and Lorenzo Insigne whiffed on. Five minutes later, Bernardeschi sent a cross to Akinola, who was able to get his head on the ball but it went over the net.
Amid missed chances, a Nelson through ball to Akinola led to a Christian Makoun penalty inside the box. Bernardeschi scored on a low shot.
Bernardeschi threaded the needle to Jonathan Osorio in the 34th minute but Osorio who was unable to handle the pass. A similar scenario took place eight minutes later.
Toronto held possession for 61.5 per cent of the first half.
The revolution got going early in the second half as Rennicks received a pass from midfielder Carles Gil and fired the ball past Bono to quickly put his side up 2-1.
With the crowd silenced, it took TFC some time to get past the string of missed opportunities — and a bit of bad luck on a questionable call. In the 59th minute, Richie Laryea found himself streaking to the net taking a pass from Nelson but was tackled in the box by DeJuan Jones as the ball rolled away. The crowd followed it with deafening boos.
Bernardeschi struck a shot right into Petrovic’s hands inside the box two minutes later and, in the 70th, Insigne headed the ball off a Bernardeschi cross that was narrowly cleared by Makoun at the goal-line.
TFC finally found the back of the net on a corner kick, when Bernardeschi passed the ball to Michael Bradley who sent a cross to the opposite end of the box to Criscito who volleyed it straight past Petrovic as the crowd of 28,464 went into a frenzy with the game tied 2-2.