Sage Kinner Feeling Good After Breaking Into Starting XI
Hear what Kinner had to say after making his second appearance for Revolution II!
While 2024 hasn’t gone the way Revolution II intended results-wise, the silver lining for this mostly disappointing season has been the influx of young prospects who have kickstarted their professional career with Revs II.
17-year-old Sage Kinner has been the most recent example. The Burlington, Vermont native made his professional debut on August 24 when he clocked 77 minutes in a 2-1 loss to Carolina Core.
Kinner’s efforts against Carolina saw him return to the starting lineup on Saturday when Revs II hosted Chicago Fire II. Things were going well for Kinner until the 77th minute when a counterattack opportunity for Chicago led to him getting his legs tangled with Christian Koffi, who found himself one-on-one with JD Gunn. Unfortunately, it was an obvious red for the youngster, as Revs II found themselves down a man for the rest of the match.
After appearing on the bench as an unused substitute in seven matches, Kinner has quickly racked up 156 minutes in just two outings.
“I’ve been with them for a while now on the bench, so to finally get a chance and put some time in on the field felt very good,” he said.
Despite the sending-off, head coach Richie Williams had a ton of praise for the young defender following his second outing.
“Sage has done really well…Sage did another good job today. A little unfortunate in the sending-off. He got his feet tangled at the end there, but overall, very happy with Sage,” the coach said.
With five games left in the 2024 season, hopefully Revolution II fans will see Kinner and other young prospects get a good chunk of minutes now that Revolution II has been officially eliminated from playoff contention.