FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (March 9, 2025) – New England Revolution II (0-0-1; 2 pts.) opened the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro season, dueling Philadelphia Union II (0-0-1; 1 pt.), to a 0-0 draw on Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium. New England secured an additional point with the 4-3 penalty shootout victory. Revolution II goalkeeper JD Gunn posted a five-save performance en route to the clean sheet.
New England nearly opened the scoring just three minutes after the opening whistle, when Brazilian forward Marcos Dias slotted a pass behind Philadelphia's backline to Homegrown midfielder Jack Panayotou. Panayotou, a Cambridge, Mass. native, tapped a shot forward, but Union II goalkeeper Andrew Rick made a stop to keep the game scoreless.
New England deployed two second-half substitutes in the 66th minute, bringing on forward Alex Monis and midfielder Joe Buck, who made his MLS NEXT Pro debut in today’s contest. Buck, an Arlington, Mass. native, joined fellow Revolution II newcomer Keegan Hughes in central defense. Hughes posted a full 90-minute shift in his debut for New England.
Sunday's season opener also featured action from seven Academy graduates, with Panayotou, Gevork Diarbian, Damario McIntosh, Eric Klein, and Cristiano Oliveira earning starts, while Buck and Olger Escobar entered the match as second-half substitutes. Academy Under-18s midfielder Javaun Mussenden logged 15 minutes off the bench in today's match.
New England resumes its three-game homestand on Thursday, March 13 hosting FC Cincinnati 2 at Gillette Stadium. The 5:00 p.m. kickoff is available to watch live on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app with Jake Griffith calling the action.
MATCH NOTES
- GK JD Gunn made five saves between the posts in regulation time and made one stop in the penalty shootout.
- D Keegan Hughes logged the full 90 minutes in his Revolution II debut.
- M Joe Buck, an Arlington, Mass. native and brother of Revolution II graduate Noel Buck, made his first MLS NEXT Pro appearance in today's contest.
- F Marcos Dias paced New England’s attack with two shots on the day.
- Alongside Dias, Liam Butts, Cristiano Oliveira, and Jack Panayotou each registered a shot to contribute to New England's offensive push.
- Current Revolution Academy Under-18s M Javaun Mussenden made his fifth MLS NEXT Pro appearance.
GAME CAPSULE
Revolution II Match #1
New England Revolution II 0 (4) vs. Philadelphia Union II 0 (3)
March 9, 2025 – Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, Mass.)
Referee: Jeremy Scheer
Assistant Referee: Sharon Gingrich
Assistant Referee: Adam Cook
Fourth Official: Stearne Briem
Weather: 45 degrees and mostly sunny
Misconduct Summary:
PHI - Neil Pierre (Yellow Card) 38’
NE - Hesron Barry (Yellow Card) 42'
PHI - Nathan Harriel (Yellow Card) 53'
NE - Damario McIntosh (Yellow Card) 68'
PHI - Nicholas Pariano (Yellow Card) 88'
NE - Keegan Hughes (Yellow Card) 88'
New England Revolution II: JD Gunn; Hesron Barry, Keegan Hughes, Victor Souza (C) (Joe Buck 66'); Gevork Diarbian, Cristiano Oliveira (Javaun Mussenden 75'), Eric Klein, Damario McIntosh; Marcos Dias, Jack Panayotou (Olger Escobar 75'), Liam Butts (Alex Monis 66').
Substitutes Not Used: Max Weinstein, Eli Ackerman, Grant Emerhi, Judah Siqueira, Sage Kinner.
Philadelphia Union II: Andrew Rick; Isaiah LeFlore, Nathan Harriel, Neil Pierre, Gavin Wetzel; Cavan Sullivan (Zachary Mastrodimos 78'), Chris Olney Jr., David Vazquez (Giovanny Sequera 90'+2'), Nicholas Pariano (C); Stas Korzeniowski (Leandro Soria Zarate 69'), Edward Davis (Sal Olivas 69').
Substitutes Not Used: Oscar Benitez, Ramzi Qawasmy, Kellan Leblanc, Michael Sheridan, Jordan Griffin.
