and in each case, their goalkeepers had other means to thank for keeping the game scoreless. In the first half, Crew winger Robbie Rogers was able to carve out space on the left side of the area and get wide of TFC 'keeper Greg Sutton, but defender Tyrone Marshall was perfectly placed to clear the ball off the line.
• After the break, both teams opened up a bit more and the home side went closest in the 60th minute through Laurent Robert. His shot from the top of the box beat Crew 'keeper William Hesmer, but not the left-hand post.
• Crew head coach Sigi Schmid made one change to the team that defeated the San Jose Earthquakes 3-2 the previous weekend on the road. Brad Evans made his first start of the season, coming into central midfield in place of the injured Stefani Miglioranzi.
• Here's Schmid's team (4-1-3-1-1): William Hesmer - Frankie Hejduk, Chad Marshall, Danny O'Rourke, Ezra Hendrickson (Jed Zayner 81) - Brian Carroll - Robbie Rogers, Brad Evans, Eddie Gaven - Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Nicolas Hernandez 92+) - Alejandro Moreno. Substitutes Not Used: Emmanuel Ekpo, Jason Garey, Andy Gruenebaum, Andy Iro, Steven Lenhart
• "It was a little windy and it was one of those games where defensively I think we didn't get all that much on track," Schmid said. "A little bit was because they played well and it was important for us to play to zero in the back and see if we could maybe grab a goal on the road and I thought we came close a couple of times."
TEAM NEWS
• The Crew were held to a clean sheet for just the second time in seven matches. The only other goalless outing for Columbus was their lone loss of the season, a 2-0 defeat by New York on April 5.
• "It's just one of those games - Toronto's playing well, and they're playing well at home. You know for us it's been a while since we've played on turf and that always changes the game a little bit," Schmid said.
• Columbus' top attackers (midfielder Robbie Rogers and forwards Alejandro Moreno and Guillermo Barros Schelotto) were limited to a combined four shots, with Rogers' 24th-minute shot that was cleared off the line the Crew's best chance.
• "They pressed the issue on the game and I think we were just solid defensively and stayed compact," said defender Frankie Hejduk. "They had most of the possession but the bottom line is we did what we had to do on the road to get a point. Hats off to them, they had a good game -- but we played well also."
• It was a third shutout on the season for the Crew, who have allowed just four goals in their last five games after allowing five in a two-game stretch against New York and Chivas USA.
• "They had the better of the ball, but we defended like [warriors] and made it tough for them," Hejduk said. "I think we frustrated their fans and frustrated them a bit, and that's what you want to do on the road."
• The Crew had come into the game having scored 12 goals in their previous five games, including five in visits to D.C. United and San Jose. But they still took heart from the point they gained against a Toronto FC team that is still unbeaten at home this season (2-0-2).
• "We're committed to winning games no matter how we have to win them," goalkeeper William Hesmer said. "It's a hard game, an ugly game that we'll play hard -- if teams want to open up and play, we'll open up and play. I think we're just committed to whatever we have to do to win the game."
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
The New England Revolution pulled back within striking distance of the top of the Eastern Conference, following their comprehensive 2-0 victory against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday evening at home. The Revolution now have 16 points from eight matches, level with the Chicago Fire in second place, both three points behind the Columbus Crew.
LAST MATCH
• The defending Eastern Conference champion Revolution were looking to put together back-to-back wins for the first time on the season, while the Earthquakes has lost twice and drawn once since the first victory in their return to MLS.
• The Revolution were two goals to the good before the match was a quarter old. In the sixth minute, Steve Ralston drove in a low free kick from the right and it skimmed off the bottom of Shalrie Joseph's boot, holding it just enough for Kheli Dube to sweep in behind and thump it into the net for his first professional goal.
• Calamity then struck as the lead doubled the lead in the 23rd minute. A free ball was bouncing behind the Earthquakes backline and as Joe Cannon came off his line to collect, former Revolution defender James Riley -- on his return to his one-time home -- tried to head the ball back to his 'keeper, but instead powered it high over his head and into the goal.
• The Earthquakes were kept without a shot on goal for the entire match until the 90th minute. They went close in the game's final minute, but Ramiro Corrales saw his drive ring off the crossbar.
• Revolution head coach Steve Nicol made one change to the team that defeated Chivas USA 2-1 the previous weekend on the West Coast. Kheli Dube made his first MLS start and Mauricio Castro returned to a wide left midfield role, as Khano Smith went to the substitutes' bench.
• Here's Nicol's team (3-4-1-2): Matt Reis - Chris Albright, Michael Parkhurst, Jay Heaps -Wells Thompson (Sainey Nyassi 62), Shalrie Joseph, Jeff Larentowicz, Mauricio Castro (Khano Smith 77) - Steve Ralston - Kheli Dube, Kenny Mansally (Adam Cristman 87). Substitutes Not Used: Argenis Fernandez, Gary Flood, Amaechi Igwe, Doug Warren
• "At halftime, it was comfortable. I thought in the second half, as good as we were the first half, I thought we were as bad the second half. First half, I thought we were good. We were shooting a lot, could have been more. Some of the play was great, some of the passing, switching plays, I think it was great to watch - certainly where I was sitting, it was - but as I said as good as it was to watch the first half, it was as bad to watch the second."
TEAM NEWS
• After trying Mauricio Castro as an attacking midfielder in the center and an underneath forward, Nicol returned the Honduran international to the left flank, where it was envisioned he would most likely find a place in the Revolution lineup.
• "(Mauricio Castro) has a great left peg and can whip balls in. He did great but the two wide guys never got on the ball second half," Nicol said. "Wells (Thompson) did a good job first half and Sainey (Nyassi) came on but when you have guys wide that are going to cause trouble, you've got to get on the ball and we didn't do it."
• It was also a return to a 3-5-2 scheme favored for the past few years by Nicol. In part due to injuries, Nicol has gone with a 4-4-2 system at times this season, and played with just one out-and-out striker for the opening 45 minutes against Chivas.
• "We went into the game with a game plan to keep possession," Revs midfielder Shalrie Joseph said. "We wanted to play it up to the forwards and play it wide. We wanted to keep the ball in the attacking third. Good things can happen there."
• For Kheli Dube, the Revolution's first-round pick in this year's supplemental draft, it was his first MLS start after coming on as a substitute in seven of the club's first eight games this season. He celebrated it with a goal after just six minutes.
• "Excellent. (Kheli Dube) did a great job, he scored a goal, he held the ball up, he defended well and he made good decisions. All the things we asked of him he did high quality," said Nicol.
• Out of Coastal Carolina University by way of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, where played for Highlanders FC, Dube is yet another supplemental selection who is making his mark with New England.
• "It's hard to just come in and start. (The coaches) gave me games to get adjusted to MLS. You can't just come in and play; you have to get used to the MLS style of play, so I'm just happy to be given the opportunity," Dube said. "It's always nice to start a match, but for me it's my first year so I was just happy with where I was, getting minutes to play, and now a chance to start. It's a good thing for me. The Revs are a good team."
• Dube was given the opportunity after Taylor Twellman suffered a sprained ankle in making his return to the Revolution with a second-half substitute performance the weekend before at Chivas USA. Twellman is again listed as doubtful for this weekend's game.
• "All I care about is this team, I don't care about me being in the starting lineup. As long as I'm part of the team and the team wins I'm happy," Dube said. "It's a team game. Whatever happens, that's the coach's decision, and whatever decision he makes is good for me because I'm just happy being on the Revs.
