Richie Williams Reflects After Another Positive Result
Richie Williams Reflects After Another Positive Result
Hear what head coach Richie Williams had to say following a second-consecutive draw and shootout victory.
Sunday was a rollercoaster of an outing for Revolution II. After a rough start that saw Revs II concede a penalty and opening goal in the first 10 minutes, Marcos Dias netted two goals in the 41st and 49th minute to give Revs II a 2-1 lead.
Just as it appeared Revs II were nearing their first regulation win since June 14th, disaster struck in the 78th minute when Charlie Staniland slotted home the game-tying goal that forced a second-consecutive shootout for Revs II, who secured the additional point following a 6-5 shootout victory.
Williams once again believed it was a positive result for the team.
“To go down early, and to come back and score two goals is great,” he said. “I think we created more opportunities than the opponent. They were a very possession-oriented team. They wanted to keep the ball, but I don’t think they created a ton, and thought we defended really well.”
In terms of what went wrong, Williams discussed the issues towards the end of the match telling The Blazing Musket that some players were on a minute restriction.
“We had a breakdown at the end,” the coach said. “We made a bunch of changes, had to make a bunch of changes because some guys were on minute restrictions coming back from injury.”
Revolution II has dealt with woes early on in matches. Of the staggering and club-record 50 goals conceded this season, 10 (20 percent) have come in the opening 15 minutes of play.
Not showing up ready to go is something Richie Williams is well aware of as it’s something he’s discussed multiple times in 2024.
“Again, they’re younger players, inexperienced players, and they have to learn these things as they continue to grow and develop,” he said when asked about Revs II failing to start matches on the front foot. “We keep talking about it, keep showing them that, but again, it was really nice to see them not put their heads down.”
With four games left on the calendar, there isn’t a ton of time left for Revs II to turn things around. Despite the 4-15-5 record, Williams highlighted how 2024 was “positive” for youth development and how he’ll look to build upon it through the remainder of the year.
“We’re obviously not going to be in the playoffs, but again, I think it’s been a positive year,” he said. “We’ve used a lot of players, a lot of younger players. We’ve gotten a lot of valuable experience at the pro level, which is great. Some players in which we see the potential to possibly move to the first team. We’re going to keep giving those opportunities to players these last four games and give them as much experience as they can.”
Williams and Revs II hit the road in search of their first win since June 14 and their first on the road in 2024 on Sunday, September 15, when they face Orlando City B at 5:00 pm ET.