Revolution II 2025 Preview
After five months off, New England Revolution II is ready to return to the pitch following a disappointing 2024 season.
A lot has transpired over those five months. Personnel in, personnel out, plus a venue change. It’s a lot to unpack, but luckily, I’m here to break it all down! Here’s everything you need to know before the team begins its 2025 campaign!
Before we go too deep into the changes and preview the 2025 season, here’s a quick recap of how 2024 went for Revolution II.
2024 RECAP
January 8, 2024, saw the club make the biggest change in its five-year history. After four seasons at the helm of Revs II, inaugural head coach Clint Peay departed the club to take an assistant coaching role with the first team under Caleb Porter. January 17 saw the club make history as former Revolution assistant Richie Williams became the club's second-ever head coach.
Revs II kicked off their 2024 season on March 24th on the road against Philadelphia Union II, where they suffered a 2-1 defeat but recovered from the opening day loss on March 31st when they secured a 2-1 win in its home opener over then-newcomers Carolina Core FC.
Things began to go downhill for the club following the win as they went winless in their next three matches before securing their second win of the season on April 28 with a 3-1 victory over Inter Miami. May 4th saw them secure their first back-to-back win of the season as they handed Chicago Fire II a 3-2 defeat,
Following the consecutive wins, Revs II fell into another slump as they went 0-1-4 in their next five matches before snapping the streak with a 1-0 victory over New York Red Bulls II on June 14th.
What came next was something nobody saw coming. June 14th’s win over Red Bulls II marked their last win of the 2024 season, as Revolution II went winless in the closing 15 matches after going 0-11-4.
After a horrific end to the season, Revolution II finished at the bottom of not only the Eastern Conference but the MLS NEXT Pro table after securing 22 points on a 4-18-6 record with four shootout victories.
The club’s four wins tied for the second-fewest in a MLS NEXT Pro season. Their 22 points tied for the third-fewest in a MLS NEXT Pro season.
It’s safe to say 2024 went horrifically wrong results-wise for Revolution II. Despite the failures in the results department, the season provided the chance for young Academy prospects to get crucial experiences at the professional level.
2024 saw 17-year-old midfielder Eric Klein lead the club in total minutes with 2,125 over 26 appearances. 17-year-old defender Damario McIntosh also got a chunk of minutes as he ended his rookie campaign with 1,744 minutes over 25 appearances. 16-year-old midfielder Cristiano Oliveira was a consistent presence toward the end of the year and finished the season with 14 appearances.
2024 also gave us a chance to see several Academy prospects like Sage Kinner, Alex Parvu, Javaun Mussenden, and Grant Emerhi get appearances.
While 2024 didn’t go well results-wise, those 28 regular season games allowed for the organization’s commitment to youth development.
RETURNS
Following its 3-1 loss to Columbus Crew 2 on Decision Day, Revolution II closed the chapter on the 2024 season and turned its attention to 2025.
2025 sees Richie Williams return for his second season at the helm of Revolution II, and he brings 11 players from the 2024 season back.
Goalkeeper JD Gunn returns for his second season with Revolution II. Gunn appeared in 18 matches for Revs II, where he amassed a 3-12-3 record with two shootout victories. Gunn’s debut season also saw him concede 38 goals while making 73 saves.
His time with Revolution II raised his international stock, which led to his first call-up to the Panama National Team in October. Despite being new to the organization, last year saw Gunn enter the first team’s radar. He made the Leagues Cup roster and signed a short-term loan agreement. However, Gunn never saw the field with the first team.
After several bench appearances for Panama, Gunn made his Panama debut on January 24th when the nation faced Peruvian side Universitario. Things got off to a rough start when the Peruvian side found the net in the seventh minute, but Gunn recovered and remained strong before subbing out in the 80th. Universitario went on to net another goal following Gunn’s exit as they secured the 2-1 victory.
Goalkeeper Max Weinstein returns for a fourth season with Revolution II. Through three seasons, the Montpelier, Vermont native has 23 appearances for the club.
Defender Hesron Barry returns for his second season with Revolution II. After debuting on March 24th, 2024, Barry ended his rookie season with 13 appearances and clocked 1,005 minutes.
