2024 Revolution II Season Recap

A look back at the historic 2024 Revolution II season.

Photo Courtesy of New England Revolution

Alas, after six months, the 2024 New England Revolution II season has come to an end. It’s safe to say things didn’t go the way the players, coaching staff, the organization, the fans, nor myself anticipated things to go before the season started. There’s an incredible amount to unpack and analyze, so let’s get to it.

Before diving too deep into the 2024 season, let’s look back at some of the changes Revolution II had coming into the year.

Offseason and Preseason

The most notable change came at the head coaching position. After leading Revolution II to a 34-36-16 record over four seasons, inaugural head coach Clint Peay departed Revolution II on January 8, when he ascended to the first team to take an assistant coaching role under Caleb Porter.

With Peay gone, Revs II handed the keys to Richie Williams, who joined Revolution II after coaching spells with New York Red Bulls, Richmond Kickers, Real Salt Lake, Loudoun United, and New England Revolution. 

In addition to a new coach, Revolution II saw a new venue. When their 2024 schedule dropped on February 8th, the club announced they would split home games between Gillette Stadium and Ouellette Stadium on the campus of Southern New Hampshire University of New Hampshire in Hooksett, New Hampshire.

Like every year, changes were made to the roster, but this offseason saw some big names arrive and depart New England.

Some of the biggest departures saw club staples like Pierre Cayet and Jake Rozhansky leave. Cayet and Rozhansky were tied for the second-most appearances in club history with 73.

On top of Cayet and Rozhansky, Ben Awashie, Nakye Greenidge-Duncan, Ítalo, Weverton, Nico Campuzano, and Noble Okello departed the club following the 2023 season. 

The offseason also saw Jordan Adebayo-Smith depart after an impressive debut season. Despite being under contract for 2024, the Revolution traded Adebayo-Smith’s “Affiliate Priority Player Rights” to Minnesota United in exchange for $125,000 on January 15th.

While some key players departed, some key names stuck around as Jacob Akanyirige, Brandonn Bueno, Marcos Dias, Olger Escobar, Patrick Leal, Colby Quiñones, Victor Souza, and Max Weinstein returned for another season.

On top of the returnees, Revs II brought in Collin Smith, Hesron Barry, Andrej Bjelajac, Luka Borovic, Liam Butts, Gevork Diarbian, JD Gunn, Maciel, and Alex Monis. They also signed Revs Academy prospects Cristiano Oliveira, Alex Parvu, Steban Lopera, Jamie Kabuusu, Damario McIntosh, and Eric Klein to Amateur Agreements.

With the squad built, Williams and Revs II traveled to Florida in February to put the final touches on tactics. Revs II played five friendlies in the Sunshine State and walked away with a 2-1-1 record following wins over Rapids 2 and CF Montreal U21s, a loss to Rhode Island FC, a draw against Orlando City B, and an unknown result in their second meeting with RIFC.

2024 Season

With the preseason in the rear-view mirror, it was time for Revolution II to begin their 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season.

March 24 saw Revs II open the year on the road inside Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania, as they faced Philadelphia Union II. Things got off to a hot start when newcomer Alex Monis found the net just nine minutes in. Despite the early success, tides changed as a Hesron Barry own goal in the 33rd minute plus a goal from Sal Olivas in the 81st led to Philly securing a 2-1 victory.

Revs II roster saw a shakeup following their opener. The club and newcomer Collin Smith, who clocked 90 minutes in the opener, agreed to part ways on March 29th. Smith didn’t stay a free agent for long, signing a deal with USL Championship newcomers Rhode Island FC on the same day his departure was announced.

Easter Sunday saw Revolution II make their home debut as they welcomed MLS NEXT Pro newcomers Carolina Core to Gillette. Once again, things got off to a good start when Homegrown Malcolm Fry found the net just two minutes in. David Polanco leveled things in the 37th, but fellow Homegrown Jack Panayotou found the back of the net in the 58th minute to propel Revs II to their first win of the season following a 2-1 victory.

