Revolution II Preview: 9/12 vs Toronto FC II
New England wraps up a double game week at home and looks to ascend further up the Eastern Conference table.
It’s a quick turnaround for Richie Williams and Revolution II as the club wraps up a double game week at home, days after securing a crucial win four days earlier. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Friday’s matinee.
Opponent: Toronto FC II
Date: Friday, September 12
Time: 1:00 PM ET
Venue: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Broadcast: MLS Season Pass - Apple TV
Weather: Friday looks to be a pleasant afternoon inside Gillette. Temps will hover in the low 70s throughout the match while winds gust at 12 miles per hour. Things will remain dry with a 0% chance of precipitation.
New England Revolution II:
Revolution II’s week got off to a tremendous start when Huntsville came to town to make up their July 29 game, which was rescheduled due to travel issues for the road team.
Cristiano Oliveira’s lone goal in first-half stoppage time was the deciding factor in this one as Revolution II secured a 1-0 victory in what was a physical contest against one of the best teams in the East.
Monday’s win, combined with results around the league, sees Revolution II enter Friday in fourth place in the East with 45 points on an 11-5-7 record, including five shootout victories.
Friday could see the return of Chris Mbaï-Assem and Alex Monis. September’s international window saw Mbaï-Assem make his international debut with the Central African Republic during World Cup Qualifying action, while Alex Monis joined the Philippines Under-23 squad for AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qualifying.
While Monday saw Victor Souza return, Liam Butts’ status for Friday is unknown. The forward has missed the past two matches.
If Butts returns, he’ll have the chance to etch his name into the Revs II record book. With 11 goals on the year, he trails Jordan Adebayo-Smith’s single-season goal-scoring record by one. A goal would also tie him for the second-most goals in club history alongside Damian Rivera.
Marcos Dias also has the chance to make history on Monday. With 91 appearances under his belt, an appearance against Toronto FC II would see him tie former defender Colby Quiñones for the most appearances in club history.
With 11 wins on the year, Revolution II has the chance to make it 12, which would be the second-most wins in a season. With five games left in the regular season, there is still a path for Revs II to break their all-time single-season win record of 14 set during the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro season.
Toronto FC II:
2025 has been an up-and-down season for Gianni Cimini and his TFC II squad. Toronto comes into Friday’s match in seventh place in the East with 36 points on a 10-9-5 record with just one shootout victory.
Despite their overall rocky record, things have gone well as of late for Toronto as they’ve gone unbeaten in their last three with clean sheet victories in two of them. Revs II will have to keep an eye out for forward Hassan Ayari, who leads TFC II with six goals and four assists in 23 appearances.
First-teamer Markus Cimermancic is another threat for New England. While his appearances with TFC II have been patchy, he still has four goals and an assist over seven appearances.
Looking at some of the statistics, it's clear why Toronto finds itself around the middle of the pack. Its 1.3 goals per match, which is the fourth-fewest, while its 1.5 goals conceded per match is tied for the eighth-fewest.
Previous Meetings:
Friday will mark the 15th all-time meeting between New England and Toronto, a series that dates back to both teams’ time in USL League One. New England has been the more dominant side with a 5-3-6 record in the first 14 meetings.
2021, strangely enough, saw both sides split their four games on the year with 1-0 victories. Both sides earned a win, a draw, and a loss over three meetings in 2022.
Since then, Revolution II has gone undefeated against Toronto with two wins and five draws dating back to the 2023 season.
Friday will mark the third meeting of 2025. March 28 saw goals from Marcos Dias, Olger Escobar, and a brace from Liam Butts lead New England to a 4-0 victory. May 4 saw goals from Liam Butts, Gevork Diarbian, and Marcos Dias lead to a 3-3 draw at the end of regulation. Revs II secured the extra point following a 9-8 shootout victory following 12 rounds.