The Philadelphia Union are unbeaten in six matches since the FIFA World Cup break -- a streak that started on July 22nd against Red Bull New York at Subaru Park. This weekend, they'll play that same team, this time, on the road at Sports Illustrated Stadium. The match is set to take place at 7:30pm on Saturday, August 29th --Â tune in on Apple TV to watch the action.
Unbeaten in sixÂ
The Boys in Blue recently played three league matches in a week's time, securing a win against NYCFC then a pair of draws against Inter Miami and Austin FC to extend their unbeaten streak to six. They are now one of just two club's without a loss since the World Cup break, and they'll look to keep it that way this weekend against a Red Bull New York side that has fared almost oppositely since the summer break. They have won just one of their last six, and in their past three, they've picked up a pair of losses to Atlanta United and Nashville SC, then tied 1-1 with Chicago thanks to a late equalizer in the 86th minute from Cameron Harper off the bench.
As it stands, Red Bull New York sit at 8th in the Eastern Conference standings with 26 points. Philly are still pushing toward playoff positioning in 13th as one of three teams with 21 points.
Youth spotlight
16-year-old midfielder Cavan Sullivan and 18-year-old Neil center back Neil Pierre, both Union Homegrowns, have been essential to the team's recent success, combining for eight goal contributions over the team's past six matches. The Philadelphia Union Academy-produced pair have proved their productivity on the MLS stage, but they won't be the only young players to watch on Saturday. RBNY youngsters, namely 19-year-old Mijahir Jiménez, 18-year-old Julian Hall, and 17-year-old Adri Mehmeti have also made their marks in league play this season. Hall in particular has recorded a team-high nine goals plus five assists so far this season.
"I've been following MLS pretty closely for around 15 years now. I don't remember this volume of young players that are making a difference in MLS at such a young age," Richter said in his Thursday press conference.
"You've seen guys come through 19, 20, 21, and they start to really make an impact. But now you look on the field this weekend, and you have 16, 17, and 18-year-olds who are the ones making the difference in the game, and there's other teams around around MLS that are also doing the same. So, for me, as a fan of American soccer, as someone who's worked in the development side and believes strongly in everything that our club and the foundation of our club has committed to in this model, and believing in this type of success, it's cool to see it actually happening, not just within our club, but at scale throughout the league."
Players to watchÂ
- 18-year-old forward Julian Hall leads RBNY in scoring with nine goals plus five assists so far in 2026.
- 17-year-old Adri Mehmeti has a goal and five assists on the season.
- In his third season with RBNY, 34-year-old forward Emil Forsberg has 10 goal contributions, scoring three goals and tallying seven assists over 20 matches played. The Swedish Designated Player has two goals and two assists since the World Cup break.
Notes to knowÂ
- Philadelphia Union are unbeaten in six straight MLS matches, starting with a 3-1 win against RBNY in July
- Neil Pierre is the league's top-scoring defender since the World Cup break
- Cavan Sullivan has a goal or assist in three straight games and can become the third player age 18 or younger and the first 16-year-old to record a goal contribution in four straight regular season matches.