Defender Victor Souza returns for a third season in New England. Since joining Revs II on February 22nd, 2023, the 39th-overall pick in 2023’s SuperDraft has tallied two goals and one assist over 45 appearances.
After appearing in nine of the first 11 matches of the season, an unfortunate injury following the loss to Chattanooga on June 2nd kept Souza out for the next 12 matches. Thankfully, Souza returned for the final five matches of the season and ended the year with 1,220 minutes over 14 appearances.
Midfielder Gevork Diarbian returns for his second season with Revolution II. Diarbian was a consistent presence for Revolution II during his rookie season. He was the only player to appear in all 28 regular season matches last season and ended the year with two goals and three assists over 1,428 minutes.
Midfielder Eric Klein returns for his third season with New England. The Manheim, Pennsylvania native was the ironman for Revs II in 2024, leading the team in minutes after clocking 2,125 minutes over 26 appearances..
Midfielder Cristiano Oliveira returns for a second season in New England. Like Klein, Oliveira was one of the Revolution Academy prospects to sign an Amateur Agreement with Revolution II before the 2024 season.
After debuting on opening day, Oliveira appeared in four of the first seven matches before being kept out of the lineup. Oliveira returned to the field on September 1st and started five of the final six games.
Oliveira's efforts have garnered international attention as the 16-year-old has received call-ups to U.S. Youth National camps. Most recently, Oliveira appeared in three matches for the U.S. U-17s, where he tallied one goal over 108 minutes, while the U.S. secured the top spot in Group F of the Concacaf U-17 Qualifiers and a spot in the 2025 Under-17 World Cup later this year.
Forward Liam Butts returns for his second season after a productive yet injury-riddled rookie season. Butts' debut season got off to a rough start as an injury before the season kept him out until he made his professional debut on May 26, as his first professional goal in the 80th minute propelled Revs II to a come-from-behind draw and shootout victory over NYCFC II.
Butts went on to appear in June 2nd's loss to Chattanooga before another injury kept him out of action. After missing five matches, Butts returned on June 10 and appeared in four games before a third injury sidelined the former Penn State striker. After missing three games, Butts returned on September 9 to end the season on a strong note.
Butts appeared in the final five matches and scored in three consecutive matches to end the season.
Forward Marcos Dias returns for his fourth season in New England. Dias initially joined Revs II on loan from Brazilian side Vasco de Gama. The striker made history. Through three seasons in New England, Dias has tallied a club record 24 goals and nine assists over 68 appearances.
Forward Olger Escobar returns for a third season in New England. Throughout his two seasons in New England, Escobar made 30 appearances and tallied one assist over 1,172 minutes.
Escobar's efforts in New England led to him breaking through on the international stage with Guatemala. He has notched an impressive 13 goals across 22 appearances at the U-17, U-18, and U-20 levels. Escobar has five caps with the Guatemala senior team, where he tallied two assists over 116 minutes.
Forward Alex Monis returns for his second season in New England. The forward’s success in 2024 raised his international stock, which resulted in Monis receiving his first call-up to the Philippines National Team. Since making his international debut for the nation on June 6, 2024, Monis has made 13 appearances while tallying two assists over 930 minutes.
DEPARTURES
While it’s great to see names return, this past offseason saw plenty of change on the field and sideline. October 11th, 2024, saw nine players' tenures with Revolution II end as their contracts expired or had their options declined.
Defender Moshtaba Al-Hasnawi’s time in New England ended after one season as the club declined his option for 2025. Al-Hasnawi made 18 appearances for Revolution II in 2024, where he clocked 980 minutes.
The former Michigan Wolverine remains without a club as of publishing.
Defender Jacob Akanyirige’s time with Revs II ended after two seasons, as his contract with the club expired following the 2024 season.
Akanyirige joined Revolution II on February 13th, 2023, following spells with the San Jose Earthquakes, Reno FC, and Rochester NY FC. The Pleasanton, California native’s two seasons in New England saw him tally one assist over 537 minutes.
