COLUMBUS, Ohio (April 17, 2026) – New England Revolution II (2-1-2; 10 pts.) hit the road for the first time this season, traveling to Columbus Crew 2 (3-2-1; 11 pts.) on Saturday, April 18. Kickoff is set for 3:00 p.m. ET at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field. Saturday's match will stream live on MLSNEXTPro.com and OneFootball platform, with Parker Johnson on the call.
New England collected 10 of a possible 15 points during its season-opening five-game homestand, tied for eighth most points in the league heading into this weekend. Revolution II's average of two points per game ranks tied for seventh in MLS NEXT Pro, while their four goals conceded this season are tied for the second fewest across the league. Revolution II closed their homestand suffering a 2-1 loss to New York Red Bulls II on Sunday.
Midfielder Carlos Zambrano netted his first professional goal during Sunday's match, curling home a set-piece strike for New England’s lone tally. The 21-year-old came off the bench for the third straight match, logging 45 minutes and recording a team-best three shots on target. Also among the attacking unit, forward/winger Myles Moran matched a career-high three shots in his 45-minute shift, while Academy forward Makai Wells earned his third consecutive start and led the team with two key passes in his first full 90-minute performance.
Along with Wells, three other Academy players tallied minutes for Revolution II against New York. Midfielder Logan Azar, 15, made his professional debut, logging 45 minutes, while defender Josh Macedo, a 2025 MLS NEXT All-Star, tallied his season debut, playing at right back in a 45-minute shift. Defender Sheridan McNish earned his first MLS NEXT Pro start in the defensive line, logging 90 minutes in his second appearance of the year.
Defender Jared Smith and forward/winger Shuma Sasaki also made their club and MLS NEXT Pro debuts on Sunday night. Smith, a Longmeadow, Mass. native, earned the start and played a full 90 minutes in the defensive unit, while Sasaki completed 100 percent of his passes in the 45 minutes he played as a second-half substitute.
On Tuesday, seven Revolution II players were featured in the senior team’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 victory, as New England advanced to the Round of 16 for the 13th time in club history following a penalty shootout win over Rhode Island FC. Homegrown defender Damario McIntosh, who has featured in the Starting XI four times for Revolution II this season, earned a start in his season debut with the senior team and recorded an assist. Fellow Homegrown Player Cristiano Oliveira also saw his first senior team minutes of the year. The Somerville, Mass. native owns a team-best three assists this season for Revolution II.
Goalkeeper Donovan Parisian made his first team debut against Rhode Island FC, stopping two shots in regulation before delivering heroics with three saves in the shootout to seal the win. The 2025 first-round MLS SuperDraft pick has started two contests for Revolution II this year, collecting seven saves, and owns one of New England's two shutouts. Goalkeeper J.D. Gunn made his third start of the season against Red Bulls II, the 30th of his career, and posted a season-high six saves.
Columbus Crew 2 enters Saturday’s matchup unbeaten in four of its last five contests, including a 3-1 win over CT United FC in their most recent match on April 11. The Crew’s attack has been productive, with Brent Adu-Gyamfi tied for the league lead with four assists, while Chase Adams and Kevin Gbamblé rank tied for third in MLS NEXT Pro with 10 shots on target each. In goal, Luke Pruter matches the MLS NEXT Pro lead with three clean sheets and has recorded 12 saves in five appearances.
