Five homegrown players saw time for the New England Revolution on Sunday in Lakewood Ranch, Fla., as they fell, 2-0, to the Philadelphia Union in their second preseason match.
Buckingham Browne & Nichols product Jack Panayotou, signed last month after playing one season at Georgetown, started in the midfield and played 61 minutes. He fed Jozy Altidore early for a scoring chance, but the longtime US national team player narrowly missed from a tight angle.
Four other homegrowns — Arlington’s Noel Buck, who came on for Panayotou; South Hamilton’s Justin Rennicks; Damiam Rivers (Cranston, R.I.); and Esmir Bajraktarević — all entered in the 61st minute. Midfielder Joshua Bolma, New England’s 2023 first-round pick, played the full 90 minutes.
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“They’re great and they have a bright future ahead of them,” Rennicks said of the team’s younger players establishing themselves. “We’re excited to see them this year in that first game or wherever they get playing time.”
New England next plays Friday in St. Petersburg, Fla., against Nashville SC. The regular season begins Feb. 25 at Charlotte FC, with the home opener at Gillette Stadium on March 4 against Houston.