FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New England Revolution II (5-6-1, 16 pts.) will look to stay above the playoff line as the team hits the road for its farthest trip of the season on Saturday night at FC Tucson (3-4-4, 13 pts.). Kickoff at Kino North Stadium is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Revolution II is one of just three teams to have won at least three of its last five matches in League One play, along with Toronto FC II and Union Omaha. New England defeated the former its last time out at Gillette Stadium on July 9, 1-0, thanks to a game-winning goal by Damian Rivera. Midfielder Noel Buck, 16, picked up his first professional assist on Rivera’s strike, which he added to his team-high three goals. Goalkeeper Joe Rice made four saves to preserve his third shutout of the year, including an 84th-minute penalty kick and a save off a breakaway earlier in the match.
Defender Ryan Spaulding, who surpassed 2,000 minutes played for the club last weekend, picked up his team-leading third selection to the USL League One Team of the Week. Spaulding, who leads Revolution II in all-time appearances and starts, won a game-high six duels, recorded three clearances, and passed at a 90 percent accuracy rate to help New England preserve its fifth clean sheet of 2021.
FC Tucson is unbeaten so far in July, sitting three points behind New England in the logjammed USL League One standings. Last Saturday, FC Tucson salvaged a 2-2 draw on the road at Chattanooga Red Wolves SC by scoring twice after the 86th minute. In last year’s lone meeting between New England and Tucson in Arizona, the hosts went ahead in the eighth minute and held on for a 1-0 victory.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Here are a few top storylines to watch for during Saturday’s contest:
- Homegrown Player and forward Damian Rivera (Cranston, R.I.) playing 67 minutes to surpass 1,000 minutes for the 2021 season. The Revolution Academy product has scored two goals this season, including a game winner in the team’s last outing on July 9.
- 16-year-old midfielder Noel Buck (Arlington, Mass.), a Revolution Academy alum, continuing to appear in every match for Revolution II this season. Buck leads the team in scoring with three goals and tallied his first professional assist in last week’s victory.
- Goalkeeper Joe Rice recording a victory and a shutout to set career highs in both categories. Rice has a 6-6-3 record with New England and six clean sheets. Revs II has also gone 2-1-0 when Rice starts on the road this season.
- Midfielder Jake Rozhansky recording his team-leading fourth assist of the season. The captain leads Revolution II with three assists this season and has completed over 90 percent of his passes in each of the last eight matches.
- Defender Pierre Cayet continuing to play in 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.
- Defender Ryan Spaulding playing 83 minutes to surpass 1,000 minutes for the second straight season. The second year left back has put in six consecutive 90-minute performances.
Match #13: Revolution II vs. FC Tucson
Date: Sunday, July 17, 2021
Kickoff: 10:00 p.m. ET
Location: Kino North Stadium (Tucson, Az.)
Social: @NERevolution2, #NERevsII, #TUCvNE
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Streaming: ESPN+ (National) / YouTube (International)
Talent: Ken Lavicka (play-by-play)
