HOOKSETT, N.H. (July 6, 2024) – New England Revolution II (4-10-2; 16 pts.) fell to Philadelphia Union II (10-3-3; 35 pts.), 2-1, on Saturday night at Mark A. Ouellette Stadium on the campus of Southern New Hampshire University. Midfielder Patrick Leal, a native of Newton, Mass., accounted for Revolution II's lone goal in the 49th minute.
Philadelphia opened the match on the offensive, controlling possession early in the contest and putting pressure on New England's backline, resulting in an own goal in favor of the visitors in the 12th minute. Union II wasted no time adding to its lead, with Cavan Sullivan scoring in the 19th minute. Revolution II picked up its rhythm on the attacking end toward the end of the first half and nearly pulled one back before the halftime whistle, but midfielder Gevork Diarbian's shot just seconds before the break was just off the mark.
New England carried the momentum into the second half, trimming Philadelphia's lead in half just five minutes into the period. Diarbian distributed the assist to Leal, who tallied his third goal of the 2024 campaign. Diarbian now owns five assists on the year, tied with Marcos Dias for the team lead. Dias was unavailable for the second team tonight as he makes his debut on the MLS matchday roster for New England's match in Seattle.
Looking to equalize, Revolution II created scoring chances in the ensuing minutes, including two shots from midfielder Joshua Bolma. However, Philadelphia held onto its 2-1 lead through the final whistle.
Defender Giovanni Calderon suited up for his Revolution II debut tonight after joining the team earlier this week. Calderon, a native of New Haven, Conn., featured in the starting lineup in central defense, pairing with Tiago Suarez, and collected a full 90-minute performance. Midfielder Olger Escobar, a Revolution Academy product from Malden, Mass., made his fourth start of the season.
"I thought [Calderon] was solid," Revolution II Head Coach Richie Williams said after the match. "I thought he defended really well, he was good with the ball. I think, for his debut, for the first time and only training with us two or three times, I thought he did really well."
New England has a quick turnaround ahead, with a midweek matinee against Huntsville City FC on Wednesday, July 10. The first encounter between the two sides in the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro campaign kicks off at 11:00 a.m. ET at Gillette Stadium.
"Individually, we have to get better and as a team, we have to get better," Williams added. "We have to get ready for Wednesday. We'll continue to train well and hopefully perform well in games and get results."
MATCH NOTES
- M Patrick Leal netted his third goal of the season, scoring on M Gevork Diarbian's assist in the 49th minute. Diarbian now owns five assists this season, tied with M Marcos Dias for the team lead.
- Diarbian and Leal continue to appear in every game this season for Revolution II.
- D Giovanni Calderon suited up for his Revolution II debut in tonight's match after joining the team earlier this week. Calderon featured in the Starting XI and played the full 90 minutes, completing 86 percent of his pass attempts.
- D Damario McIntosh, who was announced as a 2024 MLS NEXT All-Star earlier this week, made his 15th appearance of the season and his 13th start.
- Diarbian, M Alex Monis, and D/M Joshua Bolma each registered two shots tonight.
- GK JD Gunn made six saves in his 10th start of the season.
GAME CAPSULE
MLS NEXT Pro Match #16
New England Revolution II vs. Philadelphia Union II
July 6, 2024 – Mark A. Ouellette Stadium (Hooksett, N.H.)
Referee: Melinda Homa
Assistant Referee: Colin Ashley
Assistant Referee: Jennifer Dumaine
Fourth official: Kyle Averill
Weather: 81 degrees and clear
Scoring Summary:
NE- Own Goal 12'
PHI- Cavan Sullivan (CJ Olney) 19'
NE- Patrick Leal 3 (Gevork Diarbian 5) 49'
Misconduct Summary:
PHI- Neil Pierre (Yellow Card) 29'
NE- Olger Escobar (Yellow Card) 37'
NE- Alex Monis (Yellow Card) 69'
New England Revolution II: JD Gunn; Damario McIntosh (Alex Parvu 72'), Giovanni Calderon, Tiago Suarez, Moshtaba Al-Hasnawi; Patrick Leal, Eric Klein, Olger Escobar (Joshua Bolma 72'); Alex Monis, Gevork Diarbian (Andrej Bjelajac 87'), Malcolm Fry
Substitutes Not Used: Max Weinstein, Brandonn Bueno, Liam Butts, Sage Kinner, Robert Nichols, Colby Quinones
Philadelphia Union II: Mike Sheridan; Jamir Berdecio (Gavin Wetzel 90'), Olwethu Makhanya, Frankie Westfield; Neil Pierre, Sanders Ngabo (Randy Meneses 61'), David Vazquez, CJ Olney, Cavan Sullivan (Nick Pariano 61'); Leandro Soria (Kyle Tucker 83'), Eddie Davis III (Carlos Rojas 90')
Substitutes Not Used: Jamir Johnson, Kellan LeBlanc, Alex Perez
