Tajon Buchanan’s confidence propels him past opponents

When Tajon Buchanan sees that he is one-on-one with an opponent, it seems like his eyes light up. Time and time again fans have seen Buchanan blow past defenders and even score some great goals. It was more of the same for the Canadien on Saturday night.

Buchanan once again got the start on the right side and played 80 minutes for the Revs. Besides his impressive near-post goal to give New England the lead, he had 44 touches and won 10 duels.

After starting the season on the left side for the Revs, Buchanan has been primarily used on the right side whether that be at right back or more frequently a right winger in the midfield. The Canadien said after the game that he feels much more comfortable on the right side.

He said, “I think I’m just a lot more comfortable on the right side, whether that’s right back, right wing back, or right wing. I’ve been playing that position all my life, so I just feel a lot more comfortable playing on the right side.”

Getting back to Buchanan’s goal, it was quite impressive. The Canadian’s play leading up to the goal was a beautiful display of his ability to eat up defenders as well as a showcase of his impressive speed. While Carlos Coronel could have done a better job defending the near post for the New York Red Bulls, Buchanan still deserves some credit.

After the game, Buchanan talked about what makes him so successful in those one-v-one situations.

The Brampton, Ontario native said, “I think just the type of player I am. I like to play with confidence and I like to go at guys one-v-one and try to make a difference in the final third, whether that’s getting an assist or a goal. That’s a part of my game, so I just do it with confidence and hopefully [that confidence] comes off.”

Now that Buchanan is on the stat sheet, fans will be hoping that Buchanan can continue to make an impact. If the 22-year-old and Brandon Bye continue to play well, there should be plenty of service to players such as Gustavo Bou, Adam Buksa, and Carles Gil.

With 21 fouls won already in the 2021 season, it’s clear that even though there is tape on Buchanan, his pace can make him impossible to defend. As long as that continues expect the Canadien to help create chances for New England and put some balls in the back of the net as well.