Giovinco has Revolution in his crosshairs

Gillette Stadium is one of a limited number of Major League Soccer venues that has yet to witness a goal by Toronto FC striker Sebastian Giovinco.

Look for the “Atomic Ant,” who has scored in all but eight of the league’s stadiums, to do his best to change that on Saturday at 4 p.m. when he and his TFC teammates venture to Foxborough to take on the New England Revolution.

Last season, the Revolution handled Toronto at home: on May 16 they settled for a 1-1 tie, while on August 1 the hosts won 3-1, Giovinco being kept off the scoresheet both times.

But Giovinco, who led the league last season in both goals (22) and assists (16), seems set to double-down on his efforts to help his side win on Saturday by scoring in Foxborough for the first time.

And while players and coaches around MLS continue to lament Gillette Stadium’s artificial turf, Giovinco has so far remained pragmatic and unfazed.

“I don’t really care about the stadium — the turf or the field,” he told Kurtis Larson of the Toronto Sun. “That’s a secondary aspect.”

A few extra notes

• To say that the Revolution don’t use the turf – with its poor quality and way of making a soccer ball bounce in all sorts of unpredictable ways – to their advantage would be foolish. The Revs have a nice core of defenders and have yet to lose or allow a goal at home this season (they also only lost once at home last year). But the turf certainly plays a role in confounding visiting teams.
• Toronto are about to play their fifth game and Sebastian Giovinco has only scored two goals. Don’t let that fool you, though. The Atomic Ant scored just twice in the first five games of last year, too.
• Revolution coach Jay Heaps said last week after his side’s 1-0 victory over the New York Red Bulls that the first win is always the hardest go get. Preach. The Revs have a tendency of starting their seasons with a couple of losses and ties before they get their act together.
• The Revolution will get some much-needed depth back in the form of both Gershon Koffie and Je-Vaughn Watson. That said, London Woodberry has looked solid at Watson’s place at right back.
• Bobby Shuttleworth is currently tied for second in the league in saves. He’s made 18 and faced 26 shots, which averages out to roughly five per game. For the record, Giovinco averages roughly five shots per game all by himself.
• What teams have also not surrendered home goals to Giovinco? Montreal, Los Angeles, Salt Lake, Vancouver, Orlando, Colorado, and Kansas City.

If you want to reach Julian, email him at julianccardillo@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @juliancardillo