FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (October 3, 2023) – New England Revolution II (No. 2) will host New York Red Bulls II (No. 4) in the Eastern Conference Semifinal Round of the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs on Friday, October 6. The match kicks off at 7:00 p.m. from Gillette Stadium and streams live on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Tickets for Friday night’s contest are on sale now.
Revolution II advanced to Friday’s conference semifinal after defeating No. 7 Philadelphia Union II, 3-2, on Sunday night in the club’s first postseason match. Forward Marcos Dias scored the opening goal of the game in the 26th minute from the penalty spot before Homegrown midfielder Esmir Bajraktarević netted two spectacular goals to lead New England to victory. While Bajraktarević, a Revolution Academy graduate, delivered the winning goal on the offensive end, goalkeeper Jacob Jackson stood tall in the back with a three-save outing. Forward Jordan Adebayo-Smith, who led the team with 12 goals during the regular season, recorded one assist.
New England is set to host Red Bulls II after No. 1 Crown Legacy FC selected No. 3 Columbus Crew 2 as part of MLS NEXT Pro’s “pick-your-opponent” playoff format. Revolution II continues to capitalize on homefield advantage, tallying results in 14 of 15 games played at Gillette Stadium this season with a 9-1-5 home record, including Sunday’s win. New England has been formidable in any venue, posting a 7-1-6 mark in its last 14 matches including the playoff opener.
In addition to the 18-year-old Bajraktarevic, the club’s second team features several Revolution Academy standouts and local products who are excelling in the Revolution’s Pro Player Pathway. Malden’s Olger Escobar, this season’s MLS NEXT U-17 Most Valuable Player, has made 14 appearances with Revolution II this season. Cambridge native Jack Panayotou, now in his first season on the MLS roster, owns five goals in 12 overall starts during the current campaign, while Groton’s Malcolm Fry has added four goals and two helpers in 28 appearances. Peyton Miller, the youngest MLS signing in Revolution history at 15, has tallied three goals and three assists in 23 professional appearances, 20 of which have been starts.
General admission tickets for Friday’s match are on sale now for $10. For the 2023 season, Season Members received three (3) complimentary Revs II “flex tickets” for each season seat on their account. To allocate these Revolution II flex tickets to specific home playoff games at Gillette Stadium, Season Members can log into Account Manager. Season Members can also purchase additional discounted Revs II home playoff individual game tickets for $7 each at the Season Member rate via Account Manager and clicking the “Buy Revs II Tickets” button in the header.
ABOUT MLS NEXT PRO
Launched in 2022 by Major League Soccer, MLS NEXT Pro is a professional men’s soccer league in the United States and Canada that completes the pro player pathway. MLS NEXT Pro continues to grow the game through innovation and diversity, bringing professional soccer to new communities and creating global opportunities both on and off the field. MLS NEXT Pro enters its second season in 2023 with 27 teams, all affiliated with MLS clubs. Seven are new to MLS NEXT Pro in 2023: Atlanta United 2, Austin FC II, Crown Legacy FC (Charlotte FC), Huntsville City FC (Nashville SC), LA Galaxy II, Los Angeles Football Club 2 and New York Red Bulls II. Additional MLS-affiliated and independent clubs will join in the years ahead, including Carolina Core FC in 2024 and Cleveland in 2025. The majority of MLS NEXT Pro matches in 2023 will be available to watch live and on-demand on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app as part of the groundbreaking partnership between Apple and MLS. For more information about MLS NEXT Pro, visit mlsnextpro.com.
