There’s no rest for the weary, as Philadelphia Union host the New England Revolution for a rivalry week showdown Saturday night at Subaru Park on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
The Union come off a 0-0 mid-week draw against I-95 rivals D.C. United, remaining unbeaten in their last five league games and sitting in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 18 points, tied with Columbus Crew SC but behind on goal differential. The Boys in Blue also have a game in hand on Atlanta United and Nashville SC, both of whom are ahead of the team in the standings.
Saturday’s match could see more changes for the Boys in Blue in the lineup as Head Coach Jim Curtin has produced three straight different formations in consecutive matches. On Wednesday night the club went with a 4-3-2-1 with homegrowns Matt Real and Nathan Harriel on the pitch at the opening whistle but the squad ended the contest in their preferred 4-4-2 diamond when Jose “El Brujo” Martinez and Mikael Uhre returned from injuries. Their returns will be key as the Union continue their stretch that sees them without the services of Brandan Craig, Jack McGlynn, and Quinn Sullivan, who are with the United States U-20 in the run-up to the FIFA U-20 World Cup and will remain with the team at least until May 27.
They’ll welcome Bruce Arena and the New England Revolution to Subaru Park, where the Union are 11-4-3 all-time against the Revs in league play. In their last meeting, the Union won 2-1 in Chester back on July 16, 2022, thanks to goals from Uhre and Dániel Gazdag, while New England’s lone goal was scored by Gustavo Bou.
New England are coming into the match after losing 2-1 to Inter Miami in South Florida last Saturday, which was their first loss in league play since March 12, when they lost to LAFC on the road. Carles Gil scored the lone goal for the Revs, his third of the season. They are in second place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 7-2-3 but they’ve also lost two straight games, losing their US Open Cup match against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds 1-0 in Foxborough on May 9, perhaps adding a little bit of urgency to right the ship. Not having a mid-week match may be a benefit, with fresher legs potentially factoring into things as the game goes on.
Fans can catch the rivalry contest on Saturday night starting at 7:30 p.m. ET with the action free on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
