It’s rivalry week in Chester, and while the Open Cup edition of Philadelphia Union’s two-game homestand against New York Red Bulls was postponed due to severe weather, there will be no shortage of action on the riverfront this week as the side from North Jersey will be back in town on Saturday for Major League Soccer play.
Don’t miss the action – click here for tickets to the annual showdown at Subaru Park or tune in with MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Renewing the rivalry
New York has become an Eastern Conference enemy through years of contentious battles, and Wednesday's match will mark the start of their 2025 season series against the Union.
It will also be Head Coach Bradley Carnell's first Red Bulls match since taking over at the helm of the Union, but the opponent is far from unfamiliar to him. Before he was hired to lead St. Louis CITY as an expansion club in 2022, he was an assistant coach and an interim Head Coach for New York from 2017-2021.
During his Tuesday press conference ahead of what became a rainout Open Cup match, he gave a glimpse into what he's seen from his former club and what his current crew needs to do to secure a result.
"They've been quite active in transition in the last couple of games, and they've been a little bit more clinical in transition the last couple of games. We're going to have to nullify that and really be brave and aggressive in the counter press, and step on the front foot and defend forwards," Carnell said.
"We need to set the tone in our stadium. I know what it's like firsthand being on the opposite side of it all those years, and I know the feeling coming into this stadium. I'm just proud and happy to be part of the other side of the family now."
Keeping the streak alive
Philadelphia Union currently has a 14-match unbeaten streak against New York Red Bulls across all competitions, and they'll look to keep it that way on Saturday. Favorably, they're even closer to piecing together a full-strength squad after persevering through more than a month without the full group due to a long list of international call-ups and injuries.
Homegrowns Nathan Harriel and Quinn Sullivan are back in market at last after a long Gold Cup campaign with the U.S. Men's National team that ended in a 2-1 heartbreak loss to Mexico in Houston on Sunday, Frankie Westfield is back from an ankle injury, and both Mikael Uhre and Jesus Bueno are on the mend. While the official injury report has yet to be released, and it's still unclear whether the latter pair will be ready to go come game time, it’s possible Carnell will have his most robust roster to chose from since their May 31st draw against Dallas.
What's at stake
New York currently sit at eighth in the East, while Philadelphia Union have dropped to third after falling to both Columbus Crew and Nashville SC on the road. Their recent stumble aside, they’re still just two points off from first place FC Cincinnati, who has a tough stretch of matches ahead including the Hell Is Real derby against Columbus Crew.
Points for Philly against Red Bull will be crucial in keeping both their Supporters’ Shield hopes and their unbeaten streak alive -- tune in with MLS Season Pass on Apple TV to watch!