Akanyirige remains a free agent as of publishing
Forward Andrej Bjelajac’s time with Revolution II concluded after one season after the club declined his option for 2025. The Smederevo, Serbia native clocked 318 minutes over 12 appearances for Revolution II in 2024.
The Serbian forward remains a free agent as of publishing.
Defender Giovanni Calderón’s time with Revolution II ended after one season after the club declined his option for 2025.
The Puerto Rico international’s time was rocky for no fault of his own following his signing on July 6th, 2024. Calderón’s lone season with Revs II saw him clock 377 minutes over five appearances.
The Puerto Rico international remains a free agent as of publishing.
Defender Tiago Suarez’s time with Revs II was put on hold on January 16 when the New England Revolution loaned the Homegrown to USL Championship side Birmingham Legion FC through the 2025 season with the option to recall.
Veteran defender Colby Quiñones’ time with Revolution II ended after five seasons, as his contract with the club expired following the 2024 season. Quinones appeared in a club-record 92 matches. His time with Revolution II also saw him tally one goal and three assists over 5,441 minutes.
His work with Revolution II led him to earn international experience. After making five appearances with the Puerto Rico U-20s, Quiñones ascended to the senior team, where he clocked 820 minutes over 11 appearances.
Quiñones, born in Biddeford, Maine returned to the Pine Tree State on January 17th when he inked a deal with USL League One newcomers Portland Heart of Pines.
Midfielder Luca Borovic’s time with Revolution II ended following one season after the club declined his option for 2025. The Serbian midfielder ended his lone season in New England with 18 appearances for Revs II, where he tallied one assist over 861 minutes.
Midfielder Brandonn Bueno’s time with Revolution II ended after three seasons, as his contract with the club expired following the 2024 season. During his three seasons with Revolution II, Bueno made 20 appearances for the club and tallied one goal and one assist over 468 minutes.
The Framingham, Massachusetts native remains a free agent as of Publishing.
Midfielder Maciel’s return to Revolution II ended after one season, as his contract with the club expired following the 2024 season. Maciel continued his professional career on February 18 when he joined Brazilian Série B side Amazonas FC.
Midfielder Patrick Leal’s tenure with Revolution II ended after two seasons. During his two seasons in New England, Leal made 35 appearances for the club, where he tallied two assists over 2,076 minutes.
The Newton, Massachusetts native continued his professional career on January 14th when he inked a deal with USL Championship side Patrick Leal through the 2025 season with an option for 2026.
Departures were not exclusive to players, as the offseason saw two members of 2024’s coaching staff depart.
After spending five seasons with the club, goalkeeper coach Yuta Nomura, a Revolution II original, announced his departure via Instagram on October 21, 2024.
In a statement, Nomura thanked the club for taking a chance on him and believing in him. He also thanked the goalkeepers he worked with throughout his five seasons for giving him pride in what he did.
On January 24 newly established USL League One side Portland Hearts of Pine announced Nomura was joining the club as a goalkeeper and set piece coach.
Nomura wasn’t the only member of 2024’s technical staff to depart Revolution II in the offseason. January 4 saw associate head coach Marcelo Santos announce his departure. In a statement, Santos said the time had come for him to step away and explore a new chapter. He also expressed gratitude for all the people and moments that shaped him throughout his five seasons at the club.
Santos’ new chapter was revealed on January 24th when he became the head coach of MLS NEXT Pro side Houston Dynamo 2.
ADDITIONS
While seeing names go is sad, the offseason saw new faces join the fold.
The club made their first addition on December 5, 2024, when they announced the signing of free agent forward Jayden Da. The forward began his professional career when he signed with Columbus Crew 2 on February 29, 2024. Da ended his debut campaign with 27 appearances across regular season and playoff competition, where he tallied nine goals and five assists over 1,568 minutes.
Unfortunately, Da suffered a torn ACL and meniscus while training and will miss the 2025 season. Missing Da this season will be a massive blow for Revolution II, but thankfully, the club has depth at the forward position that should suffice for 2025.
Revs II welcomed two new faces on January 3 when they announced the signings of midfielder Joe Buck and defender Keegan Hughes.
Buck might be a familiar name for two reasons. He’s the older brother of Revolution Homegrown Noel Buck and also played with Revolution II in the past.
