COLUMBUS, Ohio (July 4, 2025) – New England Revolution II (4-4-5, 21 pts.) is back on the road this weekend, visiting Columbus Crew 2 (3-7-3; 13 pts.) for a 3:00 p.m. ET kickoff on Saturday afternoon at Historic Crew Stadium. Saturday afternoon’s match between the Eastern Conference rivals is available to watch live on MLSNEXTpro.com, with James Hadnot providing play-by-play.
Saturday’s encounter in Ohio is the second of three meetings this season between New England and Columbus. Revolution II battled Columbus to a back-and-forth 2-2 draw in the first matchup between the two conference foes in a midweek match on April 23 at Gillette Stadium. Forward Liam Butts and midfielder Cristiano Oliveira tallied one goal apiece for Revolution II, before New England added an additional point via a 4-1 penalty shootout win.
Earlier this week, Oliveira and Revolution Academy product Josh Macedo were selected to represent New England in the 2025 MLS NEXT All-Star Game presented by Allstate. Oliveira and Macedo will suit up in the fourth annual match on Monday, July 21 at Parmer Field in Austin, Texas. Oliveira, a 17-year-old from Somerville, Mass., has appeared in 11 matches this season, including nine games started. Macedo, a 16-year-old, has netted one goal this season over his two games started.
New England battled Philadelphia Union II to a 2-2 draw in its most recent match last Thursday. The draw was highlighted by Revolution II forward Marcos Dias, who generated the attack with his second goal-and-assist performance of the 2025 season. Dias (14) enters this weekend one assist shy of matching Revolution II’s all-time record, and one goal contribution shy of his 10th of the season. The Brazilian playmaker’s five assists are tied for fifth-most in MLS NEXT Pro.
Dias’ goal in last week’s match was assisted by Cranston, R.I. native Gevork Diarbian, who now owns three assists on the season and continues to pace New England’s attack with a team-best 30 shot attempts. Diarbian has appeared in all but one match this season and ranks fifth on the team in minutes played (924). Revolution Academy product Javaun Mussenden netted his first professional goal in last week’s game, logging a 63-minute outing in his ninth performance of the season.
In net, New England’s JD Gunn returned to the team earlier this week after suiting up for his native Panama on international duty in the Concacaf Gold Cup. Gunn has suited up for five matches in MLS NEXT Pro this season, collecting an 2-1-2 record with two clean sheets. Hesron Barry and Gabe Dahlin have helped anchor New England’s defense with 12 appearances each, guiding a Revolution II backline that has conceded 17 goals this season, fifth-fewest leaguewide.
New England also ranks among league leaders with 1.62 points per game, 10th-best in MLS NEXT Pro. Revolution II has collected points in each of its last three away matches, tallying a 1-0-2 record dating back to its 1-0 win at New York City FC on May 31. On the opposite sideline, Crew 2 are coached by Argentine MLS legend Federico Higuaín, a former Columbus Crew player. Last weekend, Higuaín’s club registered a 1-0 shutout win over Carolina Core FC.
