Revolution II Preview: 8/18 @ Crew 2
Revolution II Preview: 8/18 @ Crew 2
Richie Williams and Revs II will look to for their first win since June 14th along with their first on the road in 2024.
Richie Williams and New England Revolution II return from another extended break as they look to build off the momentum generated in their last outing as they look for their first road win of the 2024 season. Catch up on everything you need to know ahead of Sunday’s match.
Date: Sunday, August 18th
Opponent: Columbus Crew 2
Time: 6:00 PM ET
Venue: Historic Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Broadcast: MLS Season Pass - Apple TV
Weather: Things could get messy inside Historic Crew Stadium as rain and thunder roll through the area early. While the chance of rain will stick around for the game, it looks like the thunder will hold off, but it could return at 7 PM local time. Temps will start in the mid-70s and hover while winds reach the high teens.
New England Revolution II:
Williams and Revs II roll into Sunday’s match amidst a horrid stretch that’s seen them go 1-10-2 in their last 13 games. A streak that now sees Revolution II hold the top spot in the wooden spoon race as they sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and MLS NEXT Pro table with 17 points on a 4-13-3 record with two shootout wins.
Despite the poor results as of late, things took a slight turn in the right direction on August 7 when Revolution II hosted Eastern Conference front runners FC Cincinnati 2. Max Weinstein and Revolution II stood tall and kept a tough FCC 2 off the scoreboard as things ended in a scoreless draw. FCC 2 walked away with the extra point following a 6-5 victory.
While it wasn’t three points, it certainly felt like a win for Revs II, who avoided their seventh-straight loss with the draw. Head coach Richie Williams called the result “progress” and added he’s "hopeful Revs II can move forward and next game, get three points."
On the bright side, recent weeks have seen Revs II inch closer and closer to 100% health. After returning to practice, we saw defender Hesron Barry make his first appearance since June 14th as he came on as a substitute in their last match.
Defenders Jacob Akanyirige and Victor Souza look close to returning to the pitch. Souza has been out of action with an undisclosed injury since playing 90 minutes against Chattanooga on June 1st. Akanyirige has yet to appear in 2024 after making 17 appearances in 2023.
Hopefully, for Williams and Revs II’s sake, we see the club hit full fitness for the seven games left in the 2024 season.
Columbus Crew 2:
Despite the departure of Laurent Courtois, Crew 2 has stood tall under Kelvin Jones as they come into Sunday’s meeting in third place with 36 points on a 9-5-6 record with three shootout victories. Jones and Crew 2 are on a roll right now as they’ve avoided defeat in their last nine matches, where they’ve gone 5-0-4 with a +11 goal differential in that span.
Chase Adams, Brent Adu-Gyamfi, and Jayden Da have been major factors in Crew 2's success this season. Adams currently leads Crew 2 with eight goals over 13 appearances. Adu-Gyamfi has notched six goals and four assists in 19 appearances, while Da tallied five goals and four assists over 16 appearances.
Crew 2 comes into Sunday’s game in second place in goals per match (2.2) while ranking third in average possession (55.7%), first in accurate passes per match (468.1), first in saves per match (4.6), fourth in touches in opposing box (546), and fourth in big chances (61).
Considering Crew 2’s recent form and 5-3-2 home record, Revolution II’s horrid road record, and Revs II's recent form, things could get ugly on Sunday.
Previous Meetings:
Sunday marks the seventh all-time meeting between New England and Columbus, with the Capybaras holding the historical advantage firmly with a 5-1-0 record against Revs II.
The first meeting on May 8, 2022, was horrendous as current Chelsea keeper Djordje Petrović conceded four times in the opening half as Crew 2 secured a 4-0 victory in the Serbian keeper’s first appearance with the Revolution organization.
There was some slight improvement as a goal from Marcos Dias prevented another shutout as Revs II walked away with a 4-1 defeat on June 24, 2022.
April 16, 2023, saw another shutout win for Columbus as they secured a 3-0 victory.
Fortune changed on May 23, 2023, when goals from Jordan Adebayo-Smith and Ben Awashie led to Revs II securing their first and only victory over Columbus as they secured a 2-0 shutout win.
Their meeting on October 14, 2023, was unlike any other as both sides met in the Eastern Conference Final, looking to book their ticket to the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro Cup Final. It was a hard-fought battle to the end, but Revolution II’s hearts shattered in stoppage time when Gibran Rayo found the back of the net to propel Columbus Crew to their second-consecutive Finals appearance.
Their first meeting of 2024 came on June 6th when Patrick Leal’s Goal of Matchweek 13 avoided another shutout for Revs II as they suffered a 3-1 defeat.