A mid-April road trip didn’t go the way Revs II wanted it to do. After opening the trip with a 2-1 loss to FC Cincinnati 2 on April 10, Revs II conceded six goals in a 6-2 loss to New York City FC II on April 14. It marked the most goals Revs II has allowed in a single match in their five-year history.

Following the big loss to NYCFC II, Revs II experienced their most successful period of the season in their next three matches. Despite conceding early, Revs II bounced back on April 19 when they secured a 1-1 draw followed by a 5-4 shootout victory over Toronto FC II.

April 28 saw Revs II secure their second win of the season following a 3-1 victory over Inter Miami II thanks to a trio of goals from Patrick Leal, Gevork Diarbian, and Jack Panayotou.

The force was with Revs II on May 4th. After finding themselves in a 2-2 draw going into the final minutes, Romain Blake fouled Cristiano Oliveira inside the box, which awarded Revs II a penalty kick in the closing seconds of stoppage time. Marcos Dias stepped to the spot and slotted it home to propel Revs II to a 3-2 victory over Chicago Fire II while notching a club-record 18th goal!

Following their win over Chicago, Revs II saw a five-game skid that saw them go winless in five. After going winless in five straight, Revolution II got back on track on June 14 when Maciel’s 40th-minute goal propelled Revs II to their first clean sheet of the season.

Words can’t describe what came next. Following their fourth win of the season on June 14, Revolution II went winless in their final 15 matches. The club secured their last points of the 2024 season on September 21 after walking away with one point following a 1-1 draw and 5-4 shootout loss to Chattanooga FC.

Revolution II ended the 2024 season with back-to-back 3-1 defeats against New York Red Bulls II on September 29 and Columbus Crew 2 on October 6.

Horrific History

The 2024 Revolution II season will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. Not only was this the worst season in club history, but it nearly went down as one of the worst seasons any team has produced in MLS NEXT Pro’s three-season history.

After 28 games, Revolution II ended the 2024 season with an abysmal 4-18-6 record, with four shootout victories. An effort that saw them secure the 2024 Wooden Spoon.

Their four wins in 2024 mark the fewest in club history. It's tied for the second-fewest wins in an MLS NEXT Pro season. Only 2022 FC Cincinnati 2 (4) and 2022 Timbers 2 (2) have had the same or lower number of wins.

Their 22 points on the season see them tied for the third-lowest points total in MLS NEXT Pro history. Only the 2023 Inter Miami II (22), 2022 FC Cincinnati 2 (17), and 2022 Timbers 2 (14) have finished the season with equal or fewer points than the 2024 New England Revolution II.

After securing 22 points in 28 matches, Revs II ended 2024 with 0.79 points per game. It’s tied for the third-lowest points-per-game average in league history. 2023 Inter Miami II (0.79), 2022 FC Cincinnati 2 (0.71), and 2022 Timbers2 (0.58) are the only clubs to match or have a lower point per game total than the 2024 New England Revolution II.

Their September 29 loss on the road saw them become the second team in league history to finish a season without a road win. 2022’s Real Monarchs became the first team to do so after ending their season with a 0-9-3 record.

Despite taking a league-leading 418 shots in 2024, which ties for the sixth most in league history, Revolution II only managed to find the back of the net 36 times. A figure tied with Rapids 2 for the lowest goals scored in 2024. While incredibly low by 2024 standards, it marks the second-most goals Revolution II has scored in its five-year history.

Their 36 goals are also tied for the 10th lowest goals scored in a season. Only the 2024 Colorado Rapids 2 (36), 2023 Whitecaps 2 (36), 2023 Ventura County (36), 2023 Inter Miami II (34), 2023 LAFC2 (33), 2022 Colorado Rapids 2 (33). 2022 Sporting Kansas City II (31). 2022 Timbers 2 (29), 2022 Real Monarchs (28), 2022 New England Revolution II (27), 2022 FC Cincinnati 2 (27), and 2022 Real Monarchs (27) have scored the same or fewer number of goals than the 2024 New England Revolution II.

