FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New England Revolution II (11-11-4, 37 pts.) will continue its push to qualify for the USL League One playoffs on Saturday night when the squad hits the road for a matchup at North Texas SC (9-8-9, 36 pts.). The match kicks off at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Revolution II sits in fifth place in the USL League One standings following last week’s results. In a tight race for the postseason, which will feature the league’s top-six teams, just six points separate third through eighth place in the table. New England will play its two remaining contests on the road, with back-to-back games at playoff contenders: Saturday at seventh-place North Texas SC (8:30 p.m.) and next Friday, Oct. 29 at eighth-place Toronto FC II (4:00 p.m.).
New England is coming off a 1-0 loss at Greenville Triumph SC last Saturday night. Goalkeeper Joe Rice starred for the visitors, making a career-high nine saves to earn a selection to the USL League One Team of the Week, as well as a nomination for USL League One Save of the Week. New England was reduced to 10 men late in the match when defender Collin Verfurth was sent off for his second yellow card, forcing him out of this Saturday’s contest.
In three all-time meetings with North Texas SC, New England is 1-0-2 and has outscored the FC Dallas affiliate 7-4 in those meetings. In their lone match of the 2021 campaign on June 26, New England broke out for three goals in an eight-minute span to subdue the visitors, 3-0. Revolution II did not allow a shot on target in that match, which saw Justin Rennicks, Damian Rivera, and Ryan Spaulding all tally their first goals of the season.
North Texas SC is coming off a 1-0 win over Fort Lauderdale FC last Sunday night. Gibran Rayo tallied the lone goal of the game in the 55th minute as North Texas eliminated the Herons from playoff contention and vaulted within one point of the playoff line. Over its last three games at Choctaw Stadium, North Texas is 0-1-2. Since their loss to Revolution II at Gillette Stadium in June, North Texas has gone 6-4-7 and have outscored opponents 24-16.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Here are a few top storylines to watch on Saturday:
- Midfielder Noel Buck adding to his five goals, second most on the team, as he prepares to make his 27th appearance of the season. The 16-year-old, along with defender Ryan Spaulding, is one of two players to have appeared in every match this season.
- Forward Justin Rennicks scoring his fifth goal of the season to set a new career high. Rennicks is 27 minutes shy of 2,000 for the season.
- Defender Colby Quiñones potentially playing 13 minutes to reach 1,000 for the second consecutive season. The Revolution Academy graduate has appeared in 33 matches for Revs II since the team began play in 2020.
- Forward Damian Rivera playing 79 minutes to reach 2,000 in a season for the first time as a professional. Rivera has eight career goals in 37 appearances for Revolution II, most in team history.
- Academy midfielder Esmir Bajraktarevic potentially making his 10th appearance for Revolution II since joining the club in August. The 16-year-old has one goal this season in USL League One.
- Defender Sean O’Hearn starting for the 20th time this season. The first-year player has featured at center back and right back this season and has one assist.
Match #27: Revolution II vs. North Texas SC
Date: Saturday, October 23, 2021
Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. ET
Location: Choctaw Stadium (Arlington, Tex.)
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Streaming: ESPN+ (National) / YouTube (International)
Talent: Austin David (play-by-play)
Social: @NERevolution2, #NERevsII, #NTXvNE
