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Revolution striker Edgaras Jankauskas (left) watches his 76th minute equalizer ease into the net Saturday night against Toronto FC. (Photo by CHRIS ADUAMA/aduama.com) |
The Revs got off to a good start, but it was Toronto who gained the edge after the first 15 minutes and struck first in the 34th minute on a Dwayne De Rosario volley after a deflected shot fell right to him.
“We started great,” said Revolution head coach Steve Nicol. “Probably 12 or 13 minutes we really turned the screw a bit. At the present time we are getting enough balls in the box, but we just aren’t getting on the end of it. After that, positionally we made some mistakes, which got them back in the game. Obviously De Rosario started picking the ball up, which I think a lot of that was down to bad positional play.”
After Chad Barrett saw his second yellow card and subsequent ejection in the 50th minute, leaving Toronto with 10 men for the rest of the match, the Revs began to take control. It took until the 76th minute, however, to find an equalizer through Edgaras Jankauskas. Despite several other chances, the Revs were unable to ever take the lead.
The Revs had an opportunity just over a minute into the match when Jankauskas got the ball near midfield on a long pass from Jeff Larentowicz. Jankauskas back heeled it to Kheli Dube, who touched it around his defender and was in on goal. Toronto keeper Stefan Frei, however, was quick off his line and managed to get to Dube’s long touch just before the Zimbabwean striker could get to it.
Toronto had a chance in the 20th minute when Pablo Vitti got around Larentowicz to get on the end of a cross from Jim Brennan. Vitti’s header beat Revs goalkeeper Matt Reis, but hit off the crossbar and came back into play.
Toronto took the lead in the 34th minute. Barrett got the ball just outside the box and powered a shot towards goal. His effort, however, deflected off the head of Ali Gerba and fell right to De Rosario. The Canadian international blasted a shot into the far side of the net, beating Reis, to give Toronto the 1-0 lead.
Just a minute before, the Revs had set a new club record shutout streak at 385 minutes.
“I think it was kind of tough in the first half to go down by one because we controlled the play,” said New England defender Jay Heaps. “We had a lot of the run. We knew they were going to do that. We knew that they could counter; we knew that that kind of goal was how they were going to score. “
With Toronto taking control of the match later in the second half the Revs opted to bring in Shalrie Joseph for Dube.
Gerba had a chance in the 49th minute after he collected a misplayed clearance from Emmanuel Osei. Gerba played the ball to De Rosario, who then sent it to Vitti. The Argentinean played it through to Gerba, who beat Osei, but sent in a weak shot that was easily saved by Reis.
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Revs keeper Matt Reis collects a ball in traffic during Saturday's game against Toronto FC. (Photo by CHRIS ADUAMA/aduama.com) |
Toronto went down a man in the 50th minute when Barrett received his second yellow card of the match for a reckless tackle on Kevin Alston. Barrett had been booked initially in the 36th minute for dragging down Alston.
“It was just one of those [plays] where I got the ball and I was going to kick it,” said Alston. “I think he just was a little late and he came through my leg. It wasn’t bad. I guess he was just a little late on the challenge and the ref thought it was a yellow.”
“He’s just a big guy,” Alston continued. “He was just getting physical. [On the first yellow card], I think it’s just one of those things were I don’t really know what he was thinking, but it was just a physical battle between us.”
The Revs had a couple of chances in the 59th minute, starting with a Kenny Mansally free kick. After taking a couple of deflections the effort fell to Heaps, who volleyed it on frame. Despite the shot lacking pace, Frei was only able to tip it over the bar. On the ensuing corner kick the ball eventually came to Jankauskas, but his close range effort was blocked.
“Obviously when you go up a man it’s a little bit easier to keep the ball and create chances,” said Ralston. “We created some chances and we got a lot of balls in the box, we were just never able to get on to the end of them.”
Two minutes later the Revs made an attacking substitution, bringing on Michael Videira for Osei and switching to a 3-5-2 formation.
“We needed goals,” said Nicol. “They had one guy up front, so we wanted to try to get more people in the box. We knew with a man advantage we’d get plenty of balls in the box, so we needed bodies in there to try and get on the end of it.”
Jankauskas tied the match in the 76th minute. Heaps sent a cross in from the left flank that found Shalrie Joseph at the far post. Joseph headed it across the goal mouth, where Jankauskas slid in and headed it past Frei for the first goal of his MLS career.
“I think it was a nice combination,” said Jankauskas. “Jay crosses the ball and Shalrie bangs it back to me. I [finished it] and it was a good ball. I think we created quite a few good chances and we made combinations. It was not like we just crossed the ball and the ball dropped and we don’t know where. I think we made quite a good game.”
Sainey Nyassi had a chance in the 84th minute when Heaps found him in the box with a long pass from midfield. Nyassi dribbled forward into the box and blasted a shot toward goal. His effort was just wide of the target and landed in the side netting.
Nicol was ejected in the 90th minute for arguing with the fourth official.
“The linesman thought I said one thing and I said something else,” said Nicol.
Nicol will be forced to watch from the stands Saturday as the Revs take on the Los Angeles Galaxy at 6 p.m.
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