2024 saw Revs II concede the most goals in club history after they allowed a fourth-worst 59 goals. It marks the 10th most goals a MLS NEXT Pro team has allowed in a season. Only 2023 Orlando City B (61), 2024 New York Red Bulls II (61), 2023 Timbers2 (63), 2024 Atlanta United 2 (64), 2022 FC Cincinnati 2 (65), 2023 FC Cincinnati 2 (65), 2022 Timbers2 (66), 2024 Minnesota United 2 (73), and 2023 Ventura County (74) have conceded more than the 2024 Revs II.

After conceding 59 goals while only scoring 36, Revs II ended 2024 with a second-worst -22 goal differential. It's tied for the ninth-worst goal differential in league history. Only 2022 Real Monarchs (-22), 2024 Atlanta United 2 (-22), 2022 Colorado Rapids 2 (-23), 2023 Timbers2 (-23), 2023 Real Monarchs (-27), 2023 FC Cincinnati 2 (-28), 2024 Minnesota United 2 (-30), 2023 Inter Miami II (-34), 2022 Timbers 2 (-37), 2022 FC Cincinnati 2 (-38), and 2023 Ventura County (-38) have had ended a season with an equal or lower goal differential.

Revolution II saw seven players sent off with red cards in 2024, the most in the club's five-year history. It's also tied for the second most in league history. Only 2023 Inter Miami II (7), 2022 Orlando City B (8), and 2023 New York Red Bulls II (8) have seen an equal or greater number of red cards.

After being inches away from making the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro Cup Final just one year ago, it’s heartbreaking to see the fall off Revolution II has experienced over the past 12 months.

On the bright side

While 2024 was mostly bad, there were some bright spots sprinkled throughout the year that should have fans excited for next season.

2024 saw an astonishing 16 players make their professional soccer debut! Moshtaba Al-Hasnawi, Hesron Barry, Andrej Bjelajac, Luka Borovic, Liam Butts, Giovanni Calderón, Gabriel Chavez, Gevork Diarbian, Grant Emerhi, JD Gunn, Sage Kinner, Damario McIntosh, Javaun Mussenden, Robert Nichols III, Cristiano Oliveira, and Alex Parvu all saw their first taste of professional soccer with Revs II in 2024.

Eric Klein, in particular, was a bright spot for Revolution II this season. After clocking 8 minutes in his professional debut on July 12th, 2023, Klein returned to Revs II in the offseason after inking an Amateur Agreement on March 13th.

After appearing in 23 matches, the organization fully committed to Klein when they inked him to a professional contract through the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro season.

The 17-year-old finished the 2024 season with one goal and three assists over 26 appearances and a team-high 2,115 minutes at the CM, CDM, CB, and RB positions.

Eric is tremendously versatile, and at 17, has the potential to develop into a phenomenal first-team prospect!

What Comes Next?

Despite a horrific debut season at the helm of Revolution II, head coach Richie Williams isn’t worried about his future. 

When asked about it following Revs II’s Decision Day loss to Columbus, Williams told The Blazing Musket, “It’s a developmental team, so it’s not based on results.We’re just moving forward and trying to continue to develop players for the first team.”

While Williams is correct about development being a huge aspect of Revolution II’s structure, wins are just as crucial for development as the losses are. Let's hope we see a good mixture of results in 2025. 

The Offseason

The upcoming offseason looks to be a busy one for the organization. As of writing, the only player under contract for 2025 is Eric Klein.

We also know Olger Escobar, Moshtaba Al-Hasnawi, and Giovanni Calderón have club options for the 2025 season.

With the 2024 season over, the club will have numerous contracts expire. Hesron Barry, Liam Butts, Gevork Diarbian, Patrick Leal, Maciel, Damario McIntosh, and Alex Monis' contracts with Revolution II expires following the 2024 season.

The contract status of Jacob Akanyirige, Andrej Bjelajac, Luka Borovic, Brandonn Bueno, Marcos Dias, JD Gunn, Victor Souza, Tiago Suarez, and Max Weinstein is unknown entering the offseason.

It’s been an incredibly long season that’s been full of disappointment. The good news, it’s finally over and we can turn our attention to 2025.

Editor’s Note: Josh’s coverage of Revs II is second to none. Please give him a follow on social media or just give him some love in the comments.