Despite the result, Sunday was a remarkable day for defender Jared Smith and midfielder Shuma Sasaki as the duo made their Revolution II debuts after signing with the club during their extended layoff.
Smith went a full 90 minutes after getting the start, while Shuma Sasaki came on before the start of the second half. Smith signed his first professional contract with Revolution II on March 25, following his time at the collegiate level with Quinnipiac and Seton Hall.
While new to the squad, Smith is already acclimated with the group, adding that he loves showing up to the building and being around the guys more and more each day.
“Since the first day, they’ve been treating me like I was already on the team, so it made it very easy for me to integrate with the squad," Smith told The Blazing Musket. "Every day is enjoyable coming in to work, seeing my friends, my teammates, and I like it more every day.”
On the other hand, Sasaki noted it was a bit difficult as he signed on April 1st and had a short time to acclimate. Despite the difficulties, Sasaki was tremendously grateful to his coaches and teammates for helping him get up to speed ahead of Sunday’s contest.
Sasaki's arrival in New England sees him reunite with former Michigan head coach and current first-team assistant Sean Hughes. While the pair don’t see each other often, Sasaki said it’s always good to run into Hughes and adds it’s nice to have a familiar face in the building.
“It’s really nice to see him sometimes," he said. "I don’t see him often. He’s such a nice guy. He’s someone who recruited me to Michigan, so it’s nice to have a familiar face around the building.”
Sasaki and Smith return to action on Saturday when they travel to Columbus to take on two-time MLS NEXT Pro Cup finalists Crew 2 at 3:00 PM ET.
