Revolution II Preview: 8/2 @ Carolina Core FC
Can Revs II keep their hot streak alive on the road?
Richie Williams and New England Revolution II hit the road for a match in the Tar Heel State. Catch up on everything you need to know as Revs II looks to keep its hot streak going.
Opponent: Carolina Core FC
Date: Saturday, August 2nd
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Venue: Truist Point, High Point, North Carolina
Broadcast: MLS Season Pass - Apple TV
Weather: Saturday’s match could get off to a wet start as showers are expected to start before the game and stop before 8 PM. Despite the rain, the rest of the evening looks to be decent. Temperatures will remain in the low 70s with winds gusting at 19 miles per hour.
New England Revolution II:
Things have been going well lately for Revs II. They come into Saturday’s match just days after picking up a solid result at home to push their unbeaten run to five games while simultaneously picking up a fourth straight victory.
After picking up one point from their June 26 meeting with Philadelphia Union II, Revs II began their win streak with a 2-1 win on the road over Columbus Crew 2 before wrapping up their road trip with a 3-2 victory over Chicago Fire II.
Their two-game homestand saw the club continue its hot streak that saw back-to-back 3-0 victories over Orlando City B and Atlanta United 2.
Wednesday’s win over Atlanta saw the club tie its record for most consecutive wins. It marks the third time in the club’s five-year history that they’ve achieved this feat. The first time came during the 2020 season when the club secured three straight shutouts against Union Omaha, OCB, and the Richmond Kickers before securing a 4-1 win over Fort Lauderdale CF (now Inter Miami II). The second came during the 2023 season when they secured victories over TFC II, Union II, Crew 2, and Inter Miami II.
Speaking of history, Wednesday saw Marcos Dias assist on Liam Butts’ goal to notch his 15th assist for the club. He’s now tied with former midfielder Jake Rozhansky for the most assists in club history. Something he’ll look to take sole possession of on Saturday.
On top of efforts from Marcos Dias, Liam Butts’ offense has led Revs II to success this year. Through 15 appearances this season, Butts has tallied a team-leading eight goals along with two assists. For Butts, it’s not a matter of if but when Butts will become the second player in Revolution II history to notch double-digit goals in a season. Former forward Jordan Adebayo-Smith was the first to do so after tallying 12 during his lone season with the club in 2023.
Whether it’s been Gunn or Parisian, Revolution II’s goalkeeping has also been a huge factor in the club’s success in 2025. While Revolution II has made the fourth-fewest saves with 66, they’re tied for the third most clean sheets with six. A clean sheet against Carolina would put them in a tie for the most in MLS NEXT Pro.
Carolina Core FC:
2025 hasn’t been the best for Donovan Ricketts and his Carolina Core side. The team comes into Saturday’s contest in 12th place in the Eastern Conference with 24 points on a 4-7-8 record with four shootout victories.
Despite their mixed bag of results, Carolina has had some success in recent weeks as they’re unbeaten in their last two matches. They secured two points on July 19 following a 1-1 draw and a 5-4 shootout victory over Atlanta. Their last outing saw the club secure three points following a 3-2 win over Philadelphia Union II.
While the year hasn’t gone in their favor, Carolina has some good players who’ve had good individual seasons.
Midfielder Glory Nzingo currently leads the team in goals with seven while having two assists across 17 appearances. Midfielder Facundo Canate is a step behind Nzingo with six goals and two assists in 19 appearances.
Carolina’s offense has simply not produced in 2025. It’s 1.3 goals per match is the sixth-fewest while also having the eighth-fewest big chances (35).
Their defense has also plagued them this season. Carolina averages just 7.6 interceptions per match, which is the third fewest. They’re also tied for the seventh-fewest tackles per game (10.1), the sixth-fewest clearances per match (17.8), and fourth-fewest saves per match (2.2).
Previous Meetings:
Saturday will mark the third meeting between New England and Carolina. It’s an even series as both sides picked up a victory in the first two meetings.
Strikes from Malcolm Fry and Jack Panayotou led Revolution II to securing all three points during their inaugural meeting on March 31, 2024.
Despite Alex Monis getting things going in the 15th minute, a brace from Facundo Canete in the closing five minutes plus stoppage time led Carolina Core to securing a 2-1 win of their own on August 24, 2024.