RNY FC Looks to Get Back on Track with Tough Test in New England

June 17, 2022 – MLS NEXT Pro (MLS NEXT Pro) – Rochester New York FC News Release

RNY FC was just minutes away from extending its unbeaten streak to six matches last weekend, with a chance to pick up an extra point in penalties, when disaster struck.

Nicholas Markanich, who had been quiet for the first hour of the match for FC Cincinnati 2, was played in on Rochester keeper Caique Luiz Santos da Purificação, and deftly chipped it over the big Brazilian to end the streak at five in one moment.

When you play games on the edge, that happens sometimes: one moment of brilliance can undo so much work. Rochester had so many chances to score earlier in the contest, any which could have led to a relatively easy victory if taken.

But they were not, Markanich took his, and now RNY FC has to go on the road to Gillette Stadium to face MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference second place side New England Revolution 2.

Now, if you want to talk about teams living on the edge, then the Revs are your research case. They have picked up 24 points in 12 matches with a +2 goal difference. From the first day of May until today, New England has been outscored seven goals to six in seven games: the Revs picked up 15 points and won five of those games, four of which (all in May, by the way) came with identical 1-0 scorelines.

So, when they win, they tend to keep teams off the scoresheet. Who knew that was the plan to winning soccer matches? Seriously, though, the Revs scored eight goals in their first three games, which all came more than two months ago in late March and April. Since then, teams that have posted multiple goals-Columbus Crew 2 and Inter Miami CF II-have won both games.

So all RNY FC has to do is score a couple goals, maybe a few, and it comes away with the win, right? That is what the stats say, but games are not played on paper.

You see, if you look at the statistics from the first time these two teams played on April 3, and you did not look at the scoreline first, you would have thought Rochester would have won the contest. But the 3-1 scoreline proved otherwise.

RNY FC has a chance to pick up some points here, IF it can find the back of the net.

That is always the case, though, right?

Goals change games: after a phenomenal May, RNY FC has scored just once in its last 180-plus minutes. Who is going to step up Saturday and get the big goal to kick start another run?

MLS NEXT Pro Match Week 13

New England Revolution II vs. RNY FC, 7 p.m. EDT (1 a.m. UK time), Gillette…