New England Revolution coach Caleb Porter got the performance he was looking for but not the result.

Toronto FC goalkeeper Season Johnson recorded his second consecutive clean sheet to secure a 1-0 victory over the Revolution in their MLS home opener before 29,293 on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.

The Revolution are 2-0 in Champions Cup play but 0-2 to start the MLS season. The Revolution outshot Toronto FC 23-8 and 6-2 in shots on target. They also possessed the ball 64% of the time and made 659 passes to 378 for TFC.

“It’s tough and we had a great crowd today in the home opener and we are on the wrong end of a loss, a result we didn’t want,” said Porter. “I was encouraged by the way the team played especially in the second half. There was a lot of good in there and we have to keep a perspective and we need to stick to the process.

“We doubled them in all the analytics and all the things I care about when I look at performance. I thought we performed well today but certainly the result stinks.”

The Revolution will face two-time Champions Cup winner Liga Deportiva Alajuelense of the Costa Rican Primera Division in leg one of a home-and-home Round of 16 series on Wednesday night (6) at Gillette Stadium. The Revolution will resume MLS play on Saturday night (7:30) at Atlanta United FC.

Porter reconfigured his starting XI to accommodate the loss of dynamic striker Giacomo Vrioni, who was suspended for picking up two yellow cards in the first half of the Revolution’s 3-1 loss to D.C. United in the MLS opener on Feb. 24 at Audi Field.

Tomas Chancalay shifted from the left side to Vrioni’s spot on the top of Porter’s 4-2-3-1 scheme. Homegrown Esmir Bajraktarevic started at forward on the right side while Noel Buck and Emmanuel Boateng got the nod in the attacking midfield.

“He (Chancalay) is used to playing striker and he’s played it a lot throughout his career,” said Bajraktarevic. “We did well but we have to put away our chances and its on us. We could have won the game if we put away our chances.”

Revolution captain Carles Gil, the team’s leading scorer in 2023, was home at the 10-position despite leaving Wednesday’s Champions Cup match at halftime with a strained Achilles tendon. Gil was active throughout his 90-minutes on the pitch and was on the business end of some hard fouls.

“I can’t say enough about Carles and it was touch and go a little bit,” said Porter. “I think as a supporter you are going to like that and he is a player that wants to be in. He gives everything he has for this club.”

The Revolution owned the possession game from the onset, but Toronto FC had the two best scoring chances inside the opening 15 minutes. Striker Prince Owusu narrowly missed the near post on a header in the scoring area and had an uncontested boot sail over the crossbar.

Ravas made his biggest save of the season when he stoned Jonathan Osorio from 15 feet in the 26th minute but had no chance on Toronto’s go-ahead tally in the 27th. Attacker Lorenzo Insigne gained possession on the left half of the box and fired an arching ball that eluded the over-committed Ravas and found the far post for Toronto’s goal first of the season.

“He (Insigne) is quality and everyone knows it,” said Ravas. “When he takes it on his right foot he will try and get a shot off. I’m not sure if he was trying to cross it on trying to shoot, only he knows.”

Porter attempted to break the logjam in the Toronto FC end with two substitutions in the 61st minute. Porter replaced Buck and Boateng with Nacho Gil and Mark-Anthony Kaye, both of whom had scored a goal against CA Independiente in Champions Cup play on Thursday night.

Johnson preserved his clean sheet with athletic stops on Gil, Chancalay and Nacho Gil in the second half. Johnson was issued a yellow card in the 86th minute and preserved the shutout with a magnificent save on Matt Polster in stoppage time.

“We had chances and hats off to Sean Johnson,” said Porter. “Insigne pulls a rabbit out of his hat and finds a world class goal. The difference today was Insigne finding a goal, pulling off a play out of nothing, and Sean Johnson standing on his head.”