Buck appeared in two matches for Revs II as an Academy prospect during the 2021 USL League One season. He clocked 79 minutes in his May 12, 2021 debut, which saw a 1-0 loss to Union Omaha. His second and final appearance in 2021 came on May 17, when Buck clocked 14 minutes as a substitute in a 2-2 draw against the Chattanooga Red Wolves.
Hughes is an experienced defender who joined Revolution II following stints at the collegiate, USL Championship, MLS NEXT Pro, and MLS levels.
Following a loan spell at Tulsa, 2024 saw Hughes go out on loan again as he joined USL Championship side Loudoun United for the season. Hughes appeared in 32 matches for Loudoun across league and Open Cup action and clocked 2,376 minutes.
Hughes recently signed a first-team contract.
Revolution II added to the back line on February 28 when the club announced the signing of Gabe Dahlin through the 2025 season with a one-year club option for 2026.
On top of a flurry of additions on the field, the offseason also saw additions on the technical side of the club. The first came on November 6, 2024, when veteran goalkeeper Brad Knighton ascended to Revs II to become the goalkeeper coach.
After announcing his retirement on January 4, 2023, Knighton transitioned into a role with the Revolution Academy as he became the head coach of the Under-17 squad. He eventually ascended to the Under-19 level, where he and the squad captured the MLS NEXT Cup for the 2022-23 season,
Knighton’s vast experience from his playing and coaching days should go a long way in helping develop not only the goalkeepers but all players on the Revolution II squad.
The club announced additional additions to the technical staff on February 21.
Michael Milazzo ascended to Revolution II to take an assistant coaching role after spending the past three seasons in the Revolution Academy where he guided the U-15 and U-18 squads.
Bilal Bejaoui joins Revolution II as the new Sports Performance Coach after serving as the fitness coach for PSG’s Under-19 squad.
VENUE CHANGE & SCHEDULE
Another change for Revolution II revolves around where they’ll play games in 2025. After splitting the 2024 season between Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, and Mark A. Ouellette Stadium in Hooksett, New Hampshire, Revolution II will play all 14 home games inside Gillette Stadium.
2025 will see the Revolution II utilize home advantage early as they kick off the year with three straight home games. The club will open the year on Sunday, March 9, when they host Philadelphia Union II at 3:00 PM ET, followed by meetings with FC Cincinnati 2 on March 13 and Toronto FC II on March 28.
April sees the club start the month with a two-game road trip before wrapping up with two games at home. May could be difficult for the club as they’ll spend the entire month playing on the road.
Revs II kicks off June at home when the club hosts FC Cincinnati 2 on the 15th. June 26 sees the Revs trek to Subaru Park to face Philadelphia Union II before concluding June at home on the 29th when they host Huntsville City SC.
Revs II start the month of July with a two-game road trip as they travel to Historic Crew Stadium to face Crew 2 on the 5th before facing Chicago Fire II on the 13th. Revs II return home on the 20th, where they’ll host Orlando City B on the 20th before hosting Atlanta United 2 on the 30th.
August sees the club start the month on the road when they travel to Truist Point to face independent side Carolina Core FC on the 2nd. Revs II return home for two games that see them square off against Crew 2 on the 8th and Red Bulls II on the 15th. Revs II returns to Subaru Park to face Union II on the 24th before they end the month at home against Fire II on the 31st.
Revolution II’s home finale will take place on September 26th when they host Crown Legacy FC before concluding the regular season with a trip to Chase Stadium for a meeting with Inter Miami II on October 5th.
After conceding the fourth-most goals in 2024, the club added two quality defensive pieces alongside a solid defender in Souza that should shore up the defense.
While the absence of Da will be a blow, the return of Monis, Diarbian, Dias, and a healthy Butts should suffice and keep Revolution II's offense dangerous throughout the season.
On top of improved results, 2025 should also see a similar amount of youth development as the club can continue integrating Revolution Academy players into the fold and develop them into exciting prospects.
2024 was a rough year for everyone involved, but this offseason and the changes it brought have sparked hopes that 2025 will most certainly be an improvement for Revolution II.