Pablo Moreira and his New England Revolution II side return to action when they welcomed Columbus Crew 2 to Beirne Stadium in a back-and-forth contest that ended in a 2-2 draw. Despite coming back twice in regulation, Revs II came up short in the shootout as they walked away with a single point following a 4-3 shootout loss.
Following the match, Moreira was sentimental after going head-to-head with the Crew, an organization he supported growing up and eventually got his first coaching opportunity.
“I have great memories with that club," he said. "That's, my boyhood club. where I grew up in Ohio, and winning a championship there, and winning Campeones Cup there.”
While pleased with the result, things got a little somber when we asked Moreira about the impact of Jared Smith’s absence, as a lateral meniscus tear forced the defender to undergo surgery and is set to miss six to eight weeks of action.
Moreira said Smith’s absence will be tough. While Moreira and Revs II are sad to see him go down, they know the standout defender will be back as quickly as possible, and hopefully come before the end of the regular season.
Smith was just one of several absences for this Revolution II side, who are dealing with injuries and the first team preparing to return to MLS action following the World Cup.
While the combination would be a nuisance for many, it’s something Pablo Moreira has embraced, and he credits his team’s “next man up” mentality as a strength during this difficult time.
“We don't want to make excuses," Moreira said. "Columbus is in the same boat. So, for us, it was just about, again, seeing guys like Logan come out, Baptiste, who got the goal, come out, Aarin make the start today, and playing guys in different positions. Javaun (Mussenden) playing right back. It was just great to see that after a week and a half of training, they were comfortable, and they looked very good.”
With Wednesday’s result in the rear-view mirror, Moreira and Revs II turn their attention to Thursday when they take the field at Gillette Stadium for the first and only time in 2026.
After applauding Beirne Stadium, Moreira emphasized how Gillette is the organization’s home and expressed his excitement for his players who will experience the matchday environment inside Gillette for the first time.
“That’s a different type of environment for the guys," Moreira said. "It’s a much different team than last year, so we have a lot of new faces who get to experience that for the first time. We’re super excited.”
Moreira and Revs II welcome New York City FC II to Gillette on July 23rd at 11:00 AM.
