An Exclusive Look At Why Revolution II Are Playing Eight Games In Manchester, NH

Revolution president Brian Bilello: “This is probably step one in what we hope to be a multi-step process with Manchester.”

Photo Courtesy of the New England Revolution

New England Revolution II are back for their fifth season, but things will look different this year as they’ll play eight of their 14 home games at Mark A. Ouellette Stadium in Manchester, New Hampshire. The remaining six will take place at Gillette Stadium, which has been the team’s home since its inaugural season in 2020.

The change is part of a strategic partnership that could benefit all parties.

The Revolution’s second team is a crucial part of the club’s pro pathway because it serves as a bridge between the Academy and first team. Noel Buck, Esmir Bajrakteravic, and others played for Revolution II before contributing to the Revolution.

“I think at a high strategic level, I've always looked at Revolution II as a way to build our fan base throughout New England.” - Club president Brian Bilello

While player development is the central purpose of Revs II, club president Brian Bilello believes that the team can also be used to connect with fans in the region.

“We really view ourselves as a New England team and want to think about ways of expanding our fan base and continuing to grow our fan base across all of New England,” Bilello said in an interview with The Blazing Musket. “I think at a high strategic level, I've always looked at Revolution II as a way to build our fan base throughout New England.”

One way to do this is to put Revs II games in a new location. Proximity to Foxboro was heavily considered when identifying a spot because it’s important that players maintain access to the Revolution Training Center during the week.

“We will integrate Revs II players into first team training and vice versa during certain times of the year,” Bilello explained. “For us, we didn't want to lose the ability to have all of our teams training on the same site and that movement of players up and down.”

Manchester, NH was selected as a feasible location after Bilello spoke to businessman Jeremy Zelanes.

Zelanes, who coaches at Nashua North High School and is the UPSL Soccer General Manager for ISC Eagles, has been working to bring a professional soccer team to New Hampshire since 2019. 

Launching a USL League One team has been a challenging, but worthwhile, endeavor. According to Zelanes, the league wants new entrants to have their own mixed-use stadium, which is a pricey endeavor. 

Rhode Island FC, who joined the USL Championship this year, is playing their inaugural season at Bryant University but they hope to have their own stadium in Pawtucket in 2025. The project will cost over $130 million.

Zelanes is still optimistic about bringing a USL team to New Hampshire.

“I think it's ultimately going to be a fantastic investment,” Zelanes said. “I think it would be a great thing for New Hampshire, both for soccer and economically. I think it could be huge. 

“But New Hampshire, it's a live free or die state. There's no access really to public money for construction projects. So it's just taking a little bit more time.”

In the meantime, Zelanes is excited about welcoming Revs II to Mark A. Ouellette Stadium. He believes that soccer fans – young and old — will enjoy having high-quality soccer in their backyard.

“We have over 20,000 youth soccer players that could benefit from seeing what the pathway looks like in New England for professional soccer,” Zelanes said. “I think it's going to be really exciting for a lot of the youth soccer players here.”

Zelanes expects a family-friendly atmosphere at the games, five of which will kickoff at 4 pm or earlier. Food and drinks will be served, including alcoholic beverages. He anticipates that there will be a lot of opportunities for attendees to interact with the players.

Both Bilello and Zelanes plan to evaluate the Manchester trial over the course of the season. Bilello noted, “This is probably step one in what we hope to be a multi-step process with Manchester.”

Recently, some MLS Next Pro teams have shifted their identity by taking on new names and home stadiums. 

A recent example is San Jose Earthquakes II becoming The Town FC. The majority of their 2025 home matches will be played at Saint Mary's Stadium in Moraga, California.

While the Revs II name will stay in 2024, the team will venture from Gillette Stadium. They will also have their own unique jerseys for the first time in club history. More changes could come later.

“I definitely think that could be a destination point for us,” Bilello said about a rebrand and permanent move for Revs II. “I'd say we're sort of trying to move towards that, but don't know if that's going to be viable [in Manchester, NH]. We think it could be, and that's what we're sort of pushing towards. So hopefully this year goes great and we can advance the ball a little bit more next year.”

“My whole goal has been to bring professional-level soccer here to New Hampshire.” - Businessman Jeremy Zelanes

Zelanes sees year one as a learning year. He looks forward to welcoming local businesses to games so they can see the advantages of having professional soccer in the state. He also plans to listen to fans as he looks to build the ideal game-day experience. 

He explained, “I think it's building blocks for us to make things bigger and better and ultimately be a place that people can come watch professional soccer.”

As someone who has long dreamed of having pro soccer in New Hampshire, Zelanes is excited because fans will have the opportunity to see former first-team player Maciel, rising star Alex Monis, and others play eight games in Manchester. There will surely be first team players that see time as well.

While this partnership could develop into something more, Zelanes is focusing on the present.

“My whole goal has been to bring professional-level soccer here to New Hampshire, to give youth soccer players and soccer enthusiasts a place that they can come and watch good soccer,” Zelanes said. 

“Ultimately, I think New Hampshire deserves to have their own team. I still want to work towards that cause, but I also see the opportunity of a potential rebrand [of Revs II]. I think that could be hugely successful here in Manchester. So I think time will tell.”

Revolution II’s first game in Manchester will be played on Sunday, Apr. 28 when they welcome Inter Miami CF II. Kickoff is set for 3 pm and tickets can be found here.

You can keep up with the latest information regarding professional soccer in New Hampshire on their Facebook and Instagram pages.