A pair of newcomers to the rivalry carried the way as Philadelphia Union defeated rivals New York Red Bulls, 2-0, in front of the home fans at Subaru Park on Saturday night.
With nearly a full strength lineup, the Union attack was back in sync with two goals in the first 25 minutes to send a statement to their Eastern Conference rivals. Every touch was contested due to the matching pressing styles but Philly were able to control the chaos with goals from Indiana Vassilev and Bruno Damiani. Vassilev notched his second goal of 2025 inside the first 10 minutes with a quick finish off a corner kick. Damiani added to the scoring 15 minutes later with a left-footed finished that curled inside the far post.
The victory continues Phillys dominance over their Eastern Conference rival with Saturday night's win pushing the streak to 15 games across all competitions dating back to 2019.
The Boys in Blue wrap up their July home stand with a midweek tilt against CF Montreal on Wednesday, July 16th. The match presented by Language Services Associates will kick off at 7:30PM ET with tickets available for purchase by clicking here.
How The Match Unfolded
Head Coach Bradley Carnell stuck with the same lineup he intended to roll out during their midweek fixture that was postponed due to severe weather. The lineup featured one of his strongest lineups in weeks, welcoming Nathan Harriel and Quinn Sullivan back into the XI after their journey to the Gold Cup Final with the United States Men's National Team.
With Harriel at right back opposite Kai Wagner, Jakob Glesnes and Olwethu Makhanya were the centerback duo, taking the field in front of Andre Blake.
Jovan Lukic, Indiana Vassilev, and Danley Jean Jacques made up the midfield with Sullivan, Tai Baribo was back in the first XI paired with Bruno Damiani up top.
9', Indy opens the scoring | The latest chapter of the rivalry didn't require a long wait as the Boys in Blue were on the scoreboard inside the first 10 minutes courtesey of reaction finish from Indiana Vassilev. Set pieces are always important in the series and on the Union's second corner kick they cashed in. Kai Wagner whipped in a cross to the back post for a quick tap from Olwethu Makhanya but former Union keeper Carlos Miguel Cornel pushed it away before it fully crossed the line. Waiting for the pass was Vasillev for the one time finish as he sent Subaru Park into a frenzy.
24', Damiani gets his rivalry DOOP | Philly's direct attacking style quickly saw their lead double just 15 minutes later with a must-see finish from Bruno Damiani. Timing his run perfectly to be on the receiving end of a wonderful passing sequence from Tai Baribo and Quinn Sullivan, the Uruguayan forward beat his Red Bull marker to the ball with a left-footed finesse to make it 2-0 for the Boys in Blue.
Halftime | Philadelphia Union went into the break with the two goal lead on the back of strong defense with the Boys in Blue smoothering the Red Bulls to 0 attempted shots through the first 45 minutes. The visitors sought to change the momentum with a pair of halftime substitutions as Ronald Donkor and Omar Valencia came in in place of Daniel Edelman and Noah Eile.
48', Red Bulls get their first attempted shot | Three minutes into the final half, Wikelman Carmona snapped the shotless streak for the visitors but saw it sail over the net.
66', Makhanya's big stop | With less than 30 minutes in the match, Red Bulls were on the verge of getting back into the contest with a quick counter attack from their playmakers. Emil Forsberg and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting opted to make the extra pass for a wide open attempt from Carmona but Olwethu Makhanya's blazing speed prevented the blast.
73', Double change for the U | Bradley Carnell turned to rookie homegrowns Frankie Westfield and Sal Olivas to see out the result. The duo replaced Quinn Sullivan and the goalscoring Damiani. The change coincided with Harriel moving into the midfield as Red Bulls continued to target the Union's right side.
