FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New England Revolution II (5-7-1, 16 pts.) hits the midpoint of the 2021 USL League One season on Friday night, hosting Toronto FC II (5-5-4, 19 pts.) at Gillette Stadium for the second time this month. Kickoff in Foxborough is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Last Saturday night, Damian Rivera and Ryan Sierakowski provided the scoring for New England as Revolution II fell, 4-2, away at FC Tucson. Rivera – a Revolution Academy product and second-year pro from Cranston, R.I. – scored his third goal in the last four games, while Sierakowski’s goal was his second of the season. On Rivera’s goal, midfielder Jake Rozhansky picked up his team-best fourth assist of the season, jettisoning him to second on the League One charts.
New England will welcome Francois Dulysse back into the squad after he spent a month away with the Haiti Men’s National Team at the Concacaf Gold Cup. Dulysse made his senior national team debut in Haiti’s match against Canada in the Gold Cup group stage, playing 78 minutes at center back. Dulysse, who was selected by New England in the second round of the 2021 MLS SuperDraft, made his professional debut with Revs II on April 10 and has appeared in six matches this season.
On Thursday, Revolution II announced a new addition to the squad with the signing of goalkeeper Yannik Oettl. A native of Munich, Germany, Oettl featured for FC Augsburg II in his youth days before spending the last four seasons at the University of Central Florida. Oettl led the Knights to three straight NCAA Tournament berths and was voted the American Athletic Conference Goalkeeper of the Year in each of the last three seasons.
Toronto FC II returns to Gillette Stadium for the second time in three weeks following a 4-2 dispatching of last-place North Carolina FC last Sunday. Forward Garrett McLaughlin earned League One Player of the Week honors for his performance in Toronto’s victory, scoring three goals. In Toronto’s first meeting of the season with New England on July 9, Revs II picked up a 1-0 victory thanks to a second-half strike by Rivera. In that match, 16-year-old midfielder Noel Buck picking up his first professional assist.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Here are a few top storylines to watch for during Friday’s contest:
- New England maintaining an unbeaten record against MLS developmental teams this season. In four prior matches against fellow MLS affiliates, Revolution II is 4-0-0 and has outscored opponents 6-0.
- Homegrown Player Damian Rivera (Cranston, R.I.) scoring for a third consecutive match. Rivera, who has three goals in his last four appearances, is now tied for the team lead in scoring with fellow Revolution Academy product Noel Buck.
- Forward Edward Kizza making a third consecutive appearance with Revolution II. The 2021 MLS SuperDraft pick has played 223 minutes in USL League One.
- Goalkeeper Joe Rice recording a victory and a shutout to set career highs in both categories. Rice has recorded six clean sheets in 16 starts with New England.
- Defender Pierre Cayet continuing to play every minute for Revs II since making his professional debut on May 16. The center back has scored two goals and recorded 38 clearances this season.
- Forward Justin Rennicks playing 56 minutes to surpass 1,000 minutes in a season. Rennicks has one goal and two assists and has already matched his career high with 17 shots this season.
Match #14: Revolution II vs. Toronto FC II
Date: Friday, July 23, 2021
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. ET
Location: Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, Mass.)
Social: @NERevolution2, #NERevsII, #NEvTOR
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Streaming: ESPN+ (National) / YouTube (International)
Talent: Joe Malfa (play-by-play)
