Philadelphia Union returns to Subaru Park for the first time in July on Saturday night as they host rival D.C. United. Kick off from the home of the Union is set for 7:30 p.m. ET with an exclusive digital pregame beginning at 7 p.m. hosted by Dave Leno and Union legend Sebastien Le Toux. Television coverage on PHL17 will begin just before kick off at 7:30 p.m. Fans will also be able to view the match on PhiladelphiaUnion.com or can click here to listen to the FOX The Gambler broadcast which is available via 102.5 FM, 104.5 HD2, the iHeart App and 1480 AM.
The Boys in Blue enter the weekend sitting just four points out of first place after rallying back for a point at New York Red Bulls. Playing with 10 men for the final half hour, the Union found an equalizer after Olivier Mbaizo picked out Sergio Santos for a headed goal. While the Union claimed a road point, the match saw goalkeeper Matt Freese sent off while midfielder Jamiro Monteiro earned his fifth yellow card of the MLS season. As a result, both will miss the match against D.C. United.
Saturday night marks the second time in the regular season that the two rivals have squared off with the Union grabbing a 1-0 road win in May. The winner came from forward Kacper Przybylko in first half added time via a pass from Monteiro. The midfielder clipped aerial pass behind the D.C. defensive line and Przybylko rolled off his man and calmly deposited the ball just inside the near post. The offside flag was raised, but VAR showed that the Union striker’s patient run kept him onside.
The victory saw the Union push their unbeaten streak against their I-95 rival to nine straight games (W8 D1) dating back to the beginning of the 2017 season. The current nine-match run equals the longest unbeaten run for Philadelphia against any opponent in its MLS history (9 straight including playoffs vs. New England from 2018 to 2020).
D.C. United comes to Subaru Park after a bye week but looking to build off their last result that came via a 7-1 rout of Toronto FC on July 3rd. Three different subs scored for D.C. in the win, making it just the third time in MLS history that three subs scored in a league match. The visitors sit a single point outside the playoff line but have struggled away from their home pitch with only four points in six matches. Ola Kamara leads the D.C. offense with five goals in eight matches but the club will be missing both Paul Arriola and Chris Pines due to the Concacaf Gold Cup.