Revolution II 1 - Philadelphia Union II 3: Three Thoughts
It was a rough outing for Revs II against a strong Union II side, but there were some positives to take from the results.
Revolution II’s unbeaten run at home came to an unfortunate end Sunday afternoon as a trio of Philadelphia Union II goals led to a crushing 3-1 defeat. Here are three thoughts.
1 - Powerful Philadelphia
Despite the loss, you have to give credit to Richie Williams’ side. They threw everything they possibly could at this tough Philadelphia Union II side, but Philly showed why they sit atop the Eastern Conference table. They dug into their trenches and prevented Revolution II’s offense from generating much offense.
They genuinely tried their hardest to generate offensive chances, but Philadelphia just shot them down at every possible opportunity. Philadelphia’s defense held Revolution II to just three shots on the night, with only one on target. It was a rough day at the office, but you can’t say Revs II wasn’t trying.
2 - Learning Opportunities
The main goal for Revolution II is to take prospects and give them the tools and knowledge to develop into better players and have them ascend to the first teams.
While good results are key for development, so are terrible ones. Damario McIntosh and Williams were quick to state performances like Sunday are opportunities to look back on and learn from.
Considering the amount of youth in this Revolution II squad, opportunities for growth are vital. I expect the shortcomings on Sunday will be reviewed and used to learn and grow throughout the remainder of 2024 and beyond.
3 - The Three Musketeers
From the eye test, the offense looked stagnant throughout the first half and into the second. That all changed in the 59th minute when Gevork Diarbain entered the match to combine with fellow attackers Marcos Dias and Alex Monis.
The chemistry between the three is clear. They work so well together and it’s led to success for Revs II in 2024, as the three have combined to net nine of Revs II’s 15 goals and have nine of Revs II’s 16 assists.
Things go well offensively when the trio of Diarbian, Dias, and Monis are on the field together. I’d expect that to be the trio up top going forward.