Five Things We Learned: Revolution at Toronto

Revolution midfielder Benny Feilhaber had a solid game against Toronto FC in Saturday’s 2-2 draw. (Photo: Tony Biscaia/RevsNet.com)

Well, that could’ve been embarrassing.

After Toronto – better known as The Worst Team in MLS ™ – claimed a two-goal lead before halftime, the Revolution mounted a major offensive during the second stanza that concluded with Chris Tierney’s 94th minute equalizer.

Yes, it took 90+ minutes to do it. And yes, it Toronto punished the backline in the first half. But, the Revolution never quit, and as a result, have put together a modest three-game unbeaten streak.

So what else did we learn from Saturday’s stoppage time thriller?

1. The Revolution should have won this game – handily. The stats don’t lie: the Revolution had 64.7% possession, 80.2% overall passing accuracy, and 245 more passes than Toronto. And yet, the scoreline ended level at two. Yes, Chris Tierney’s equalizer made the Revolution feel a lot better about the game. And yes, the Revolution dominated every statistic save for duels won (hidden outlier, perhaps?). But, let’s put it all in perspective: the Revolution came seconds away from losing to the worst team in the league. Not a bad team. The WORST team. Heck, the WORST TEAM TO EVER PLAY IN MLS ™ (possibly). No question: the Revolution’s form looked good throughout. They attacked, they found passing lanes, and they put the ball on net. That was encouraging, and Jay Heaps should be proud of the fight they put up in the second half. But how THE WORST TEAM IN MLS ™ was able to grab a 2-0 lead despite all that was disconcerting, to say the least.

2. Benny Feilhaber registered one of his best games in a Revolution uniform. For the second time in the last three games, the former National Team hero put together a masterpiece from his midfield spot. With Joseph missing, there was no question who’s job it was to push forward. And he did just that, with stunning precision. He completed 77.7% of his passes, and threaded some excellent balls into the attacking third. But, perhaps most importantly, he didn’t get frustrated. Down by two goals, his form never gave into the frustration often seen from Feilhaber. Instead, he seemed to adjust his scope and deliver more dangerous passes. His one-goal, one-assist performance vs. Chicago on Jun. 2 may have been memorable, but Saturday’s display, without Joseph there, was absolutely crucial to the Revolution.

3. Flo Lechner’s performance should have Kevin Alston looking over his shoulder. After a two-and-a-half month spell on the shelf, the German wingback returned to the pitch – and stepped up big time. Coming on for an injured Alston, Lechner did precisely what Alston has struggled to do consistently this season: sharpen the attack inside the final third. While Alston has excelled in the rear, his ventures forward have been met with mixed results. Of course, Lechner wasn’t perfect – it could be argued he should have closed in on the Ashtone Morgan cross that led to Ryan Johnson’s goal. But there was no doubt about his offensive contributions – which, given the Revs’ recent scoring troubles, may lend itself to more playing time.

4. New England’s passing accuracy and possession rate – without Shalrie Joseph on the field – underscores how terrible Toronto is. On paper, it looked like the Revolution would once again struggle without Joseph on the pitch. And the Revolution’s 2-1 loss to D.C. – the last time Joseph missed a match – offered fresh evidence of that. But with Clyde Simms back on the field and Feilhaber making a strong case for a spot on the All-Star roster, the Revolution actually clocked in its finest performance in recent memory. And while credit is due to the central midfield duo, Toronto might as well have rolled out a welcome mat near center circle. Their stats: 64% passing accuracy, 35.3% possession and 14 fouls to the Revolution’s five. Yes, the Revolution were good. Very good. But it wasn’t without help from a charitable Toronto FC.

5. Clyde Simms reminded us how crucial his presence is in the middle of the park. The dependable center half was back in action, and better than ever in his 63 minutes. And he needed to be. Without Joseph, all the weight of directing traffic and supporting the defense fell on Simms. He did not disappoint. He completed 82.3% of his passes, and perhaps more importantly, provided cover when Toronto counterattacked. More than that, he kept the tempo level in the face of a two-goal deficit. To paraphrase my colleague Ryan Lanigan: it was easy to see how much Simms was missed once he was back on the field.