Revolution II Preview: 5/31 at New York City FC II
Can Revs II prevent their road winless streak extending to 20 games?
Another week, another away game for Richie Williams and his Revolution II squad. The month of May has been a daunting on for the club as the club is amidst a five-game road trip that hasn’t gone exactly to plan. Catch up on everything you need to know ahead of Saturday’s match.
Opponent: New York City FC II
Date: May 31st
Time: 1:30 PM ET
Venue: Belson Stadium, Queens, New York City, New York
Broadcast: mlsnextpro.com
Weather: Inclement weather in the area should clear before kickoff. The thermometer will read 67° come kickoff and hover around that mark. The percentage chance of precipitation will sit in the high 40’s as thunder is slated to roll into the area around 7 PM.
New England Revolution II:
The month of May has been a rough one for Revolution II, results-wise. The first three games of the month have seen the club go winless with a 0-2-1 record.
May's rough stretch saw Revolution II fall to seventh place in the Eastern Conference with 15 points on an even 3-3-3 record with three shootout victories.
It looked like the club was on track to secure a win on May 4 when they found themselves up 3-1 against TFC II. That was until a goal from Dékwon Barrow and an own goal from Gabe Dahlin led to a 3-3 draw. Thankfully for Revs II, they walked away with the additional point thanks to a 9-8 shootout victory after 12 rounds.
With numerous regulars on first-team duty, Richie Williams was forced to tap into the Revolution Academy when Revs II faced NYRB II on the 18th. Red Bulls II capitalized on the inexperience of Revolution II’s squad as they walked away with a 4-1 victory.
Their most recent outing saw Revs II face off against independent side Chattanooga FC. Peter Plougmand’s 11th-minute strike was the deciding factor in the May 24 outing as Chattanooga walked away with a 1-0 victory.
While results have been poor, this ongoing road trip has been huge for youth development. The past two games have seen Eli Ackerman, Ivan Villalobos Lopez, Cristiano Carlos, Levi Katsell, Josh Macedo, Enzo Gonçalves, Sheridan McNish, Giuseppe Ciampa, Edwin Flores, Bryan Norena, and Aidan Reilly make their professional debut.
May’s road trip has also seen Academy prospects like Javaun Mussenden, Robert Nichols III, Josh Partal, and Judah Siqueira continue their professional development.
Richie Williams’ roster has seen some slight changes recently. The first came on May 23 when midfielder Eric Klein signed a Homegrown contract with the first team. Klein’s time with Revolution II saw the 18-year-old appear in 33 matches and tally one goal and four assists over 2,811 minutes.
May 29 also saw Revolution II add to the attack when the club signed former Revolution Academy prospect Michael Tsicoulias. The Newton native tallied two goals in 14 matches for the club during the 2020 and 2021 USL League One seasons before departing to begin his collegiate career at UVA. During his three seasons with the Cavaliers, Tsicoulias tallied three goals and one assist over 38 appearances.
Following the 2023-24 season, Tsicoulias returned to New England as he transferred to the University of New Hampshire. His lone season with the Wildcats saw Tsicoulias tally two goals and an assist across 17 appearances.
Saturday won’t just give Revolution II the chance to end the month of May on a positive note. It allows them a chance to snap a 19-game winless streak on the road. Since their last victory away from home on August 27, 2023, Revolution II has gone 0-17-2 with two shootout victories. Their ongoing road winless streak has also seen Revolution II being outscored 43 to 18.
New York City FC II:
2025 has gotten off to a good start for Matt Pilkington and NYCFC II. The club comes into Saturday’s match in fourth place in the East with 17 points on a 4-5-3 record with two shootout victories.
The month of May has been a mixed bag of results for NYC II. After a 4-2 loss to Inter Miami II, New York went on to pick up a 5-2 over Red Bulls II and a 3-0 shutout win over Red Bulls II. Its most recent outing saw New York walk away with two points following a 2-2 draw and 4-2 shootout victory over Chicago Fire II.
A major factor in NYC II’s success has been its attack. They come into Saturday with 24 goals on the year, which ranks third-most in MLS NEXT Pro.
A big part of that production has come from 17-year-old Seymour Reid. The forward is currently tied for fifth in the MLS NEXT Pro Golden Boot race with seven goals in 11 appearances.
While they’ve had an easy time finding the net, they’ve also allowed a lot of balls into their net. Their 27 goals allowed is tied alongside Timbers2 as the most conceded in MLS NEXT Pro this season.
Previous Meetings:
Saturday will mark the 10th all-time meeting between New England and New York. It’s been an even series as both sides hold a 3-3-3 record against the other.
NYCFC II went unbeaten in the first three meetings as they secured a 2-2 draw on March 27 2022, a 4-0 win on July 10, 2022, and a 0-0 draw on September 10, 2022.
April 2, 2023, saw Revolution II secure their first win over NYC when goals from Jordan Adebayo-Smith and Esmir Bajraktarević led to a 2-1 victory for New England. New York got back into the win column on May 6, 2023, as they secured a 4-2 victory. Malcolm Fry’s 57th-minute strike was the deciding factor in June 14, 2023’s meeting as New England walked away with a 1-0 victory.
April 14, 2024’s meeting saw some unfortunate Revolution II history made. It marked the most goals Revs II have conceded as NYCFC II found the net six times to secure a 6-2 victory. Since then, Revolution II has gone unbeaten in the last two meetings. May 26, 2024, saw both sides split points following a 3-3 draw.
Their most recent meeting came earlier this season when goals from Liam Butts and Allan Oyirwoth led Revolution II to secure a 2-1 victory on April 26.