For a second consecutive season, New England Revolution II will look to hoist its first MLS NEXT Pro Cup title. Catch up on everything you need to know before the club embarks on its third playoff run!
Opponent: Columbus Crew 2
Date: Saturday, October 17th
Time: 3:00 PM ET
Venue: ScottsMiracleGro Field, Columbus, Ohio
Broadcast: OneFootball TV & MLS YouTube Channel
Weather: Friday will be mild in Columbus, with temps hovering in the mid-50s throughout the afternoon.
New England Revolution II:
Pablo Moreira’s first year at the helm of Revolution II was a solid one as the club finished the 2026 regular season in fifth place with 48 points on a 12-8-8 record and four shootout victories.
Newcomer Myles Morgan was crucial to New England’s success. The former TFC II and Whitecaps 2 forward netted a club-record 14 goals and one assist in 26 appearances.
Academy prospect Matthew Jean Baptiste made tremendous strides in his first season at the professional level, netting five goals and two assists in 13 appearances.
Homegrown midfielder Cristiano Oliveira was a great facilitator, ending the season with a team-high six assists in 19 appearances.
As a collective, it’s clear why Revs II embark on their third playoff berth. The club ended the 2026 season ranking 10th in average possession (52%), seventh in accurate long balls per match (28.4), third in touches in the opposing box (792), fifth in corners (158), seventh in interceptions per match (10.1), eighth in tackles per match (18.1), first in accurate crosses per match (5.9).
Revs II also tied for ninth in clean sheets (7), sixth in shots on target per match (5.5), ninth in big chances created (72), and fourth in fewest set-piece goals conceded (7).
Columbus Crew 2:
While finishing in fourth with 48 points on a 12-9-7 record and five shootout wins, recent events have thrown Crew 2 into a tailspin.
Sexist comments directed at a female referee led to a two-game suspension for Federico HiguaĂn in the summer. After serving the suspension and undergoing “restorative practice training”, the issue reared its head again on September 20th when the Pro Soccer Referees Association released a statement condemning MLS NEXT Pro for failing to properly handle the situation.
While the statement did not specifically name HiguaĂn, sources eventually confirmed the Crew 2 coach as the perpetrator, with Caleb Pongratz being the first to report.
As a result, Columbus decided it would be best to part ways with HiguaĂn on September 22, with the remaining technical staff taking over for the rest of the season.
Columbus ended the regular season ranked fifth in big chances (92), fifth in accurate passes per match (409.6), sixth in accurate long balls per match (29.4), 11th in interceptions per match (9.5), fourth in clearances per match (22.4), ninth in saves per match (3.5), and tied for 10th in shots on target per match (5.3).
Forward Kevin Gbamblé was key to Columbus’ success, ending the year with a team-leading 12 goals and 11 assists in 27 appearances.
Forward Chase Adams was another producer in Crew 2’s offense, finishing with 10 goals and three assists in 20 appearances.
Brent Adu-Gyamfi was a facilitator for Columbus in 2026, tallying five assists in 25 appearances.
Previous Meetings:
Saturday’s playoff opener marks the 15th all-time meeting between New England and Columbus. Crew 2 holds the historic advantage with an 8-2-4 record and one shootout win.
Columbus swept the season series in 2022 following a 4-0 and 4-0 victory.
2023 saw both sides split the season series after Crew 2 secured a 3-0 victory and New England secured a 2-0 win.
The most monumental meeting between the two sides came on October 14th, 2023, during the Eastern Conference Final. Just as it looked as if we were heading to a scoreless draw and extra time, Gibran Rayo netted the game winner in the first minute of second-half stoppage time.
Columbus swept the season series yet again in 2024 following 3-1, 2-1, and 3-1 victories.
New England started to turn the momentum in 2025 after winning the season series with a 2-1 win and two draws and shootout wins.
2026 has been split between the two sides. Crew 2 secured two points on July 15th following a 2-2 draw and a 4-3 shootout victory. Revolution II picked up two points on September 11th following a 1-1 draw and a 5-3 shootout victory.
