Revolution II Preview: 3/26 @ Atlanta United 2
Revs II open their 2023 MLS NEXT Pro campaign on Sunday against ATL UTD 2.
MLS NEXT Pro is back! After a five-month break, teams are back and ready to kick off the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro season.
Clint Peay and New England Revolution II will look to emulate the start of the 2022 MLS NEXT Pro season that saw the developmental club start the year with a five-game unbeaten run.
History has favored Clint Peay on opening day as he’s never lost on opening day while at the helm of Revs II. Peay holds a 1-2-0 record on opening day as he secured a 0-0 draw in 2020, a 1-0 win in 2021, and a 2-2 draw with a 4-2 shootout victory in 2022.
Can Clint Peay extend his opening-day unbeaten streak? Here’s everything you need to know before Saturday’s season opener.
Opponent: Atlanta United 2
Location: Fifth Third Bank Stadium, Kennesaw, Georgia
Kickoff Time: 7:30 PM ET
Broadcast: MLSNEXTPro.com
Projected weather: Warm temps roll into the evening as the temperature at kickoff will sit at 70° with 64% humidity. Winds won’t be much of a factor as the max wind speed will reach 4 MPH. The sun will stick around for the first couple minutes of the match as the sun sets at 7:54 PM ET.
Atlanta United 2:
Under the helm of newly appointed coach Steve Cooke, Atlanta United 2 prepares for their first season as members of MLS NEXT Pro.
Preseason:
Atlanta United 2 had a busy preseason as they played six games in almost a month. Atlanta opened their preseason with two matches against the Georgia Revolution on February 18th and the Savannah Clovers on February 25th. On March 4th, Atlanta secured a dominant 3-0 victory over the Greenville Triumph, followed by another 3-0 win over Kalonji Soccer Academy Pro on March 12th. March 15th saw Atlanta secure a 1-1 draw, followed by a preseason finale on March 19th against Crown Legacy FC.
Absences:
Revolution fans won’t see former Revs Homegrown Nicolas Firmino as he, midfielder Alan Carleton, and forward Luke Brennan signed short-term agreements to join the first team for the first team’s match against the Columbus Crew on Saturday.
Revolution II:
Preseason: Revolution II enters opening day following an extensive preseason preparation that saw them play six matches against the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Colorado Rapids 2, Orlando City B, University of New Hampshire, Hartford Athletic, and Gold Star Detroit FC. Despite holding a 3-2-2 record in the preseason, the Revs II offense flowed as the team tallied a staggering fifteen goals!
Seven of those goals came from standout newcomer Jordan Adebayo-Smith. When talking with Sam Minton, Adebayo-Smith said his goal for 2023 is to “improve” from last season with NYRB II and “to score 10-15 goals a season”. If Jordan comes into the regular-season performing as he did in the preseason, he’ll easily reach his scoring goal.
Absences: Revs II will be without goalkeeper Nico Campuzano, who signed a short-term agreement with the first team ahead of their meeting with D.C. United on Saturday. With Campuzano out, expect Clint Peay to put newly signed Max Weinstein between the sticks on Sunday.
Remember to check back following Sunday’s match for a full recap!