Philadelphia Union are heading to Gillette Stadium to take on New England Revolution for the second installation of their best-of-three series in the first round of the 2023 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. Tune in to the action on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV along with FS1 on Wednesday, November 8th at 7pm!
Head Coach Jim Curtin’s squad has the opportunity to claim a spot in the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the third straight season with a win against the Revs on Wednesday. Because they secured a 3-1 win against New England in the first match of the series, a favorable result would eliminate their opponent from the playoffs. If Revolution wins, the series will be sent back to Subaru Park for a third and final matchup to decide which team will advance.
With both teams’ postseasons on the line, the midweek matchup is set to be another physical one, and both squads have become increasingly familiar with each other as of late. Not only are they Eastern Conference foes, but Wednesday's match will mark the fourth occasion the teams have met in 2023.
Both New England and Philadelphia have proved their ability to win against each other at this stage of the season – with Curtin’s side finishing their regular season with a loss on the road against the Revs, but swiftly bouncing back for a home win against them to kick off the playoffs.
In their latest meeting, Philadelphia Union found success early with three momentous first half goals that kept them ahead through the final whistle. The team first grabbed the lead with a 19th minute penalty goal from the spot from none other than Daniel Gazdag, set up by a smart run from Julian Carranza that forced rookie goalkeeper Jacob Jackson out of position into collision with Argentine for a bad foul. Uhre got in on the lethal front three’s aggressive attack, doubling the score with a 26th minute tap-in. Just over ten minutes later, homegrown defender Nate Harriel went airborne for his fourth headed goal of the year, knocking the ball past New England’s rookie keeper Jacob Jackson off a cross. New England took 14 shots but found the back of the net just once when Gustavo Bou netted a 68th minute goal. They played the majority of the match without their leading goal scorer in midfielder Carles Gil, who left the match due to injury in the 23rd minute. With more than a week's rest since, the 30-year-old Designated Player is expected to rejoin the team at full fitness.
Philadelphia Union will look to move past Round One of the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs with a win against New England, this time at Gillette Stadium where they haven’t earned a win since October 2020. Don’t miss the battle – watch it all unfold with MLS Season Pass on Apple TV!
