CHESTER — The Philadelphia Union return to Subaru Park tomorrow for their first home match of 2025. Their opponent, FC Cincinnati, is the same club the Union faced the last time they were home on Oct. 19 of last year. However, this time will mark the first meeting between both clubs without Jim Curtin going against his former assistant, Pat Noonan.

Philadelphia Union head coach Bradley Carnell has faced Noonan before. Saturday’s home opener against FC Cincinnati will be the third time (fourth if you count this year’s preseason match) that Carnell and Noonan have met as head coaches in Major League Soccer.

Previous Match Results (During Carnell’s time at St. Louis City SC):

• April 15, 2023: 5-1 victory, where former Union striker Sergio Santos scored the lone goal for Cincinnati.
• May 18, 2023: 3-1 defeat, where Santos again had the third goal of the match for his club.

Ahead of tomorrow’s match, Carnell addressed his past matchups with Noonan and what he has learned from those experiences.

“I’ve seen them in two different moments, you know, being a head coach, one at home, one away from home as well. We’ve had them now in preseason with a whole new team for me, and with each, you know, time we play them, I see something different from the team that I’m coaching,” Carnell said.

“So, you know, I mean, it’s a really good team with good individuals. And now, the team that was then is not the team that it is now. They have good acquisitions like Evander and Denkey, so there are some really good players that have joined them. So, yeah, we’re going to have our hands full for sure. It’s a real quality team. I don’t care about scheduling and games and overloads. They’re ready to play, and they’re going to be ready for sure.”

Carnell is right—Cincinnati is a much different team than the last time he and the Union faced them. Gone is their MVP, Lucho Acosta, who was traded to FC Dallas. Álvaro Barreal was loaned to Santos FC, and Chidozie Awaziem and Ian Murphy were traded to the Colorado Rapids. Those are just a few of the roster changes that sporting director Chris Albright has made this offseason.

But then, there are the additions to this club as well. The team purchased midfielder Luca Orellano’s option from Vasco da Gama, sent $12 million to the Portland Timbers in exchange for last year’s MVP hopeful, Evander, and acquired striker Kévin Denkey from Belgian top-flight side Cercle Brugge for a reported club-record $16.2 million transfer fee. That deal set a league-record incoming transfer fee, surpassing Atlanta United’s acquisition of World Cup champion Thiago Almada in February 2022.

Both Denkey and Evander have already paid dividends for their new club. Both scored in the season opener, and Denkey has found the net in each of Cincinnati’s first three matches.

“He’s (Denkey) strong, he’s explosive. He can, you know, put you under pressure as well,” Carnell said. “So he can press, he can repress. He comes back into the game. And then, yeah, the biggest danger is when we have the ball and we lose it, right? If we’re not on top of our principles and they find Evander, Evander finds Denkey running behind, then it becomes a problem. When you allow him space to run onto, he’s very physical. It’s very direct. They play very direct through the middle. So, yeah, that’s going to be our main objective—to stop him.”

That said, the Union will also receive reinforcements ahead of Saturday’s match. Carnell confirmed that Nathan Harriel is trending in the right direction and available for selection, as is newly acquired striker Bruno Damiani, who returned after resolving visa requirements. Their roles in the match remain to be seen, but both participated in training during the portion open to the media.

Carnell also noted that Ian Glavinovich is still training and will be available for selection as he works back from a recent injury. However, if he is not fully ready to go, expect Olwethu Makhanya to get the nod again in the starting eleven.

“He’s a talented youngster,” Carnell said of Makhanya. “And at times, I have to remind myself he’s only, what, 20? We have our standards, demands, and expectations, and I thought he did an excellent job against a really tricky, technical Orlando team. That’s just the nature of MLS. You think you have one good opponent out of the way, and the next one is breathing right down your neck. So it’s another good opponent for us this weekend.”

Another player to watch is newly acquired midfielder Indiana Vassilev, who also trained and is available for selection.

“I’ve followed a lot of clubs’ preseasons, and I’ve seen, you know, what’s been going on there. I’ve known Indy for a couple of years now, and I know what he brings on the field. I know what he brings off the field. He arrived here like he’s been playing with the team for six months already. So he’s easy to integrate within a new group, and he’s a good player within the philosophy. He’s available and ready to go.”

To gain further insight into FC Cincinnati, I reached out to Cliff Adams of Cincinnati Soccer Talk for his thoughts on the club and tomorrow’s match.

Heading into Pat Noonan and Chris Albright’s fourth season together, what are the club’s expectations for 2025? Have they changed since the offseason?

“When you inject multiple millions into your team, the expectations change. Albright and Noonan played the hand they were dealt quite well, and with a few modifications, they landed us the Shield. Cincinnatians will be rightfully nervous about big splash acquisitions, but there’s no question we’re ALL IN. You simply have to respect the ownership’s guts.”

What early impact have signings like Evander, Denkey, and Orellano had?

“I watched three wooden spoons, so it took a bit before we could trust the team to manufacture wins. This product is a definite echelon well above anything we’ve had before.”

What are key areas to watch in Saturday’s match?

“It’s always a respectful contest. I expect it to open cautiously, but after halftime, the game will open up. I predict a 2-2 draw.”

Heading into the match, the Union have three wins, one loss, and two draws all-time at home during the regular season against FC Cincinnati, holding an 11-5 goal difference. However, recent results—2-2 in 2023 and a 2-1 loss in 2024—show that Noonan and company can hold their own at Subaru Park.

Despite last year’s struggles, the Union will look to restore Subaru Park as a fortress, and Carnell is excited about the opportunity.

“I’m excited. As an opponent coming here for many years, I always hated the Doop song. Now I can’t wait for the Doop,” Carnell said. “We just want to play and maintain the momentum we have right now.”

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and will be available on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

Main Photo Credit: Philadelphia Union