Revs II Preview: 5/25 vs Columbus Crew 2
Revs II Preview: 5/25 vs Columbus Crew 2
Revolution II returns to action Thursday night as they look to extend their winning streak to three games after picking up back-to-back comeback victories!
New England Revolution II returns to action Thursday evening on the heels of back-to-back comeback victories. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Thursday’s contest.
Opponent: Columbus Crew 2
Date: Thursday, May 25th
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Venue: Gillette Stadium
Projected Weather: Expect a cold one inside Gillette on Thursday as temperatures will sit at 60° come kickoff with winds gusting at six mph. Temperatures will plummet into the mid and low 50s throughout the match.
Revolution II:
Revolution II enters Thursday after securing comeback victories in their past two outings. After finding themselves down 2-1 at halftime against Toronto FC II on May 14th, two goals from Homegrown Damian Rivera found the back of the net in the 84’ and 85’ to give Revolution II a 3-2 victory. Efforts from Marcos Dias and Homegrown Esmir Bajraktarević led Revolution II to an enthralling 4-3 win over Philadelphia Union II on May 21st after Philadelphia took a 3-1 lead early in the second half.
Revolution II’s offense has been the key to their success through their first nine contests. Revs II currently leads MLS NEXT Pro in goals scored with twenty-four. Damian Rivera, Bajraktarević, and Marcos Dias lead the team in goals as the trio holds five goals apiece.
Revolution Homegrown Damian Rivera will likely miss Thursday’s match as he recently traveled to Costa Rica to begin training with the nation’s U-23 team in preparation for the upcoming Maurice Revello Tournament.
Columbus Crew II:
It’s been a good campaign for the inaugural MLS NEXT Pro champions as they enter Thursday’s contest in second place in the Eastern Conference with 20 points on a 6-1-1 record with one shootout victory.
Crew II comes into the match riding a four-game winning streak that saw them secure wins over Inter Miami II, Huntsville City, Orlando City B, and FC Cincinnati 2.
Like Revolution II, Crew 2’s success has come from having a plethora of goal-scorers on the roster. While only scoring 14 goals to date, Crew 2 has had a whopping eleven goal scorers, with Mataeo Bunbury, Marco Micaletto, and Gibran Rayo topping the scoring chart with two goals each.
Crew II has been in the league headlines as the club inked a deal with midfielder Taha Habroune. Habroune, a Columbus native, has had an impressive youth career that saw him win Adidas Cup MVP, helping the US U17s qualify for the World Cup. The Crew Academy product made his professional debut this year. Habroune scored his first goal in Columbus’ 1-0 victory on May 21st.
Previous Meetings:
Thursday’s meeting marks the fourth time Revolution II and Crew 2 have faced off. Their first meeting came on May 8th, 2022, when Serbian keeper Djordje Petrović made his Revolution debut after being acquired from FK Čukarički in April 2022. It was not the debut Petrović or the organization had hoped as goals from Marco Micaletto, Isaiah Parente, and a pair from Noah Fuson led to Crew 2 walking away with a 4-0 victory.
Their second encounter came on July 24th, 2022, when a goal from Marcos Dias prevented the shutout loss for Revs II as Columbus picked up a 4-1 victory.
Both sides met in 2023 as they faced off inside Historic Crew Stadium on April 16th, 2023. Goals from Isaiah Parente, Jacen Russell-Rowe, and Marco Micaletto led to Crew 2 securing a 3-0 shutout victory.