Chester – For the first time since 2018, the Philadelphia Union are in the Round of 16 in the U.S. Open Cup as they host USL Championship side Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Wednesday night at Subaru Park, with the opportunity to advance to the quarterfinals.

Speaking with the media on Tuesday, Philadelphia Union Head Coach Bradley Carnell knows what is at stake when both teams take the pitch.

“I think there’s a little bit of pride at stake. And they’ve got a lot to prove. We want to continue our journey. It’s always the massive game for them that I think they’re the furthest, non MLS team that’s got to this point now. They are having a great run. And we told the boys, no sense in any underestimation, because we went through what we did to get to this point last time around against Indy Eleven. So, by no means are we going to, let the guards down, for example. So yeah, this is a serious game, and we’re treating it as such.”

This matchup of two Keystone State teams will be the first time that these squads have faced each other, as the Riverhounds advanced from the Round of 32 after knocking off NYCFC 1-0 in the 96th minute on the lone goal of the contest by Beto Ydrach.

In the USL Championship, things have not gone Pittsburgh’s way so far this season. They currently sit in 8th place in the Championship’s Eastern Conference with 2 wins, 2 draws, and 5 losses to date, scoring the second-fewest goals in the league with 6 — just one ahead of Hartford Athletic, who currently sit at 5 goals on the season.

However, defensively, the club has fared a little better — currently tied for the fifth-fewest goals conceded, with 10 allowed through 10 matches. And Carnell knows that stats and records go out the window in these types of competitions.

“they’re very aggressive. They have the highest pressures in the USL, they supply dangerous balls in the box. They’re a good crossing team. There’s a lot of things that they got going for them. So, it’s an opponent we have to take really seriously tomorrow.”

When looking at more Pennsylvania ties ahead of tomorrow, one must not forget Pittsburgh’s head coach, Bob Lilley. Lilley grew up in south-central PA in Carlisle. After a collegiate career at George Mason, Lilley played indoor soccer locally starting in 1988 for the Hershey Impact and the Harrisburg Heat, among others.

After his retirement, Lilley began coaching, starting with then USL-League A side Hershey Wildcats for a few seasons before heading to the Montreal Impact in 2002. In his 24 years of coaching, he has amassed a nearly 67 percent win percentage and over 100 wins in Pittsburgh, including winning the USL Championship Players’ Shield for the best record in the league in 2023.

“I think to stay in a position as long as he has, obviously a good coach,” Carnell said. “And obviously gets the buy in of his team over longevity, and that’s that’s a great mark of a good coach who’s able to adapt through the different years and the different seasons. So that’s credit to him, and what he’s done with this team now is be very competitive.”

On the Union side of things, Kai Wagner — who took a knock to the head on Saturday — is available, according to Bradley. Goalkeeper Andre Blake is still questionable with a knee injury. Carnell also mentioned Ian Glavinovich, though no further detail was provided.

Regardless of who is available and who is not, the Union head coach knows that in tomorrow night’s match, Pittsburgh will be the underdog — and they will be a challenge his squad must be ready for.

“I mean in some sense, you can always play free as the underdog. You know, you have no pressure. You have and I think that’s the way that they’re going to come out tomorrow. I think they just trying to continue their journey, and they’re proud of that journey so far. And you know, I think for us, we always have to make a result. We have to force a result. We have to force the issue in certain ways. And we can especially playing at home. We have to dictate the terms on our turf and, yeah, especially when we have the schedule that we’ve had up until now.”

The match is scheduled for Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. and will be available on Paramount Plus.

Main article photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Union