Revolution II 1 - Crown Legacy 2: 3 Thoughts
Revolution II 1 - Crown Legacy 2: 3 Thoughts
Things didn't exactly go to plan for Richie Wiliams and Revs II on the road.
After securing a 3-2 win over Chicago Fire II, it was a short turnaround for Richie Williams and New England Revolution II as they squared off against Crown Legacy FC. However, things didn’t go to plan for Revs II as they found themselves down 2-0 only for a Joshua Bolma solo effort to alleviate a shutout as they suffered their fourth loss of the 2024 season.
Here are three thoughts.
1. Only Hate The Road When You’re Missing Home
Through their first eight matches in 2024, Revolution II had been on the losing side in four of them. Ironically, all four losses this season have come on the road. Through five road matches this season, Revolution II have been outscored a whopping 13-6 on a 0-4-1 record.
While things have been considerably much better at home, Revolution II will need to start getting results away from home if they want to succeed in 2024.
2. Gevork’s Grandeur
Eight games into the 2024 season, and there’s a lot to like from what we’ve seen from Gevork Diarbain.
The former Vermont Green and Providence College man currently ranks first for most shots on target (nine) while ranking toward the top in goals (two), assists (two), passing percentage (86.7%), and accurate shooting percentage (64.3%).
When Marcos Dias moved to a more central attacking position, I was worried that this Revolution II side would lose a considerable amount of pace on the wings. Diarbian's pace has alleviated my worry.
3. Card Conundrum
Revolution II have seen the referee’s book more than they’d like in the first eight matches of the season.
After four yellows and a red in Wednesday’s loss, Revolution II find themselves in a three-way tie for the most red cards in all of MLS NEXT Pro (three) while sitting in a two-way tie for third with 24 yellow cards on the year.
It’s no secret. It’s incredibly hard to come away with three points when you go down a man. In Revs II’s case, they suffered losses in two of the three matches they were issued a red card.
More importantly, racking up yellows isn’t ideal either. It forces players to adjust their game in the moment to avoid seeing a second one. Additionally, you have to manage without the player who was shown red in the following match.
Hopefully, for Revolution II’s sake, they can buckle down and avoid racking up cards in the future.
There’s a lot to unpack from this game. Thankfully for Richie Williams and New England Revolution II, they’ll have plenty of time to regroup, reflect, and work out any lingering issues as their next match isn’t until May 19th, when they host Philadelphia Union II at Mark A. Ouellette Stadium at 3:00 PM ET.