Chester — It could be a wet and stormy affair on Saturday night as the Philadelphia Union head to Fort Lauderdale to take on Inter Miami in what could be a very interesting early-season matchup between two of the top three teams in the Eastern Conference of MLS.

With national weather services calling for a 41% chance of stormy weather on Saturday and Sunday in the Broward County area at the time of this article, Union fans might mistake it for a home match, given how the weather has been in Chester over the past season or two for Philadelphia.

Jokes aside, this early-season match could continue to boost Carnell and company’s confidence should the Union find a way to walk out of Chase Stadium with a point or three this weekend. It would also give them some footing in the Eastern Conference playoff race, as the Union currently sit atop with 12 points — two points ahead of Inter Miami, which sits at 10 points, along with four other teams.

“This week’s going to be a big challenge for us, and we’re excited about the challenge,” said Philadelphia Union head coach Bradley Carnell in his weekly press conference.

However, Javier Mascherano’s squad had last weekend off during the international window. Should they find a way to get three points on Saturday, that would bump them to the top of the Eastern Conference with a game in hand. And regardless of Lionel Messi’s status — he is dealing with a mild adductor injury suffered in the club’s 2-1 victory over Atlanta United — this is a squad that has proven in the past it is dangerous without him.

“They are serial winners, and that’s what they are. They have a mentality in their group that they can step up to any game model you present to them. If they have to press, they’ll press. If they have to chase, they’ll chase. If they have to do something they don’t usually do, they can do it — and even more so this year, under Mascherano’s very impressive group.”

Union fans certainly need no reminder of this, as they remember all too well last June 15, when the Union blew a one-goal lead while up two men to fall 2-1 in that match. And while this is a new season, Mascherano’s squad still has firepower even without Messi. Look no further than Luis Suárez, who has four goals in eight matches; Telasco Segovia, with three goals in eight matches; and Tadeo Allende, who also has four goals in eight matches. Inter Miami can score at will and has only given up four goals through four MLS matches so far this season.

“We just have to prepare for what we can. We’ve been solving our own pieces of the puzzle this week and getting everybody back,” Carnell said. “Seeing who’s healthy, but yeah, we obviously focus on them, but not necessarily just the lineups and what they’re going to present to us. So again, we just go in there with a big task on hand.”

For the Union, they will welcome back MLS Golden Boot leader Tai Baribo from international duty with Israel. Daniel Gazdag, Danley Jean Jacques, Jesús Bueno — who is currently still in Venezuela but will meet the team in Florida, Bradley confirmed — Frankie Westfield, and Olwethu Makhanya also return from red card suspensions. Carnell will have a lot of options heading into this match and should feel confident coming off a grueling 1-0 victory last Saturday against St. Louis City.

One lingering question, however, is Andre Blake’s health status after his last match with Jamaica in their 3-0 victory over Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The Union keeper went down with an apparent knee injury but was able to finish the match and walk off the pitch. After missing a good portion of last season, Union fans may be wondering about the status of the three-time MLS Goalkeeper of the Year for Saturday’s match.

Carnell, however, did address the situation with his goalkeeper:

“He’s doing okay. We feel he should be ready to go. We’re just monitoring it day by day, but we feel in a good space that he’ll be able to go.”

Blake’s availability would be a boost for a Philadelphia team looking to get a win at Chase Stadium for the first time since July 2022, when the club won 2-1. Since then, Inter Miami has had the Union’s number, including last year’s 3-1 victory, in which the Union played well but conceded two second-half goals that proved to be the dagger late in the match. However, Carnell has had success against Miami, recording one win and one draw during his time at St. Louis City. As he has said multiple times, it’s a new year and a new chapter, so it will be interesting to see whether Philadelphia can continue its early-season momentum on Saturday.

“I just focus on our group right now and seeing what type of games we’re putting teams in. Every version, you know, we’re going to put the teams in. They have to adapt to our way. Well, I think we’ve proven over five games now that we can be competitive.”

One final note before I wrap up: The Philadelphia Union announced on Wednesday that they will host German Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt in an international friendly match at Subaru Park on Saturday, Aug. 2, at 5:30 p.m.

This could be fans’ opportunity to see former Philadelphia Union homegrown player Paxten Aaronson return to Subaru Park. Aaronson remains part of Frankfurt’s squad but is currently on loan to FC Utrecht.

The match counts as one of three bonus games for all Union full-season ticket members and is included in their memberships. Tickets go on sale to the general public on March 26.

Finally, if you are heading to the match, be sure to check out my travel article for recommendations on places to visit in Fort Lauderdale. The match will be this Saturday, March 29, at 7:30 p.m. and is available on Apple TV as part of the MLS Season Pass.

Main Article Photo Credit: Philadelphia Union