Foxborough, MA—-Lorenzo Insigne secured a crucial victory for Toronto FC with a solitary goal, propelling them to a 1-0 triumph over the New England Revolution during Sunday’s match.
This win marked Toronto’s first success on an opponent’s turf since their 2-0 victory against Charlotte FC on August 27, 2022.
Despite early pressure from the Revolution, who capitalized on Toronto’s initial mistakes to dominate the attacking play, goalkeeper Sean Johnson stood firm, thwarting attempts from forward Esmir Bajraktarevic and Tomas Chancalay in the sixth minute.
However, Toronto gradually found their rhythm as the first half progressed. In the 10th minute, a defensive error by New England’s DeJuan Jones almost led to an opportunity for Toronto, with Insigne narrowly missing the target with a shot from just outside the 18-yard box. Moments later, Prince Owusu’s header off a feed from Shane O’Neill sailed high.
Toronto’s breakthrough arrived in the 27th minute, courtesy of Insigne. Federico Bernadeschi’s pass deflected off New England defender Dave Romney to Insigne, who calmly settled the ball before chipping it over goalkeeper Henrich Ravas into the far right corner.
This goal marked Toronto’s first away goal since Deandre Kerr’s strike against the Revolution on June 24, 2023, ending a run of ten scoreless away games.
Despite New England’s efforts to equalize in the second half, Toronto’s resolute defense, led by Johnson’s impressive saves, thwarted their attempts. Carles Gil came close in the 72nd minute, but his curling shot was expertly deflected over the bar by Johnson.
Although Toronto had limited forays into the attacking third in the second half, they nearly extended their lead in the 75th minute when Jonathan Osorio’s attempt struck the crossbar.
In the dying minutes of stoppage time, Johnson once again showcased his prowess with a diving save to deny Matt Polster’s long-range effort, ensuring Toronto’s victory.
GAME NOTES:
- Sunday’s attendance of 29,293 was the second-highest attendance for a standalone home opener in Revolution history, the highest since the inaugural home game in 1996. Today marked the highest attendance for a home opener in Gillette Stadium, surpassing the previous mark of 22,006 set in 2002 for the stadium’s inaugural game.
- Carles Gil registered his 125th start in MLS for New England, recording a game-high five chances created along with team highs in duels won (6) and dribbles completed (3).
- DeJuan Jones surpassed 10,000 career minutes played in MLS with his 88-minute shift on Sunday, registering a team-high seven recoveries and four clearances.
- Henry Kessler notched his first start of the regular season, completing 82 of his team-high 88 passes on the day.
- Tomás Chancalay registered five shots on the day, his sixth straight MLS game with at least five shot attempts.
- Esmir Bajraktarević started for a second time in as many regular season games this season, playing all 90 minutes and leading New England with a career single-game high three shots on target.
- Noel Buck made his 25th career MLS start in Sunday’s contest, creating two chances and completing 97.1 percent of his passes.
GAME RESULT:
New England Revolution 0, Toronto FC 1
March 3, 2024 – Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, Mass.)
