FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New England Revolution II will make its first trip to Inter Miami CF Stadium on Saturday evening to face Fort Lauderdale CF in the opening match of the 2021 USL League One regular season. The contest kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET and is available nationally on ESPN+.
Revolution II enters its second season under Head Coach Clint Peay after going 5-8-3 during the team’s inaugural 2020 campaign. The club’s first season saw 19 different players make their professional debuts, including 12 current and former members of the Revolution Academy. Three regular starters from last year’s squad have since earned their spots on Bruce Arena’s MLS roster: defenders Collin Verfurth and Jon Bell, and midfielder Maciel. New England embarked on a five-game unbeaten run late in the season, thanks in part to Justin Rennicks’ team-high four goals, including a 4-1 win over Fort Lauderdale CF at Gillette Stadium in October.
Revolution II’s lineup will once again feature a combination of first-team players, USL League One signees, and current Revolution Academy players. New England made several offseason moves to bolster the roster ahead of the 2021 season, signing eight players including Academy graduate Colby Quiñones. New England also added goalkeeper Marzuq Puckerin, defenders François Dulysse, Prosper Figbe, and Sean O’Hearn, Brazilian midfielder Michel Costa da Silva, and most recently, midfielder Jake Rozhansky and forward Ryan Sierakowski.
Fort Lauderdale CF finished their inaugural 2020 season at 4-9-3, but enter 2021 under new head coach Darren Powell, who spent five seasons at the helm of San Antonio FC prior to joining the Inter Miami CF technical staff last year. Powell will have a young and talented group at his disposal, including 16-year-old Academy products Edison Azcona and Felipe Valencia.
As participants in the first match of the USL League One season, Revolution II and Fort Lauderdale CF will become the first two professional men’s teams in the United States to kick off their league campaigns in 2021. Following Saturday’s match, Revs II will open the home slate on Saturday, April 17 at Gillette Stadium against the Richmond Kickers.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR against Fort Lauderdale CF:
- Revolution II earning points from its season-opening match for the second consecutive year after recording a draw vs. Union Omaha in their inaugural match of the 2020 campaign.
- New England making its first ever trip to the new Inter Miami CF Stadium.
- Revolution II newcomers François Dulysse, Prosper Figbe, Marzuq Puckerin, Jake Rozhansky, and Ryan Sierakowski all potentially making their debuts with the club.
- Dulysse, Puckerin, and Revs Academy graduate Dennis Ramirez all potentially making their professional debuts on Saturday.
- First team players Damian Rivera, Justin Rennicks, and Collin Verfurth all potentially seeing action with Revolution II.
- Colby Quiñones and Dennis Ramirez possibly making their first appearance since signing for Revolution II directly from the Revolution Academy.
Match #1: Revolution II at Fort Lauderdale CF
Date: Saturday, April 10, 2021
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Inter Miami CF Stadium (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Social: @NERevolution2, #NERevsII, #FTLvNE, #WeAreOne
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Streaming:ESPN+ (National) / YouTube (International)
Talent: Josh Eastern (play-by-play)
