Toronto FC II (8W-10L-5T, 29 points) battled to a 2-2 draw against New England Revolution II (4W-15L-5T, 21 points) at Gillette Stadium before the hosts won the extra point in the MLS NEXT Pro shootout on Sunday evening.
TFC II Head Coach Gianni Cimini employed three changes from his starting eleven that featured in the road victory against FC Cincinnati 2 last Sunday with Richard Chukwu, Charlie Staniland and Jesús Batiz making way for Theo Rigopoulos, Alonso Coello and Lucas Olguin.
The Young Reds were awarded an opportunity to take an early lead when New England’s Malcolm Fry brought down Theo Rigopoulos in the box leaving the referee with no option but to point to the spot. Julian Altobelli, TFC II captain and leading scorer in 2024, stepped up and placed his penalty into the bottom right corner to give his side the opener at Gillette Stadium. With the 8th minute goal, Julian Altobelli became only the second player in club history, and the first since Jordan Hamilton in 2018, to score a goal in six consecutive appearances for Toronto FC II.
The hosts responded with an equalizer in the 41st minute when Gevork Diarbian’s goal-bound header from Malcolm Fry’s cross was initially saved by Toronto’s Adisa De Rosario, only for Revolution II captain Marcos Dias to score the rebound into an empty net.
New England Revolution II began the second half on the front foot and took their first lead when Marcos Dias headed Maciel’s cross home for his second goal of the Sunday evening affair.
Trailing by a score of 2-1, TFC II came close to finding an instant response moments later through a pair of efforts from Nathaniel Edwards that forced goalkeeper Maxwell Weinstein into two important saves.
The Young Reds, however, broke through and equalized from a rapid counterattack that resulted in Charlie Staniland expertly finding the side-netting with a low, powerful shot from Charlie Sharp’s pass. The 78th minute goal marked the second consecutive match that Staniland and Sharp have combined for a goal, with the roles reversed when Sharp finished Staniland’s pass against FC Cincinnati 2 last Sunday.
With both sides unable to find a late winner and the scores level at two apiece following the full-time whistle in Foxborough, Massachusetts, the two Eastern Conference clubs played out an MLS NEXT Pro shootout where the hosts New England Revolution II secured the extra point on the night in a 6-5 shootout result.
Next up, Toronto FC II continue their road travels to visit New York City FC II in MLS NEXT Pro action on Wednesday, September 11. Kick-off from Icahn Stadium in Manhattan, New York City is set for 5:00 p.m. ET and and will be available to watch on MLSNEXTPro.com and the MLS YouTube channel.
SCORING SUMMARY
TOR – Julian Altobelli 8’ (penalty kick)
NE – Marcos Dias 41’
NE – Marcos Dias 48’ (Maciel)
TOR – Charlie Staniland 78’ (Charlie Sharp)
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
TOR – Charlie Staniland 68’ (caution)
TOR – Nathaniel Edwards 75’ (caution)
NE – Javaun Mussenden 83’ (caution)
TOR – Adam Pearlman 90+2’ (caution)
SHOOTOUT SUMMARY
NE – Marcos Dias – goal (1:0)
TOR – Hassan Ayari – goal (1:1)
NE – Joshua Bolma – goal (2:1)
TOR – Julian Altobelli – miss (2:1)
NE – Eric Klein – miss (2:1)
TOR – Mark Fisher – goal (2:2)
NE – Santiago Suárez – goal (3:2)
TOR – Charlie Sharp – goal (3:3)
NE – Joao Souza – goal (4:3)
TOR – Andrei Dumitru – goal (4:4)
NE – Liam Butts – goal (5:4)
TOR – Matthew Catavolo – goal (5:5)
NE – Javaun Mussenden – goal (6:5)
TOR – Adisa De Rosario – miss (6:5)
LINEUPS
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION II – Maxwell Weinstein; Damario McIntosh (Joao Souza 61’), Eric Klein, Santiago Suárez, Malcolm Fry (Moshtaba Al-Hasnawi 46’); Maciel (Grant Emehri 61’), Javaun Mussenden, Cristiano Oliveira (Luka Borovic 61’); Joshua Bolma, Marcos Dias (C), Gevork Diarbian (Liam Butts 74’)
Substitutes Not Used: John David Gunn, Jacob Akanyirige, Brandonn Bueno, Andrej Bjelajac
TORONTO FC II – Adisa De Rosario; Marko Stojadinovic, Adam Pearlman, Ythallo (Andrei Dumitru 79’); Theo Rigopoulos (Hassan Ayari 71’), Alonso Coello (Charlie Staniland 46’), Lucas Olguin (Matthew Catavolo 90+1’), Nathaniel Edwards; Mark Fisher, Julian Altobelli (C), Charlie Sharp
Substitutes Not Used: Abraham Rodriguez, Kundai Mawoko, Richard Chukwu, Stefan Kapor, Tyler Londono
MEDIA NOTES
- Julian Altobelli becomes the second player in club history, and the first since Jordan Hamilton in 2018, to score a goal in six consecutive appearances for Toronto FC II.
- With his 18th career goal for TFC II, Julian Altobelli moves into second outright in the club’s all-time goalscorers list.
