Philadelphia Union return to MLS action on Saturday when they host Columbus Crew SC at Talen Energy Stadium. Kick-off for this matinee special is set for 2 p.m. and will be televised on 6abc with JP Dellacamera and Tony Meola on the call.
The Union are coming off a rare bye-week, with the club being out of action due to their originally scheduled opponent Seattle Sounders being unavailable due to Champions League obligations.
Philadelphia earned an impressive 2-0 victory in their first match of the season against New England Revolution, thanks to goals from Anthony Fontana and CJ Sapong.
Philadelphia has had a lot of recent success against Columbus. In their last five all-time meetings the Union own a record of 4-1-0 against the crew with a goal differential of plus five. In 10 all-time matches at Talen Energy Stadium, the Union own a 6-4-0 record against the Crew with a goal differential of plus eight.
The Union will look to their striker CJ Sapong to make an impact this Saturday. Since joining Philadelphia Union, Sapong has seen great success against Columbus. Sapong has recorded three goals and three assists in seven meetings against the Crew.
The Union own a record of 5-2 when Sapong plays against Columbus with their last defeat coming on Sept. 12, 2015. Sapong is entering the match fresh off a club announcement where he signed a new contract with the Union.
Columbus Crew SC comes to Chester at the top of the table in the Eastern Conference with a record of 2-0-0 and six points. The Crew opened their 2018 campaign with a win over defending MLS champs Toronto FC. Columbus followed up their week one performance with a home victory over Montreal Impact.
New Crew playmaker Gyasi Zardes has made an immediate impact since being traded from LA Galaxy. Zardes has three goals in first three matches a member of the Crew, with his last one ultimately becoming the game-winner against Montreal.
The Union will need to keep a close on Zardes as both clubs will look to keep their perfect record alive this Saturday at Talen Energy Stadium.
