Match Preview: Union look to continue hot form against Revs

What a start to the season for the Philadelphia Union and their new manager Bradley Carnell. In the opening two fixtures of the 2025 MLS season, the Union have looked like a team reborn, defeating Orlando City and FC Cincinnati by an aggregate scoreline of 8-3. 

In the wins, forward Tai Baribo scored 5 goals and has picked up where he left off last season with a piping hot run of good form. It just feels like everything he touches turns to goals at the moment. 

But the most striking and noticeable positive for the Union early on has been their style of play. Carnell has deployed a 4-2-2-2 formation that includes a relentless high press and constant running from his forwards and midfielders that forces opposing backlines to speed up their processing and never feel comfortable when they play out from the back. The Union have created countless chances from their opponents’ mistakes in possession. And with clinical and lethal finishers like Baribo, Daniel Gazdag, and Mikael Uhre waiting to smash the chances home, Carnell may have a recipe for sustained success. Not to mention, the Union have some much-improved depth options from the bench thanks to the additions of Indiana Vasilev from St. Louis SC and Bruno Damiani from Nacional in the Uruguayan first division. 

Next up, the Union will play the New England Revolution on Saturday night at Gillette Stadium (yes, they still play in that dump sadly). The new-look Revs enter the match with just one point from their first two matches, drawing Nashville 0-0 in Matchweek 1 and losing to Columbus 1-0 in Matchweek 2. Caleb Porter’s New England side are led by Carles Gil, who was one of their lone bright spots a year ago when the Revs finished 14th in the East. They also added forward Leo Campana from Inter Miami and winger Luis Diaz Espinosa from Deportivo Saprissa.The latter has been maybe New England’s most dangerous player early on this season from the right wing. The pacey Costa Rican right winger was by far the Revs biggest threat against Columbus, as he got in behind the Crew’s backline several times in the second half and created a couple goal-scoring opportunities. Had Campana been a bit more clinical in front of goal, the Revs could easily have drawn or even won that match. 

The X-factor for the Union on Saturday will be their ability to open New England up and break them down on the counter. Several times throughout New England’s match against Columbus, their backline proved liable to get out of position and get stretched in transition. And in the end, they conceded the Crew’s match-winning goal on a chance from a swift counter attack. Luckily for the Union, counter attacking and catching teams out in transition falls right into their wheelhouse. If they are able to turn the Revs over either in their own defensive third or in the middle of the field, the Union should be able to find some joy through their prolific front four. I wouldn’t be surprised if Baribo has another big day.

Defensively, it will be a massive task for Kai Wagner on the left hand side of the Union backline, as he will be tasked with holding New England’s danger man, Diaz Espinosa, in check. The German left back can’t get caught too high up the pitch when the Union are attacking, or the Revs may be able to get in behind. 

At the end of the day, I think this matchup is a stylistic advantage for the Union. If they play with the same intensity and precision in the final third that they have exhibited in their first two matches, this should be another W. 

Now, let’s see it on the pitch.