Philadelphia Union
Union’s Playoff Push Faces Its Biggest Test Yet Against Miami
It’s a midweek clash in Chester! The red-hot Philadelphia Union look to keep momentum going against MLS giants Inter Miami. The Boys in Blue have now come from behind twice in two matches to defeat Atlanta United and NYCFC. They have not dropped a single point since returning from the World Cup. On the other side of the coin, Inter Miami aims to bounce back after a convincing loss to Supporters’ Shield favorites Nashville SC. Let’s break down the matchup.
Miami Looks to Rebound Against a Surging Union
This will be the 15th match between the Union and Inter Miami, and The Herons lead the overall series with seven wins to the Union’s four. Inter Miami looks to extend their six-match unbeaten streak against the Philadelphia Union. The most recent matchup came just before the World Cup break, where Miami defeated the Boys in Blue in a thrilling 6-4 outing.
Inter Miami continues its road trip out of the Leagues Cup break, but it didn’t start the way they intended. A trip to the Music City brought a beating from top-of-the-table Nashville SC, and now Miami sits five points back of the top of the Eastern Conference.
Looking at this offense and the last time these two teams faced one another, there is a lot to decipher. We’ll take care of the goat in the room early. Lionel Messi has 12 goals and eight assists for Vice City this season, and while he missed a spot kick against Nashville, he is always a threat to a young Union backline.
However, beyond Messi, the threats still loom large. Luis Suarez, who by the grace of God is still terrorizing keepers across the league, has 10 goals of his own on the season. Not to mention fellow Argentine midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, who has four goals and as many assists of his own.
A sigh of relief in this lethal attack will be the absence of Germán Berterame, who suffered a head injury. Thankfully, he’s expected back in early September, but one less threat to the Union defense this evening is always appreciated.
Miami thrived in the open spaces the Union provided back in May. The game opened up almost from the initial whistle, and Miami exploded through the space the Union provided. Luis Suarez netted a hat trick in the match, but Messi did not score. In fact, Messi has also only scored once in his last seven appearances. Hooray?
Miami’s issue remains their defense. While sitting second across the league in points, The Herons have conceded one more goal than the Union this season. They make up for it by tying with FC Cincinnati for most goals scored on the season thus far with 46, but Miami has conceded 36 across their MLS campaign.
Keys to Success
After the loss over the weekend, Miami is going to be firing on all cylinders in this one. I don’t expect this match to be as crazy as the first, but it will all come down to the timing of the first goal. If either side strikes early, there will be blood in the water. And if we know anything from May, there’s plenty of sharks on the pitch to turn this one into a feeding frenzy.
From Playoff Afterthought to Playoff Contender
Over the last few weeks, it’s been extremely enjoyable to write these previews. Here is where we stand: The Union are unbeaten in four across MLS. They are the only team in the league to have not dropped a single point in that time. The U are only the second team in MLS history to have come back in two consecutive matches after being down two goals.
The fruits of the labor? The Union went from an abysmal, seemingly throwaway season to just five points out of the MLS Cup Playoffs.
They couldn’t, could they?
I’m here to tell you they not only can, but if they keep this form going, will. The Boys in Blue have scored nine goals in their last five matches. Milan Iloski remains key to the offense, with 10 goals of his own and an assist to cherry that goal-scoring sundae. However, what strikes me most about why this team is striving for the playoffs is that the Union doesn’t always need an Iloski goal to solidify a match.
Iloski didn’t have his best match against NYCFC. He missed a few he should’ve converted, looked off on the touch from time to time, but still made his mark on the game as all good forwards do. He worked aside Cavan to score the second goal of the match and provided key passes in space to work through all three of the Union’s goals.
But the Union found goals. Two from Bruno Damiani (who needed that more than a fish needs water) and one from Danley Jean-Jacques, who has been stellar since his return from the World Cup.
This is the new Union, the Ryan Richter Union, that we’ve seen of late. These players support each other, feed one another, and the results have been astounding. For the nine goals the Union scored through MLS play since returning from break, they’ve come from six different goalscorers.
A winning recipe, and they’ve delivered. Now, the test turns to Miami, and all eyes are on that Union defense that conceded six times in their last meeting.
The look and feel is different. Neil Pierre has been amazing, and he will likely be paired with Sery Larson this evening. Kai Wagner’s return doesn’t hurt either. The Union backline’s job will be to deny Miami the spaces it needs to create in the final third. If they can mitigate the damage, the Union could keep the win streak alive tonight.
Keys to Success
It all starts from the back. Miami are proven road warriors and deadly goalscorers. If the Union want all three at home, they have to keep Miami off the scoresheet. The goals will come for the Union tonight, and I’ve never seen Milan Iloski have two straight underperformances, so it falls on the four defenders to stay composed, apply pressure, and make a midweek night in Chester as difficult as possible for the star-studded visitors.
You can catch the match at 7:30 PM on Apple TV+.
