Revolution II Preview: 8/7 vs FC Cincinnati 2
Can Revs II pull off an upset victory over the best team in MLS NEXT Pro and snap a six-game losing streak?
It’s a short turnaround for Richie Williams and New England Revolution II as they return home looking to right the ship following a hellacious three-week span that’s seen them suffer six-straight defeats. Catch up on everything you need before Wednesday’s matinee.
Date: Wednesday, August 7th
Opponent: FC Cincinnati 2
Time: 11:00 AM ET
Venue: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, Massachusetts
Broadcast: MLS Season Pass - Apple TV
Weather: Wednesday could be a wet one as rain is projected to roll through the area early in the morning and into the early afternoon. While rain may put a damper on things, temperatures look to be extremely pleasant for early August as things will start at 65° while gradually rising to the high 60’s throughout the match.
New England Revolution II:
The clock for Revolution II to turn things around is ticking down. With nine games left, they find themselves in 14th place in the Eastern Conference with 16 points on a 4-13-2 record with two shootout victories.
Their current position on the table has come from a poor run of games dating back to May. After starting the year with a turbulent 3-3-1 record, Revolution II have gone an abysmal 1-10-1 in their last 12 outings.
Revolution II comes into Wednesday’s match on short rest as they hit the road on Saturday to face Atlanta United 2 in Kennesaw, Georgia. After a disastrous first half that saw Revolution II concede three goals, goals from Alex Monis and Liam Butts nearly drew them level, yet their 2024 road record extended to a horrid 0-9-1 following a 3-2 loss.
On the bright side, we should hopefully see some names return to the pitch. In recent weeks, we saw Victor Souza, Jacob Akanyirige, and Hesron Barry return to training, while we saw Luka Borovic return to the field during Saturday’s loss. Despite the poor results, seeing some key pieces return to training gives a slight glimmer of hope.
FC Cincinnati 2:
If the short rest wasn’t bad enough for Revolution II, they’ll face off against the best team in MLS NEXT Pro. Tyrone Marshall’s side enters Wednesday's match with a league-best 41 points on a 13-5-2 record with no shootout wins.
FCC2 comes into the match amidst a two-game winning streak. Following a dominant 5-0 win over Chicago Fire II, Cincinnati held off second-placed Philadelphia Union II to secure a 1-0 win on August 2nd.
Cincinnati’s success in 2024 has come from forward Stefan Chirla, Ben Stitz, midfielder Kenji Mboma Dem, and defender Amir Daley. Chirla and Stitz lead FCC 2 in goals with six each while having two and three assists, respectively. Mboma Dem has five goals and three assists. Daley has four goals and four assists.
Looking deeper into FCC 2’s stats, things get bleak for Revs II. Cicny is in a three-way tie for goals per match with 1.9. They also rank fifth in goals with 38. They also sit in a three-way tie for the third least goals conceded per match with 1.3 while sitting in a three-way tie for the fourth least goals conceded with 25. To summarize how dominant Cincinnati’s offense and defense have been in 2024, they’re in a three-way tie for the second-highest goal differential with +13.
Things only get worse when you dive in further. Cincy has five clean sheets this season, which is in a four-way tie for fifth-most in MLS NEXT Pro. They also average a fifth-best 5.5 shots on target per match while completing a fourth-best 30.6 long balls per match.
Their defense has also been spot on as they’re in a two-way tie for third-most interceptions per match with 11.6 while ranking second in clearances per match with 19.2. Cincy also does a good job of regaining possession in their attacking half as they rank fifth for possession won in the final third per match with 6.5.
Considering Revolution II’s recent form, things could get ugly on Wednesday. On the bright side, it’s worth noting three of their five losses in 2024 have come on the road.
Previous Meetings:
Wednesday’s match will mark the seventh all-time meeting between New England and Cincinnati. FCC 2 comes into the meeting with a slight historical advantage as they hold a 3-2-1 record against Revs II.
Their inaugural meeting came on April 17th, 2022, when a brace from Jack Panayotou, which included a stoppage-time winner and an additional goal from Ryan Lima, overcame two quick goals from Cincinnati to propel Revs II to a 3-2 win.
Marcos Dias’ 53rd-minute goal was the deciding factor in their May 22nd, 2022, meeting as it led Revs II to secure a 1-0 shutout victory.
Their April 30th, 2023 meeting was chaotic. After a flurry of lead changes, it appeared Revs II was walking away with a hard-fought 5-4 victory. That was until an unfortunate own goal from Pierre Cayet drew the game level in stoppage time. Thankfully, Revs II secured the additional point following a 5-4 shootout victory.
It’s been all FC Cincinnati II since then, as they’ve secured three straight wins over Revs II while holding a +3 goal differential in that span.
Despite Jordan Adebayo-Smith finding the back of the net in stoppage time, FCC 2 secured a 2-1 win on June 18th, 2023.
Dias found the net four minutes into their April 10th, 2024, meeting. Yet things drastically changed before halftime as Amir Daley secured a game-winning brace to secure a 2-1 comeback victory.
Kenji Mboma Dem’s 34th-minute goal was the deciding factor in their most recent meeting on June 30th as FCC 2 secured a 1-0 shutout victory.