Revolution II Preview: 5/8 @ Crown Legacy
It's a short turn around for Richie Williams and Revs II as they look to extend their winning streak to three games!
It’s a quick turnaround for Richie Williams and New England Revolution II as they hit the road and return to action just four days after picking up a nail-biting win! Catch up on everything you need to know ahead of Wednesday’s match.
Date: Wednesday, May 9th
Opponent: Crown Legacy FC
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Venue: Sportsplex Matthews, Matthews, North Carolina
Broadcast: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
Weather: Wednesday looks to be a muggy one in North Carolina. Temps will sit at 80° come kickoff with 76% humidity. Temps will remain in the upper 70s while the humidity gradually rises throughout the match.
New England Revolution II:
It was a rollercoaster of emotions during Revolution II’s last outing. Things got off to a good start as Alex Monis netted goals in the 39th and 54th minute against his former club to put Revs II up 2-0.
Things got nervy in the 66th minute when Chicago’s Diego Konincks found the back of the net to shrink Revs II’s lead to one. Things went from bad to worse in the 87th minute when Chicago’s Peter Soudan netted his first MLS NEXT Pro goal to level the game at two apiece in the closing minutes.
Just when it looked like things were headed to a shootout, fortune changed in Revs II's favor in stoppage time when Chicago’s Romain Blake fouled Cristiano Oliveira inside the box to award Revs II a crucial penalty kick.
Marcos Dias stepped up to the spot with a lot riding on the line. Despite Patrick Los diving in the right direction, Dias’ penalty kick to the bottom-left corner evaded the keeper and crashed into the net to give Revs II a late lead and Dias his 18th goal to cement his name as Revolution II’s all-time leading goal scorer.
“Some games are going to be hard-fought games that you’ve got to keep battling, and you never know what's going to happen in a game,” Richie Williams told The Blazing Musket after the match. Things change, but when there’s adversity, you fight through it, you keep battling to get a result, and I think they did a great job at that.”
Following Saturday’s victory, Revolution II are in seventh place in the Eastern Conference with 11 points on a 3-3-1 record with one shootout victory.
Crown Legacy FC:
After finishing the 2023 season tied with Colorado Rapids 2 for most points in MLS NEXT Pro with 66, 2024 has gotten off to a rocky start for José Tavares and Crown Legacy FC. They enter Wednesday’s match in 13th place in the Eastern Conference with eight points in seven matches.
Despite holding a 1-3-3 record, Crown Legacy has made the most out of their shootout opportunities as they’ve taken the extra point in two of their three shootouts in 2024.
After securing their first win of the season on April 28th, their most recent outing saw them return to the loss column as conceding late in stoppage time saw Crown Legacy suffer a 2-1 loss to FC Cincinnati 2.
On the bright side, Crown Legacy has seen many players find the back of the net. Despite only scoring nine goals, they’ve come from seven different players. Aron John and Nicholas Scardina currently lead the team with two goals each.
Crown Legacy’s defense and goaltending have been shaky at best, as they’ve failed to keep a clean sheet in their past nine matches across all competitions. They also enter Wednesday’s match with 12 goals conceded in 2024.
Previous Meeting:
Wednesday will mark the third all-time meeting between New England and Crown Legacy. It's been an even series as both clubs hold one win over the other.
Their first came on July 12th, 2023, when goals from Marcos Dias, Jordan Adebayo-Smith, and Peyton Miller guided Revolution II to a 3-1 victory.
The most recent moment came on 2023’s Decision Day, where Nimfasha Berchimas’ 42nd-minute goal led Crown Legacy to secure a 1-0 win.