FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – After finishing fifth in the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference standings, New England Revolution II punched their ticket to the playoffs for just the third time in club history. Revolution II’s postseason hopes came down to Decision Day, when they delivered a commanding 3-1 victory over Toronto FC II to earn their place in the postseason.
It was a tight race in the East to close out the regular season as New England finished level on 48 points with both Atlanta United 2 and Columbus Crew 2, with wins and goal differential ultimately separating the three sides in the standings. Revs II closed the campaign with a 12-8-8 record, scoring 47 goals while conceding 42.
After getting knocked out in their first game of the MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs last season, New England laid the foundation early this year, collecting 10 points in their first four matches. They later built upon that momentum with a seven-game unbeaten streak from May through June, posting a 5-0-2 mark during the stretch. Much of that success stemmed from strong defensive performances, which helped Revs II finish with the fourth-best defensive record in the Eastern Conference.
For first-year head coach Pablo Moreira, the team's postseason berth is the result of consistency and hard work.
“Our guys have focused on the main thing, and the main thing for us, each and every day, is being the best version of ourselves. It’s about putting a good performance out in training, trying to echo the sentiments of how we want the game to be played, and they’ve been able to execute that, which has now put us in the position to play meaningful games at a meaningful time in the season,” he said. “I’m super, super happy for that.”
Now, as Revolution II prepare to face Columbus Crew 2 at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field on October 17, Moreira believes the season has provided both him and his squad with loads of confidence. That confidence was not only forged through victories, but also through the group's ability to overcome adversity.
“We have a relentless work ethic. I think we’ve had something like seven injuries, and it’s always been the next man up. Every person has stepped up and done their job,” explained defender Gabe Dahlin. “We have a killer mentality. We’re sharp in practice and just making sure we do the work outside of practice, too.”
New England and Columbus have already met three times this season, with Revs II earning points in two of the three matchups, both draws. Crew 2 finished fourth in the East and claimed the Northeast Division title, but has since had a coaching change.
The matchup also carries significance for Moreira as he spent four years as an assistant coach with Columbus' first team, helping the club win MLS Cup in 2020.
“I’m expecting a lot of what we’ve already seen against them. It’s been three very good football matches. We play a similar style, similar system. I know they’ve had a coaching change, so I don’t know if they will change a bit in regard to that, but we will be prepared for anything,” explained Moreira. “It is special. It feels already written in terms of what is supposed to happen in my mind, but it’s a beautiful thing to go there. It was early in my coaching career, so to get a flashback of that stadium, those memories of winning championships there, it’s definitely a feel-good story and hopefully we close it out with a win.”
New England will face Columbus Crew 2 at 3:00 p.m. ET next Saturday in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. The match is single-elimination, but if Revolution II are victorious, they will move on to the Conference Semifinals which will again follow MLS NEXT Pro’s Pick-Your-Opponent format, where the highest remaining seed in each conference will select and host an opponent from the two lowest-seeded teams. The Conference Semifinals are scheduled for October 23-25.
“It means a lot to be here. We came up short last year, so most of the guys know the feeling of losing in playoffs is not nice, and it would be great to make it far,” said Dahlin. “We know what we’re up against and we know what we need to do.”
