FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New England Revolution II (7-7-3, 24 pts.), unbeaten over its last four games dating back to July 23, will look to continue its run of form on Wednesday, Sept. 1 when they host FC Tucson (6-8-4, 22 pts.) at Gillette Stadium for a 7:00 p.m. ET kickoff on ESPN+.
Revolution II has been idle since August 21 when the team played to a 1-1 draw at South Georgia Tormenta FC. Forward Edward Kizza scored for a third consecutive match, netting his fourth goal of the season to put New England in front. With a goal on Wednesday, Kizza would tie a USL League One record with tallies in four straight games.
New England goalkeeper Joe Rice recorded a season-high six saves in the draw at South Georgia, while midfielder Esmir Bajraktarevic became the 29th different player – and 14th Revolution Academy product – to make his professional debut with Revolution II since the team began play in 2020. Bajraktarevic played 31 minutes as a substitute at Tormenta FC.
New England remains entrenched in a tight battle for playoff positioning, with three points separating third through eleventh place in the USL League One standings. After a bye week, New England sits in seventh place with 24 points, one point below the playoff line with games in hand over every team in the league besides Union Omaha.
Revolution II will be without defender François Dulysse, who has received a call up to the Haiti Men’s National Team for a pair of international friendlies against Bahrain (Sept. 1) and Jordan (Sept. 4), with both matches set to be played in Manama, Bahrain. Dulysse, 22, earns his second senior national team call-up after representing Haiti at the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup. The defender made his international debut in a group stage match against Canada, starting and playing 78 minutes.
FC Tucson was the last team to defeat New England, earning a 4-2 victory at home on July 17. Damian Rivera and Ryan Sierakowski scored for Revolution II in the match. Wednesday’s contest will mark the first time FC Tucson has visited Foxborough. Tucson enters the midweek tilt on the back of a 2-1 victory over Greenville Triumph SC at home on Saturday night. Shak Adams scored a brace against the defending champion, giving Tucson its second straight win.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Here are a few top storylines to watch on Wednesday:
- Revolution II extending their unbeaten streak to a season-best five games dating back to July 23. New England is 2-0-2 in that span, outscoring opponents 7-3.
- Forward Edward Kizza tallying a goal for a fourth straight match to tie a USL League One record. The first-round 2021 MLS SuperDraft pick has scored four times in his last three games.
- Midfielder Noel Buck playing four minutes to reach the 1,000-minute mark for the first time as a professional. The 16-year-old Revs Academy product is tied for the team lead in goals (4).
- Forward Meny Silva setting a new career high with his seventh appearance of the season. The 18-year-old Academy graduate has appeared in two straight matches, recording one assist.
- Defender Colby Quiñones potentially making an appearance for the 25th time in his Revolution II career. Quiñones, who hails from Bedford, N.H., has played in 10 games, starting six times, during the 2021 season.
- Revolution Academy midfielder Esmir Bajraktarevic making a second consecutive appearance after making his professional debut in Revolution II’s latest match at Tormenta FC.
Match #18: Revolution II vs. FC Tucson
Date: Wednesday, September 1, 2021
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. ET
Location: Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, Mass.)
Social: @NERevolution2, #NERevsII, #NEvTUC
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Streaming: ESPN+ (National) / YouTube (International)
Talent: Mark Schoenster (play-by-play)
