FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (September 21, 2024) – New England Revolution II (4-16-6; 22 pts.) played Chattanooga FC (8-9-9; 40 pts.), to a 1-1 draw on Saturday, falling in the ensuing penalty shootout, 5-4. Forward Liam Butts tallied his third goal of the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro campaign in regulation.
Chattanooga opened the scoring in the 18th minute, when Minjae Kwak scored on a shot into the top left corner of the net. New England nearly equalized moments after, as forward Marcos Dias lifted a shot toward the frame, but the shot struck the top of the woodwork.
Revolution II later leveled the match in first-half stoppage time, when Butts found the back of the net on a low shot through the legs of the opposing goalkeeper. Butts, a Penn State product, capitalized on an assist from forward Alex Monis, his fourth helper of the season.
New England and Chattanooga battled to a scoreless second half, with Dias continuing to drive the attack, matching his season-high seven shots. Goalkeeper JD Gunn made four stops between the posts in regulation time and added three more saves in the penalty shootout.
Midfielder Eric Klein, who signed his first professional contract with Revolution II earlier this week, played the full 90 minutes in today’s match. Klein continues to lead the team in minutes played this season. Also in the midfield, Olger Escobar, a Malden, Mass. native, registered four shots and four key passes in his 10th professional start for Revolution II. Escobar was one of four current Revolution Academy products to appear in Saturday’s contest, including Damario McIntosh, Sage Kinner, and Cristiano Oliveira.
Revolution II visit New York Red Bulls II for their final road game next Sunday, September 29. The 5:00 p.m. ET kickoff is available to watch on MLSNEXTPro.com.
MATCH NOTES
- F Liam Butts, a Penn State product, netted his third goal of the season.
- F Alex Monis registered his fourth assist of the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro campaign.
- F Marcos Dias also paced New England’s attack with seven shots on the day, matching his single-game season high in shots.
- D Victor Souza, who donned the captain’s armband, logged 74 minutes in his second consecutive start back from injury.
- GK JD Gunn, made four saves between the posts in regulation time and made three stops in the penalty shootout.
- M Eric Klein logged the full 90 minutes in today’s contest, after inking his first professional contract with Revolution II on Wednesday.
GAME CAPSULE
MLS NEXT Pro Match #26
New England Revolution II 1 (4), Chattanooga FC 1 (5)September 21, 2024 – Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, Mass.)
Referee: Melinda Homa
Assistant Referee: Jessica Carnevale
Assistant Referee: Joseph Knoff
Fourth Official: Stephanie MacFarland
Weather: 58 degrees and rainy
Scoring Summary:
CFC – Minjae Kwak (Milo Garvanian) 18’
NE – Liam Butts 3 (Alex Monis 4) 45’+2
Misconduct Summary:
CFC – Alex McGrath (Yellow Card) 50’
NE – Eric Klein (Yellow Card) 58’
CFC – Jesus Ibarra (Yellow Card) 80’
New England Revolution II: JD Gunn; Malcolm Fry, Tiago Suarez, Victor Souza (Sage Kinner 74’), Damario McIntosh; Eric Klein, Olger Escobar, Cristiano Oliveira (Maciel 78’); Marcos Dias, Alex Monis (Joshua Bolma 78’), Liam Butts (Gevork Diarbian 74’).
Substitutes Not Used: Max Weinstein, Moshtaba Al-Hasnawi, Javaun Mussenden, Patrick Leal, Colby Quinones.
Chattanooga FC: Jean Antoine; Farid Sar-Sar, Anatolie Prepelita, Duvan Viafara; Andres Jimenez Aranzazu, Luis Garcia (Jesus Ibarra 46’), Milo Garvanian, Minjae Kwak (Joseph Perez 85’), Alex McGrath; Taylor Gray, Mehdi Ouamri.
Substitutes Not Used: Jonathan Burke, Jalen James, Callum Watson, Jesse Williams, Jude Arthur.
