MLS NEXT Pro: New England Revolution Sneak Past NYCFC II in Five-Goal Thriller

May 11, 2026 15 Views MLS NEXT PRO

SMITHFIELD, R.I. — In a back-and-forth battle at Beirne Stadium, the New England Revolution II overcame a halftime deficit to defeat New York City FC II 3-2 on Sunday afternoon. Despite a standout performance from NYCFC II goalkeeper Mac Learned, the Revolution utilized two second-half penalties and a late winner from Damario McIntosh to secure all three points.

The result marks a frustrating afternoon for Matt Pilkington’s side, who appeared to be in control before a rapid-fire sequence turned the game on its head in Rhode Island.

Musu Provides the Early Spark

NYCFC II entered the match with a heavily rotated squad, featuring eight changes from their mid-week win over Chicago. The new-look lineup, which included first professional starts for Joāo Loiola, David Duque, and Caleb Danquah, struggled to find rhythm in the early exchanges but grew into the match as the first half progressed.

In the 27th minute, New York broke the deadlock through a moment of individual brilliance. Following a cleared cross, Cooper Flax found Sebastiano Musu near the top of the box. With his back to the goal, Musu turned sharply, skipped past a defender, and rifled a low drive into the near post to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

New England responded with a barrage of attacks, but Learned was sensational in the NYCFC II goal. The 23-year-old produced a series of top-tier saves, most notably tipping an acrobatic overhead kick from Myles Morgan onto the crossbar to preserve the lead heading into the break.

The Penalty Pivot

The momentum shifted drastically in the second half when the referee pointed to the penalty spot twice in a five-minute span:

56th Minute: A through-ball from Myles Morgan struck the arm of Joe Suchecki in the box. Morgan stepped up himself, sending Learned the wrong way to level the match at 1-1.
61st Minute: Shuma Sasaki was upended on the byline after a darting run. The Japanese winger took the resulting penalty, smashing it home to give the Revolution their first lead of the day.

Hvatum’s Milestone and the Final Blow

Refusing to go quietly, Coach Pilkington introduced Henrik Hvatum, a move that paid immediate dividends. In the 75th minute, a beautiful team sequence saw Drew Kerr whip a delivery across the box. The ball was cleverly dummied, reaching Hvatum at the back post, where the youngster side-footed home his first professional goal to tie the game at 2-2.

The drama reached a crescendo in the final ten minutes. Kerr nearly snatched a winner for New York with a header, only for New England keeper Donovan Parisian to produce a world-class save off the crossbar.

Just three minutes later, the Revolution found the decisive blow. Gabriel Dahlin threaded an inch-perfect through-ball into the path of Damario McIntosh, who drilled his shot under Learned to finalize the 3-2 scoreline.

Match Statistics

Category	NE Revolution II	NYCFC II
Final Score	3	2
Goals	Morgan (56' PK), Sasaki (61' PK), McIntosh (83')	Musu (27'), Hvatum (75')
Saves	1	4
Venue	Beirne Stadium	—