Philadelphia Union
Philadelphia Union brace for battle against Liga MX giants
Club América travels to Subaru Park for a midweek bout with struggling Philadelphia. The Union, winless in MLS play, found the only positives of 2026 in the Champions Cup tournament. However, with a Mexican powerhouse coming to town, can the Union turn it around? Let’s break down the matchup.
América’s Form and Firepower
CF América began its Champions Cup run against Honduran side CD Olimpia. After winning their opening leg 2-1, a 0-0 draw in their second game sent the Mexico City side through to the Round of 16.
Las Águilas sit eighth in the Liga MX table through 10 matches. With a 4-2-4 record, inconsistencies have been met with a similarly unconventional start to the 2026 campaign. Only winning two of their last five matches in league play, they’ve also only scored four goals in that timeframe. This does not align with the Union’s urgency to score, but it offers an opportunity for a low-scoring draw between the two sides.
Looking at the offense, Brian Rodríguez provides the biggest threat to the U moving into the match. Rodríguez sits as a left winger in America’s 4-2-3-1 formation. The 25-year-old Uruguayan national has three goals in 2026, leading the team ahead of Mexican-American Álex Zendejas, who has two goals of his own.
At the head of the formation is Víctor Dávila. With 13 goals in 60 matches with CF América, Dávila searches for his second goal across the tournament against a Union backline that hasn’t conceded during Champions Cup play.
Holding the formation together are midfielders Jonathan dos Santos and Érick Sánchez. No strangers to success in Concacaf play, Club América will likely enjoy the majority of possession in the match, presenting opportunities for the Union to create turnovers and strike on the counter.
Defensively, Mexican internationals Israel Reyes and Miguel Vázquez hold the line as young center backs in front of 29-year-old veteran keeper Luis Malagón. Malagón did not play in Club America’s most recent match against FC Juarez, making way for veteran Rodolfo Cota.
The two sides last met in 2021, when a pair of 2-0 victories sent Club América to the final of the Champions Cup, where they fell 1-0 to CF Monterrey. None of the four goal scorers return for tonight’s match, but expect new and veteran weapons to cause problems for a youthful Philadelphia backline.
Keys To Success
Success for Club América will come from conservative possession to minimize mistakes. Brazilian manager André Jardine knows the final leg returns to Estadio Azteca. Bringing a manageable second match home to finish off the former MLS Supporters’ Shield champions will highlight a successful road trip on their midweek journey to Chester.
Slow Start Raises Questions for Union
Two straight losses and the worst start to an MLS season since 2012 only scratch the surface of the issues that surround the Philadelphia Union. Starting the season with three straight league losses, the Champions Cup remains the only bright spot in a frustrating start to 2026 for Bradley Carnell’s side.
The Union, while drawing the easiest opening match across the tournament, left no doubt in the first round. An emphatic two legs finished with a 12-0 aggregate, showcasing nine different goal scorers across 180 minutes of action. Ironically, those goal scorers have been silent ever since.
The U have one goal across their three MLS matches. A spot kick from Indiana Vassilev against NYCFC. Although chances have come and gone, the Boys in Blue lack that dangerous edge to push them across the threshold, an issue with one of the most decorated clubs in Concacaf making their way to Chester this evening.
When asked about the current state of the team, Carnell remained positive about the gameplan, stating, “The guys are doing everything we’re asking them to do; we just can’t get it over the line right now.”
Optimistically, growing pains are natural with the squad shifts the club faces. When losing key players at forward, on the back line, and missing depth pieces due to new signings and injuries, struggles will persist.
The most impactful players for the Union sit amongst their homegrowns. Stas Korzeniowski and Cavan Sullivan share two goals apiece in Champions Cup play. Additionally, Frankie Westfield continues to improve with his distribution, an essential piece with few players getting into wide spaces for the club.
Additionally, various players are finding success in the Champions Cup, proving that the current lapses can be redirected onto the correct track. Defensively, the back line has shown consistency; however, the few mistakes in cohesion have been fatal across the first three MLS matches.
Three losses by a total of three goals bring up concern for finding the back of the net, not keeping the ball out of their own.
Keys to Success
Probably scoring goals. The Union continuously creates chances for these forwards, but opportunities are not being met with quality. The expectation is that once the rust is shaken, these forwards will perform, but it has yet to be seen across league play. On the back line, inconsistencies with red cards and trials have surprisingly not been met with struggles in gameplay, but can these players work into the attack to support a lackluster offense? Defence Force FC was the tune-up; the product must be at its best for the pedigree of CF América.
You can catch the match on FS1 at 7 p.m.
