TORONTO – Turns out Jermain Defoe and Michael Bradley aren’t super heroes after all.
Even with the dynamic duo back together in the starting lineup for the first time in over a month, Toronto FC stumbled to a 2-1 loss against the New England Revolution on a dreary Saturday afternoon before an announced crowd of 22,591 fans at BMO Field.
The Reds took an early lead before young Canadian defender Doneil Henry made costly errors on both New England goals, including a handball infraction inside the box that led to the Revs’ winner in the 82nd minute.
TFC falls to 3-4-0 on the Major League Soccer season, and has now lost three in a row and has only one victory in five games.
“We gifted them both goals. We had plenty of opportunities to put the game out of sight. But that’s football,” coach Ryan Nelsen bemoaned in the post-match press conference.
Nelsen, though, was quick to defend Henry when one reporter suggested he had a poor game.
“That’s wrong. That’s completely wrong,” Nelsen shot back.
That being said, TFC’s coach hinted that his players have to develop more mental toughness.
“We have to learn how to win. It seems like if we concede in our home field, it seems to be the worst thing that ever happened. We have to get more confident at home and if something sets us back, so be it—we move on and keep playing,” Nelsen explained.
For the first time in weeks Nelsen had a full squad (minus midfielder Jeremy Hall) to choose from, with last week’s bye allowing several key players to recuperate from long-term injuries.
Top scorer Defoe was back in the line-up for the first time since March 29 when he picked up a hamstring injury. Bradley (foot) and Henry (knee) also started for the Reds after overcoming injury problems. While Defoe and Bradley—the club’s two star designated players—had quiet games (by their high standards), forward Gilberto and midfielder Jonathan Osorio stood out for the Reds.
Gilberto is still searching for his first goal of the season after six appearances, but the Brazilian looked lively throughout this game, carving out chances for himself and setting up teammates with opportunities. Osorio offered TFC a creative edge in the final third, and he routinely tracked back to help out his defence and break up plays in what was an all-around performance from the young Canadian.
Still, these are the kinds of games that Defoe and Bradley have to dominate if TFC is going to end its seven-year playoff drought. With Bradley set to miss at least five league games while away on World Cup duty with the U.S. national team, the Reds have to bank as many points as possible before they lose their influential midfielder. If not, they risk falling into a hole that they’ll have a hard time digging themselves out of when Bradley returns from World Cup duty.
“The game could have been won in the first half, but we were unlucky. Hopefully in the next game when we get those chances we’ll be more ruthless,” Defoe said.
Fortune smiled on TFC in the sixth minute. Gilberto played a pass out wide to fellow Brazilian Jackson who unleashed an ambitious attempt from about 30 yards out. Revolution goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth had it covered, but the shot took a deflection off teammate A.J. Soares near the edge of the box and beat a helpless Shuttleworth at the near post.
New England tied things up 18 minutes later. Under no pressure, Henry tried to work his way out of the back, only for his errant pass to land at the feet of Revolution midfielder Daigo Kobayashi. New England quickly broke forward and rookie Patrick Mullins fired a screamer from just outside the box into the upper corner that Reds goalkeeper Julio Cesar had no chance of stopping.
“That pass on the first goal, that was my fault. … At the end of the day I have to get better, and that’s on me,” Henry said.
Henry’s calamitous gaffe was the turning point. Up until then, TFC was the better side, bombing forward with wave after attacking wave, and looked like they would have their way with the Revolution.
“I think it took the wind out of our sails. … But we still have to continue on. That happens in games, and we have to learn to adjust and keep going,” Nelsen admitted.
Bradley concurred: “That’s football. You have to be able to deal with things like that.”
Mullins’ goal sucked the life out of the Reds, as they struggled to threaten the New England goal in the second half. And when Henry handled the ball inside his area after a poor clearance by teammate Justin Morrow, it was a sad ending to game that the Canadian will want to forget. Lee Nguyen converted from the penalty spot to put the Revs in front with eight minutes remaining in regulation.
Gilberto had a chance to equalize moments later off a header from in close, only to see Shuttleworth come up with an impressive save, and the ball hit the post and out of danger. Defoe also had a late chance, but pushed his shot wide of the post with a clear sight of goal.
“I just kind of reacted to the ball coming off the post and as soon as it hit by hand I just tried to gather myself and locate the ball,” Shuttleworth said of his stop on Gilberto.
Osorio suffered a severe Charley Horse late in the contest and limped around the locker-room with the aid of a crutch after the game.
NOTES: Toronto FC leads the all-time series against New England with four wins and six losses in 17 meetings. This was the Revs’ first win in Toronto in eight matches (with three losses). … TFC and the Revolution will meet twice more this season: Aug. 30 in Toronto and Oct. 25 in Boston. … Toronto returns to action on May 7 when it hosts the Vancouver Whitecaps in the first leg of the Amway Canadian Championship semifinals. The second leg is in Vancouver on May 14. … TFC’s next MLS match is on May 17 versus the visiting New York Red Bulls.
