Jermaine Jones may have been the talk of New England heading into Saturday’s game, but Lee Nguyen seized the spotlight as he led the Revolution to a 3-0 victory over Toronto FC.
It didn’t take long for Nguyen to get on the scoreboard as the midfield maestro collected a misguided pass in the 2nd minute before heading towards net and firing home a shot from 25 yards out. The goal was the earliest the Revs have scored this year and Nguyen’s 10th of the season.
Nguyen was also a critical part of the Revolution’s second goal, which came in the 21st minute. Much like the first strike, it was a misplayed ball from Toronto that helped initiate the Revs attack. This time it was Kelyn Rowe who intercepted a wayward pass. Rowe then combined with Nguyen to open up the space that would allow him to score from 30 yards.
The Revs weren’t done as they added a third goal soon after halftime. In the 58th minute, Michael Bradley’s pass hit Daigo Kobayashi, allowing Rowe to push forward for a counter attack. After beating a defender, Rowe found Charlie Davies, who played a square ball to Teal Bunbury. Bunbury simple had to tap the ball into the back of the net as goalkeeper Joe Bendik had vacated the area to challenge Davies.
Goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth was required to make three saves on Saturday with his best coming in the 61st minute. Poor distribution from Shuttleworth allowed Toronto to regain possession. The netminder’s redemption came when he made a reaction save on Jonathan Osorio to preserve the shutout.
With the game firmly in hand, Jones entered for Kobayashi in the 65th minute to make his Revolution and MLS debut. Jones provided some good passes and demonstrated firm leadership during his inaugural run.
With the win, the Revs improve to 10-12-2 on the season, a record that temporarily puts them in third place in the Eastern Conferences with 33 points. The Revolution’s busy schedule continues as they will welcome defending champions Sporting KC to Gillette Stadium on Wednesday and rival Chicago Fire on Sunday.
(image courtesy of Kari Heistad
