Revolution II Preview: 9/21 @ FC Cincinnati 2
Revs II wrap up a two-game road trip looking to inch closer to the top seed in the East.
It’s a quick turnaround for Richie Williams and Revolution II as they wrap up a double game week and a two-game road trip in The Queen City! Catch up on everything you need to know ahead of Sunday’s match.
Opponent: FC Cincinnati 2
Date: Sunday, September 21st
Time: 6:00 PM ET
Venue: NKU Soccer Stadium, Highland Heights, Kentucky
Broadcast: MLS Season Pass - Apple TV
Weather: Thunder is expected to dissipate before kickoff as temps will hover in the mid to low 70s throughout the match with a slight chance of rain. Winds could play a factor as gusts will reach 21 miles per hour.
New England Revolution II:
Things have been smooth sailing as of late for New England. Revs II comes into Sunday’s match on an incredible seven-game unbeaten run with wins in their last three outings.
Their week got off to an incredible start when they paid a visit to Icahn Stadium to face New York City FC II. Goals from Cristiano Oliveira, Gevork Diarbian, and Marcos Dias led Revolution II to securing a 3-1 victory.
Following Thursday’s outing, they find themself in second place in the East with a 13-5-7 record with five shootout victories. At 51 points, they trail first-placed New York Red Bulls II by three points. On the flip side, they sit two points above third-placed Philadelphia Union II. New England will look for a solid result against FC Cincinnati 2 while hoping for Inter Miami CF II and Chicago Fire II to get the job done against New York and Philly.
With 13 wins on the season, Revolution II finds itself one shy of tying the club record for most wins in a season. The 2023 Revs II squad set the record after securing 14 wins.
Liam Butts will have another chance to etch his name into the Revs II history book. With 11 goals on the year, he’s one shy of tying Jordan Adebayo-Smith’s single-season scoring record of 12.
FC Cincinnati 2:
After finishing atop the Eastern Conference table in 2024, 2025 has been a tough season for Tyrone Marshall and his FCC 2 side. They come into Sunday’s match in 13th place with a 5-12-7 with victories in all seven shootouts.
On top of a poor season, FCC 2 has lost its last four matches. Since their last win on August 11th, FCC 2 has suffered a 1-0 loss to Toronto FC II, a 3-2 loss to Carolina Core FC, a 2-1 loss to Philadelphia Union II, and a 2-1 loss to Chicago in their latest outing.
Looking at the stats. It’s clear to see why 2025 hasn’t gone well for Cincinnati. While Cincy 2 do concede the seventh-fewest goals per match with 1.5, they score the fewest goals per match with just 1.1. They tie for the third-fewest shots on target with 4.2, have created the third-fewest chances with 39.
While their offense has been stagnant at best, their defense has been surprisingly decent. They rank atop MLS NEXT Pro in tackles per match (20.2) and clearances per match (24.7). FCC 2 also ranks second in interceptions per match with 10.5.
While the team hasn’t performed well, there are still some names New England has to watch out for. Forwards Kenji Mboma Dem and Stefan Chirila lead the club with five goals on the year. They also have to watch out for forward Tega Ikoba, midfielder Carson Locker, and defender Brian Schafer, who all have three goals on the year. Revs II also has to watch out for Peter Mangione’s distribution. The midfielder leads the team in assists with five.
Previous Meetings:
Sunday will mark the 10th all-time meeting between New England and Cincinnati. FCC 2 holds the slight historical advantage with a 4-3-2 record in the first nine meetings.
2022 saw Revs II sweep FCC 2 with a 3-2 win on April 27 and a 1-0 shutout win on May 22. 2023 saw the favor swing Cincinnati’s way as they went undefeated against New England following a 5-5 draw and 5-4 shootout loss on April 30, and a 2-1 win on June 28.
Momentum stayed with Cincinnati in 2024 as FCC 2 secured a 2-1 win on April 10, a 1-0 shutout win on June 30, and a scoreless draw and 6-5 shootout victory on August 7.
Sunday will be the third time these two teams have met this season. March 13 saw Revs II snap FCC 2’s five-game unbeaten run in the series with a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Damorney Hutchinson and Marcos Dias. June 15 saw FCC 2 re-enter the win column as Brian Schafer’s 40th-minute lone strike led Cincy to a 1-0 win.