Pablo Moreira and New England Revolution II hit the midway point in their five-game home stand to open the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro season when they return to action on Sunday afternoon. Catch up on everything you need to know ahead of Sunday’s matinee.
Opponent: FC Cincinnati 2
Date: Sunday, March 15th
Time: 1:00 PM ET
Venue: Beirne Stadium, Smithfield, Rhode Island
Broadcast: OneFootball TV & MLS YouTube Channel
Weather: Expect a brisk and cloudy afternoon in Smithfield as temps will hover in the low 40s throughout the afternoon. Despite clouds hovering all afternoon, Sunday should be a dry one on the campus of Bryant University.
New England Revolution II:
The Moreira era has gotten off to a decent start for Revolution II as the club enters Sunday’s contest in fifth place with four points after securing draws and shootout victories in their opening two contests of the new season.
Last Sunday, JD Gunn made two saves in regulation to help Revolution II secure its first clean sheet of the season after the game ended in a 0-0 draw. Two more saves from Gunn, plus conversions from Judah Siqueira, Allan Oyirwoth, Jake Shannon, Damario McIntosh, Cristiano Oliveira, Myles Morgan, and Makai Wells, led to Revolution II securing a 7-6 shootout victory and two points!
Academy midfielder Judah Siqueira will look to put on another strong performance after making his first start of the 2026 season against Toronto, where he ended the night with two key passes, completed 36 of 44 passing attempts, completed two of three long balls attempted, and had four defensive contributions.
Revolution II will look to put shots on target in this one. Through the opening two matches, the club has put just 13 of its league-leading 40 shot attempts on target, and has managed only one goal in the opening 180 minutes of action.
Sunday could pose an issue for Pablo Moreira in terms of roster selection as the first team takes on FC Cincinnati’s first team at Gillette Stadium at 2:30. Thus far, 2026 has seen first-teamers JD Gunn, Eric Klein, Cristiano Oliveira, and Donovan Parisian appear for Revolution II.
FC Cincinnati 2:
2026 has gotten off to a horrific start for first-year Head Coach Sammy Castellanos and FCC 2 as they enter Sunday’s contest dead last in the East after suffering defeats in their opening two contests. Opening day saw Cincy suffer a 3-1 defeat at home to MLS NEXT Pro newcomers CT United FC, while last weekend saw a 1-0 loss to Philadelphia Union II.
Like New England, Cincinnati has also struggled putting its shots on target while also having issues generating offensive chances. Through 180 minutes, they’ve attempted just nine shots total while putting just two shots on target. Both stat lines are the fewest in MLS NEXT Pro this season.
Sunday’s double header between the first and second teams could be a benefit for Revs II as it puts the status of Stefan Chirila and Kenji Mboma Dem in jeopardy. The duo signed first-team contracts with Cincinnati in the offseason after leading FCC2 in goals with nine and seven, respectively, last season. The pair also led FCC 2 in assists with five each in 2025. Chirila also has FCC 2’s lone goal of the season thus far.
Former Chicago Fire II goalkeeper Bryan Dowd’s start in Cincinnati hasn’t gotten off to a good start, as his four goals conceded tie for the fifth-most thus far.
Despite their rough start, there are still some exciting names on this FCC2 roster that New England has to keep an eye on. Forward Delver Mosquera, the younger brother of former Cincy first-teamer and current Wolves defender Yerson Mosquera, joined the club in the offseason.
Former Vermont Green defender and midfielder Ayoub Lajhar signed with FC Cincinnati 2 in the offseason after being selected with the 55th overall pick in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft.
Previous Meetings:
Sunday will mark the 11th meeting between Cincinnati and New England. FC Cincinnati 2 holds the historical advantage with a 5-3-2 record over Revs II.
After New England picked up back-to-back wins and split points in their first three meetings, it’s been all Cincinnati since, as Revs II has managed just four of a possible 21 points with a 1-5-1 record in the last seven meetings.
Defense has been strong in this series as both sides have managed to secure shutouts in five of 10 all-time meetings, with each side securing two, and one match ending in a scoreless draw.
