Revolution II Preview: 9/8 vs Huntsville City FC
Revs II kickoff a double game week with a makeup game!
After the initial meeting was postponed due to away team travel issues, Richie Williams and Revolution II take the field in Foxborough as they kick off a double game week. Catch up on everything you need to know as the club looks to ascend up the Eastern Conference ahead of the playoffs.
Opponent: Huntsville City FC
Date: Monday, September 8th
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Venue: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Broadcast: MLS Season Pass - Apple TV
Weather: Monday’s match will start with temperatures in the upper 60s before dipping into the high 50s throughout the evening. Wind gusts will remain in the single digits with zero percent chance of precipitation.
New England Revolution II:
Revs II come into the match incredibly hot with just one loss in their last 10 outings and have gone unbeaten in their last four.
Despite the recent success, their last outing was a bit of a letdown when they welcomed Chicago Fire II to town. Even with goals from Marcos Dias and Damorney Hutchinson giving Revs II a lead, it was wiped off the board in the 59th minute when a controversial penalty call saw Fire II earn a penalty kick, which led to Trip Flemming drawing the game level.
Things only got worse in the shootout as an uncharacteristic performance from Revs II saw a missed penalty plus two saves from Chicago lead Fire II to a 3-1 shootout victory.
Revs II sits in fifth place in the Eastern Conference and trails first-placed Red Bulls II by nine points. They also sit an even nine points ahead of eighth-placed Orlando City B.
Revs II will be missing some key names. Firstly, newcomer Chris Mbaï-Assem will miss Monday’s match as he’s still on international duty with the Central African Republic. He made his international debut on Wednesday when he started and clocked 45 minutes in a 2-0 loss to Madagascar.
Alex Monis will also be away on international duty as he continues his work with the Philippines U-23 squad during the AFC U-23 Asian Cup action. Monis got the start in September 3rd’s 2-1 loss to Syria. Monis started again when the Philippines secured a 1-0 victory over Tajikistan on Saturday. Monis and the Philippines will wrap up group stage action when they face Nepal on Tuesday.
Huntsville City FC:
2025 has been a solid season for Chris O’Neil and his Huntsville side. The club comes into Monday’s match sitting in third place in the East with 43 points on an 11-6-6 record with four shootout victories.
Despite success, the club has struck a lull as of late. They’ve suffered back-to-back defeats in their last two outings and have failed to find the back of the net in both losses. After securing a 2-1 victory in stoppage time over NYCFC II on August 27th, Huntsville suffered a 1-0 loss to Chattanooga and a 2-0 loss to Atlanta United 2 during the first two legs of a three-game road trip.
On top of an August 30th outing against Atlanta, Huntsville comes into Monday’s game after playing in the second edition of the Space Cowboy match, where it suffered a 6-1 loss to their MLS affiliate Nashville SC.
Revolution II will have to keep an eye out for forward Christian Koffi and midfielder Alan Carleton. The pair of players each have 10 goals with five and six assists, respectively. Midfielder Jordan Knight and forward Gunnar Studenhofft are names New England also has to keep an eye on, as the duo have five goals each.
Looking at the stats, it’s clear to see why Huntsville find themselves high on the table. As a team, they’re tied for eighth in goals per match (2.0), rank second for second-fewest goals conceded (1.2), first in average possession per match (60.7%), second in shots on target per match (6.2), first in accurate passes per match (503.1), first in touches in the opposition’s box (792), tie for first in corners (157), and tie for fifth in successful tackles per match (12.0).
While Huntsville as a unit ranks high in several statistical categories, some individuals also see themselves ranked amongst the top in MLS NEXT Pro.
Alan Carelton ranks within the top 10 in goals and assists. Gunner Studenhofft is tied for fourth in shots on target per match with 1.8. Zach Barrett (75.0), Philip Mayaka (72.2), and Kevin Carmichael (71.5) all find themselves in the top five for accurate passes per match.
Damien Baker John (3.2) and Christian Koffi (3.0) rank in the top four in successful dribbles per match. Moisés Vélez is tied for the second-most successful tackles per match with 2.8. Kevin Carmichael ranks fifth in clearances per match with 6.0.
Previous Meetings:
Monday will mark the fourth all-time meeting between New England and Huntsville. Neither side holds the advantage, as both teams have a 1-1-1 record against the other.
Neither side found the back of the net in the inaugural meeting on July 2, 2023, as things ended in a 0-0 draw. New England secured the additional point thanks to a 5-4 shootout victory.
Goals from Malcolm Fry, Jack Panayotou, and an own goal from Fernando Ciceron led New England to all three points as Revs II secured a 3-0 victory on September 1, 2023.
Their most recent meeting came on July 10, 2024, when goals from Jonathan Bolanos and Woobens Pacius led Huntsville to a 2-1 victory over New England.