New York City FC made history on March 8 as the Club played their first-ever match against Orlando City SC.

On Saturday, New York City FC make history again as the Club’s Academy takes to the field for the first-ever match against the New England Revolution Academy.

Kickoff is 3 p.m. ET from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.

“Playing the New England Revolution in the first academy match in the history of New York City FC in Gillette Stadium is an exciting moment not just for the academy players but also for the entire organization,” Youth Technical Coordinator Rodrigo Marion said. “Our players have been working very hard for this moment.”

The New York City FC Academy is an Under-13/14 year old team comprised of 16 players from the Club’s 11 Youth Affiliates and elsewhere.

“The squad is composed of a small roster that is well balanced in terms of age with almost half of our players being one year younger,” Marion said. “This small roster allows us to focus on individual player development, and having younger players prepares next year’s talent pool.”

The Academy team had a 10-day preseason at the New York City FC training facility at SUNY Purchase over the summer in preparation for the upcoming inaugural campaign.

“So far this team has demonstrated great character on and off the field,” Marion said. “The players understand the style of play we’re instilling – a style that reflects an attack-minded team with tempo and aggression with and without the ball.

“Players and our staff understand the most important thing is the way we play, with less emphasis on the result. This first academy team is a reflection of what City Football Group wants to achieve with youth soccer in this country through New York City FC.”