Union share point with Columbus in final home game before the break

The home goalless drought was snapped but the Philadelphia Union will have to wait 67 days for another chance at finding their first home win of the season after a 1-1 draw with Columbus Crew on Saturday night at Subaru Park.

Hugo Picard scored a golazo 10 minutes in to give the Crew the early advantage in a first half otherwise devoid of an attacking edge (starting left back Ben Bender had the only shot for the Union) and after combining for .08 xG the Union forced the issue in the second half, registering five shots on goal and a 1.1 xG to the Crew’s .4 but just the one goal they needed to avoid a third straight loss.

Milan Iloski snapped the home goalless streak at 295 minutes with a finish from close range in the 70th minute to tie the game at 1-1. It was a deserved goal with the Union pinning the Crew defense in and counter-pressuring them into mistakes. Agustin Anello came on in the second half for Jovan Lukic and went to work on a productive patch of grass for him on the left flank since returning from injury, setting up Iloski’s goal in transition.

Coming off his Team of the Week performance in the loss in Orlando, Cavan Sullivan registered a game-high four shots on goal but none really tested Patrick Schulte. Sullivan had one final chance with a free kick from just outside the box that he was able to fire low under the wall but not past Schulte.

While the Crew weren’t able to get much going the other way and finished the day with only 6 total shots, Andrés Herrera had what would’ve been another late game-winner against the Union on his feet inside the box when he was played in with a lovely through ball by Taha Habroune in the 88th minute. Luckily for the Union – who have more here-we-go-again moments than breaks fall their way all season – Herrera’s scuffed attempt went wide of the goal. Sullivan’s free kick was the last play of the match and frustratingly ended a game that despite not being a loss did little to help the team’s ascent from the Wooden Spoon zone.

If there’s a positive spin to it, the Union drew their third straight game at home after losing their first three. The Union’s last regular season MLS win, however, still remains when they clinched the Supporters’ Shield with a 1-0 win over NYCFC on October 4, 2025.

Worse still is that win or lose at the newly opened Nu Stadium in Miami next Saturday, the Union will head into the two-month World Cup break last place both in the Eastern Conference and the league.