FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (March 8, 2025) – New England Revolution II will open the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro season on Sunday afternoon, hosting Philadelphia Union II at Gillette Stadium. The match kicks off at 3:00 p.m. ET, with Joe Malfa calling the action on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Revolution II returns for their sixth season, the club’s fourth campaign in MLS NEXT Pro, following a seven-week preseason. New England’s preseason was highlighted by a two-week camp in Bradenton, Florida. Revolution II enters the new season with four notable new additions, headlined by center backs Keegan Hughes, who signed a first-team contract with the club on Tuesday, and Sweden international Gabe Dahlin. On the offensive side, New England strengthened the attack with midfielder Joe Buck, an Arlington, Mass. native, and brother of Revolution II graduate Noel Buck.
In the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro campaign, 10 Revolution Academy products made their professional debuts with Revolution II, elevating the total to 39 current or former academy players to launch their pro careers with the club’s second team. In January, 17-year-old defender Damario McIntosh signed a first-team contract as a Homegrown Player, becoming the 14th Revolution Academy graduate to ink a first-team contract, and the ninth player to ascend from Revolution II to the first team. Fellow Academy products Olger Escobar, Eric Klein, and Cristiano Oliveira are set to return for the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro season.
Among the club’s 11 returning players from last year, the leading goal scorer in Revolution II history, Marcos Dias, returns to the team. The 23-year-old Brazilian forward owns the team record in goals scored (24) and ranks second all-time in assists (9). Last year, Dias carried Revolution II’s attack with a team-leading nine goals and five assists. Alongside Dias, returning Filipino forward Alex Monis also contributed to New England’s offensive efforts last year, registering eight goals and four assists across 24 appearances.
Philadelphia and New England are set to meet for the 10th time in regular season play, with Union II holding a 5-4-0 edge in the all-time series. Sunday’s opener will be the first of three encounters between the Eastern Conference rivals in the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro campaign. Revolution II’s last victory over Philadelphia came in October 2023, a 3-2 win in the quarterfinal round of the MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs.
