Chester – Coming off a 3-0 victory against D.C. United at home last Saturday afternoon and currently riding a two-game winning streak, the Philadelphia Union head north of the border to face CF Montréal this coming Saturday. The match marks the start of a potentially crowded May schedule for Bradley Carnell and his squad.

A Busy May Schedule Lies Ahead

With CF Montréal up first, Philadelphia kicks off a month in which they are guaranteed eight matches—and potentially nine—should they beat Indy Eleven next week in the U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 and advance to the Round of 16 later this month.

Speaking with the media on Thursday, Philadelphia Union head coach Bradley Carnell addressed the challenging schedule ahead in May.

“It’s a tricky schedule for sure. You know, I think potentially nine games, eight guaranteed games, and hopefully a ninth in 31 days. So, we’re going to need everybody on board. And I think you know what we’ve been preaching since day one is sticking together and playing together. And everyone’s got a chance and everyone’s been getting minutes. You know, we use our subs a lot, guys are coming back from a fitness point of view in terms of health wise. I think the bus is pretty full and that is important.”

The bus will indeed have to be full for Philadelphia, who currently sit in third place with 19 points, if they want to navigate this congested month and remain toward the top of the Eastern Conference table. Here’s what Philadelphia’s potential May schedule looks like:

• Saturday, May 3, 2025: at CF Montréal
• Wednesday, May 7, 2025: vs. Indy Eleven
• Saturday, May 10, 2025: vs. Columbus
• Wednesday, May 14, 2025: vs. LA Galaxy
• Saturday, May 17, 2025: at Atlanta
• May 20–21, 2025: U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 (vs. NYCFC or Pittsburgh Riverhounds)
• Saturday, May 24, 2025: vs. Inter Miami
• Wednesday, May 28, 2025: at Toronto
• Saturday, May 31, 2025: at Dallas

With matches potentially every Wednesday and Saturday this month—and four out of the final five on the road—Philadelphia’s depth will be tested. Carnell is aware of the challenge but remains optimistic.

“I think we’ve had a vast group who have continuous Union II minutes. And I think there’s such a good synergy between our team and Ryan Richter’s team, so it’s really interchangeable. And I think, a bunch of those guys train with us week in and week out. So I don’t think it’s as, you know, stark as what it looks like on the outside. I think there’s a good synergy between all both groups. I think the players are in a good way. I think they’re getting continuous minutes. And if they don’t, we put them through their paces on Match Day plus ones, you know, Match Day minus threes, for example. So yeah, we feel that there’s not a real disconnect in terms of minutes and volume.”

Trying to Break Through in Montréal

While depth and rotation will be key this month, the Union have a specific task on Saturday: take care of business in Montréal.

CF Montréal has endured a rough start to the 2025 season. The club sits tied with the LA Galaxy at the bottom of the league standings with just three points from 10 league matches (0-3-7). In March, Montréal parted ways with head coach Laurent Courtois after just over one season and appointed assistant Marco Donadel as interim head coach.

Despite their struggles, Montréal has traditionally been a tough venue for the Union. In 16 all-time MLS matches in Canada, Philadelphia has managed only three wins, two draws, and nine losses. The Union did win there in 2022, but they dropped points in both 2023 and 2024, coming away empty-handed each time—something Carnell and company hope to change.

“It’s a tough trip, tough environment to go play at. And then they are trending in the right direction. So, for us, all eyes are on Montréal, and everyone has to be sort of in the mindset and the right frame of mind to to tackle that game in the right way.”

Montréal does appear to be finding form in the Canadian Championship. On Wednesday, they advanced to the quarterfinals after a 2-2 draw with Toronto FC, winning on penalties.

Player availability was not confirmed at the time of this writing. However, Carnell did say Alejandro Bedoya will return after missing last Saturday’s match with an illness.

Clark and Carnell Reunite (Sort Of)

While wins have been hard to come by for Montréal, there is talent on the roster. One notable player is midfielder Caden Clark, a former New York Red Bulls player who worked with Carnell during his time as an assistant and briefly interim head coach in 2021.

“Yeah, great connection with with Caden, and I remember battling with the higher ups at Red Bulls back in the day, I think was just just after COVID, when we started playing. I remember scrambling around to get paperwork done. We were away in Atlanta. We gave him his debut Atlanta, and he scored on debut. So I have great memories of Caden. And I think there’s a common mutual respect and friendship there, because, we have a good road together.”

“He’s a great soccer player, you know. And he’s finding his niche. He’s finding his market now where he feels most comfortable, and he’s found a system and a shape of play now in Montréal that he’s starting to find the form that put him on the map. And he’s a danger, for sure. He runs a lot. He’s very technical. He’s brave to make final plays. And you know, he’s a good asset to Montréal.”

Clark has yet to score this season, but as Carnell noted, he’s a player the Union must monitor closely.

If the Union stay focused and grab three points on Saturday, it would provide momentum going into a busy month and help them stay in the Eastern Conference title race.

The match is scheduled for Saturday, May 3, at 7:30 p.m. and will be available on Apple TV as part of the MLS Season Pass

Main Article Photo Courtesy of the Philadelphia Union