Philadelphia Union is set to return to Major League Soccer action on July 22nd following the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and in preparation for what’s to come, the club scheduled a series of friendlies both at home and on the road in the weeks leading up to their first match back.
The third of those friendlies took place on Thursday, July 9th against New England Revolution at Subaru Park. Here's how the match match on the riverfront unfolded.
Starting XI
Blake
Harriel
Pierre
Sery
Westfield
Bender
Bueno
Vassilev
C. Sullivan
Iloski
Damiani
Match Recap
1', Preparations continue | Goalkeeper Andrew Rick was back in the building for first kick after a memorable summer supporting the USMNT in training during the World Cup. He was sitting alongside midfielder Quinn Sullivan, who's well on his way toward recovery from his ACL injury.
3', Visitors open scoring | New England's Wilson Harris scored the first of the day, opening the action with a goal in the second minute.
28', Union equalizes | On-and-off rain became a downpour, and during some of the most intense weather of the day, a cross from Cavan Sullivan found Milan Iloski for a glancing header to make it 1-1.
45', Halftime | Philadelphia Union and New England Revolution retreated to their respective locker rooms for halftime with the score level, but their time inside lasted longer than expected as a lightning in the area forced a delay.
46', Play resumes | After almost an hour in the locker room, play resumed at Subaru Park. The Union opened the second 45' with a powerful shot from Jesus Bueno but he missed just right.
50', Revs reclaim lead | Peyton Miller scored New England's second goal, putting the visitors ahead 2-1.
64', Union subs | Ezekiel Alladoh and Jovan Lukic entered the match to replace Bruno Damiani and Ben Bender.
65', Sullivan shines | Cavan Sullivan was the star at the start of the second 45', creating multiple chances for himself and his teammates. The team's momentum, however, was halted by more thunder and lightning in the area, once again pausing play.
Venue change due to weather | After another delay, the match was moved to the indoor Field House at the WSFS Bank Sportsplex. Both teams opted to play a final 45 minute stretch on the turf field to finish the friendly.
1', Union subs | The match resumed with a new lineup as follows:
Ezekiel Alladoh
Eddy Davis III
Agustin Anello
Kellan LeBlanc
Finn Sundstrom
Geiner Martinez
Rafael Uzcátegui
Phillipe Ndinga
Jovan Lukic
Giovanny Sequera
George Marks
20', Alladoh goal | Ezekiel Alladoh hit the back of the net to make it level for the Union in the 20th minute, scoring a shot from the left side of the box off a quick backheeled pass from Anello.
43', New England goal | The visitors reclaimed their lead again in the 43rd minute, capitalizing on a free kick opportunity. Keegan Hughes scored the game winner, securing a 3-2 result for his team.
Final | The match finished in favor of the visitors, but the final score, delays, and a venue change, Union players across the roster played valuable minutes as they continue their dilligent preparations for the team's return to play on Wednesday, July 22nd against Red Bull New York.
Postmatch reaction
Following the final whistle, Interim Head Coach Ryan Richter spoke about his team's progression since they returned from the World Cup break and his hopes for the upcoming homestand when MLS resumes.
"It's been a lot of hard training. Now, we just played our third friendly game for this little preseason period. We're just building every day, getting our fitness up to the level that we'll need once the season starts back up, and working on a lot of new ideas.
The team has done well, they've trained really hard, and they've been open to the new ideas we're trying to implement. I'm proud of where we're at right now, but there's still a way sto go before we get to the first game against Red Bull, and the guys are fully bought in and prepared for that.
Playing at home is great for the energy of not only for team but also for the fan base and for the club as a whole. No one's happy with the way the first part of the season went, and we have an opportunity in the first couple games to show that now there's a different kind of energy, and we need the fans, we're going to need the club, we need the support of everybody. Our job is to put a product on the field that everyone's proud of."
