Revolution II Preview: 7/6 vs Philadelphia Union II
Revolution II Preview: 7/6 vs Philadelphia Union II
Richie Williams and Revs II have a tough task ahead of them as Eastern Conference frontrunners Union II pay a visit to the Granite State.
Richie Williams and New England Revolution II return to action in New Hampshire as they look to get back on track after losing in four of their last five matches. Catch up on everything you need to know ahead of Saturday’s match!
Date: Saturday, July 6th
Opponent: Philadelphia Union II
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Venue: Mark A. Ouellette Stadium, Hooksett, New Hampshire
Broadcast: mlsnextpro.com
Weather: It looks like most of the troubling weather will pass through the area before kickoff, but thunder is projected to roll into the region around 9 PM. Hopefully that won’t factor into the match. On the bright side, temperatures will be decent come kickoff as they sit in the high 70s before tapering down into the mid 70s.
New England Revolution II:
Revs II enters the month of July on the heels of a rough month of June that saw them go 1-4-0 while being outscored 10-5 in the month.
They wrapped up the month last Sunday when they traveled to NKU Soccer Park to square off against FC Cincinnati II. Despite creating numerous chances, Kenji Mboma Dem’s 34th-minute goal was the deciding factor as FCC 2 walked away victorious with a 1-0 win at home.
Facing one of MLS NEXT Pro’s best teams this season will be a challenge on its own, things will be even more difficult for Richie Williams as first-team head coach Caleb Porter alluded that he would be looking to bring some Revs II players to Seattle for their match against the Sounders. Per his Instagram story, it appears standout forward Marcos Dias was called upon. It’s unknown if any other Revs II players made the trek.
On top of that, Revs II is still dealing with some health problems. While forward Liam Butts returned to the matchday squad in their last outing, Revs II are still without Luka Borovic and Victor Souza. Borovic has been out after exiting June 23rd’s match against Crown Legacy after a nasty collision. Victor Souza has been out since clocking 90 minutes in June 1st’s 1-0 loss to Chattanooga with an undisclosed injury.
Philadelphia Union II:
2024 has been nearly flawless for Marlon LeBlanc and his Union II side as they enter Saturday’s match in first place in the East with 32 points on a 9-3-3 record with two shootout victories.
While this season has been a success for Philly, they come into Saturday’s match amidst a rollercoaster stretch that’s seen them suffer two of their three losses in the last four outings. Union II saw victory in their previous outing after securing a dominant 4-0 win over Toronto FC II.
A large part of Philly’s success this season has come from forward Edward Davis. The 18-year-old leads Union II in goals scored with eight in 15 appearances.
Chris Donovan, Sal Olivas, Chris Olney, and Francis Westfield have also led Union II success as the quartet have tallied four goals each. On top of his four goals, Olney also leads the club in assists with eight.
On top of individual success, Union II has put up some good numbers throughout the season. They enter the match tied for first in goals per match with 2.3, sit third in shots on target per match with 5.7, have had the second-most chances created with 51, and concede the third-least goals per match with 1.1.
It’s safe to say Saturday will be a daunting challenge for Richie Williams and Revolution II, but one thing is for certain. Revolution II has shown throughout the 2024 season that they are always willing to put up a fight regardless of what stands in front of them.
Previous Meetings:
Saturday marks the 10th all-time meeting between New England and Philadelphia. Revolution II holds a slight historical advantage as they hold a 5-4-0 record against Union II.
Their first meeting came on May 27th, 2022, where Meny Silva’s 34th-minute goal sealed the deal as Revs II secured a 1-0 victory. Philadelphia secured wins in the next two meetings after securing a 5-1 win on August 21st, 2022, and a 3-1 win on September 18th, 2022.
2023 was all Revolution II, as they secured wins in all four meetings. It started with a dominant 5-1 win on April 10th, 2023, followed by a 4-3 win on May 21st, 2023, and a 3-0 win on August 27th, 2023. October 1st, 2023’s meeting saw Revolution II make club history as their 3-2 win saw Revs II win their first-ever playoff match as they progressed to the Eastern Conference Semifinal.