FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - New England Revolution forward Taylor Twellman gave Toronto FC a harsh introduction to the Eastern Conference, as the striker scored twice to lead last year's conference titleists to an emphatic 4-0 victory on Saturday night at Gillette Stadium.
Twellman scored two goals in the opening 18 minutes and the Revolution got second-half goals from Shalrie Joseph and Andy Dorman as they sent Mo Johnston's side to a second defeat in as many games. TFC has allowed six goals in those two games and is still looking for the first goal in club history.
Twellman scored his first in the 12th minute, placing the ball past Toronto FC goalkeeper Greg Sutton after good buildup work from Khano Smith and Adam Cristman. Twellman's second came in the 18th minute on a far-post header from a Steve Ralston cross before Cristman earned a penalty to set up Joseph's 60th-minute spot kick. Dorman made it four from a Ralston cross to cap off the Toronto misery.
Still seeking its first goal, Toronto FC went close a couple of times in the second half after the introduction of substitute Conor Casey but could not find its way past Matt Reis in the Revolution net.
Johnston named the same starting XI that lost 2-0 to Chivas USA in the club's inaugural match in Los Angeles last weekend. Revolution manager Steve Nicol made two changes, inserting Joseph (calf) and Smith (hamstring) back into his starting lineup after the pair was ruled out from the opening weekend.
Danger signs arrived for the visitors as early as the fifth minute, as Cristman had the ball in the TFC net. After Andy Welsh gave the ball away to Steve Ralston on the right wing, the veteran U.S. international swung a ball into the six-yard box for Cristman, who turned it past Sutton only for the tally to be ruled out by the assistant referee's flag.
It was in the net to stay for Twellman just seven minutes later. Cristman, after a lengthy run from Smith and good hold-up work on the edge of the area, laid the ball off into the path of Twellman who made no mistake from 17 yards to beat Sutton to give the home side the lead.
Toronto FC attempted to reply on 16 minutes, but Richard Mulrooney's strike from the right side of the penalty area brought a comfortable save out of Revolution 'keeper Matt Reis.
New England doubled its lead on 18 minutes with Twellman's second. Twellman shook TFC defender Andrew Boyens and made no mistake with his header from a Ralston cross past Sutton to put Toronto behind by a pair.
The deficit should have been three just a minute later, as Twellman spurned a glorious chance to earn his hat trick inside 20 minutes by dragging wide from 10 yards.
Toronto FC left back Jim Brennan crucially intervened in the 31st minute, as he dove in to block a Dorman attempt that was heading on frame.
Toronto FC's best chance of the first half came from Edson Buddle in the 36th minute. Cutting in from the right side of the penalty area, Buddle blasted just over the bar with his left foot from eight yards.
After gradually finding a foothold into the game in the last 10 minutes of the first half, Toronto FC went unchanged at the break and continued to maintain some possession in the opening stages of the second stanza.
But it was New England who continued to create the majority of the chances. Twellman had another chance in the 49th minute, but the ball got stuck between his feet, while Cristman dragged his effort wide after a through ball from Jeff Larentowicz four minutes later.
New England earned itself a penalty in the 59th minute. Boyens was the culpable party, dragging Cristman to the ground as the Revolution striker tried to latch on to a through pass. Joseph stepped up and placed his effort in the lower right hand corner to extend the Revolution lead to three.
Alecko Eskandarian attempted to reply for TFC in the 67th minute with a long-distance drive that forced a diving save by Revolution keeper Reis.
The home side made its lead four on 72 minutes as the Toronto backline was at sixes and sevens once again. Pat Noonan took a quick throw from the right touchline, playing Steve Ralston in behind the TFC backline. Ralston played his cross along the ground to the unmarked Dorman and the Revolution attacking midfielder made no mistake from 12 yards.
Toronto FC continued to press forward looking for its first-ever goal, most notably with Paulo Nagamura's weak attempt into the arms of Reis after good combination work from Eskandarian and second-half substitute Conor Casey in the 79th minute.
But TFC could not find solace in a last-minute strike and slipped to its second consecutive defeat to open its inaugural campaign.
Kyle McCarthy is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
