Chester – The Philadelphia Union head back on the road for another difficult test against an MLS Eastern Conference opponent when they face the Columbus Crew and former teammate Daniel Gazdag on Sunday evening. They’ll be looking to keep their unbeaten run intact during the second of three consecutive road matches to close out June and begin July.
However, for Philadelphia Union head coach Bradley Carnell, he’s looking forward to Sunday’s match against coaching colleague Wilfried Nancy and is eager for the challenge.
“I think we’ve known each other quite well now over the years, and it’s always fun coming up against Wilfried’s teams. And always tip my hat in respect to Wilfried and the winning nature of his teams and the way they play and the fluidity and the flexibility they go about it. You know, it’s always very inspiring, so it’s a great challenge for us, and something we have to get up for and be excited about.”
Historically, Columbus, Ohio has not been the kindest destination for Philadelphia, with the club earning only two wins and four draws in 16 MLS matches. The last Union victory came back on August 24, 2016, in a 2-1 win that saw Fabian Herbers score the opening goal and Keegan Rosenberry deliver the game-winner in the 74th minute. Since then, the Union have only managed a few draws, with their last road point against the Crew coming in 2023 during a 1-1 draw.
Last season, the Union fell to Columbus at Lower.com Field despite goals from Nathan Harriel and former Union midfielder Jack McGlynn in a 3-2 loss during the final stretch of the season, which saw the Union miss the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
Earlier this season, Columbus and Philadelphia drew 2-2 at Subaru Park thanks to a Sean Zawadzki stoppage time goal.
“I remember talking to the boys, then, you know, we’re going to score late in games, and we’re going to concede late in games,” said Carnell. “It’s just part of the nature of the game. And there’s certain key moments, and soccer is a game of mistakes, and teams and players benefit off of others’ mistakes, and sometimes we’ll be the benefactor, and sometimes we’ll be on the receiving end. So, and I think you’ve seen it since then, and I’m quite happy that we’ve been on more of the advantages of those events, coming out on the other side.”
But 2025 has been different—at least so far. Following the club’s 1-0 win in Chicago on Wednesday, the Union are now tied for the fifth-fastest team in MLS history to reach 40 points, doing so in just 19 matches. They lead the Supporters’ Shield standings by four points heading into this weekend’s contest and the rest of the MLS slate.
If the Union are to earn points in Columbus for the first time since 2023 against Nancy’s squad, they’ll need to replicate the formula from Wednesday, likely doing so with key players missing. Carnell offered a few hints during his Friday press conference ahead of Sunday’s match.
Tai Baribo is progressing, but based on Bradley’s comments, it may be too soon for him to see the field. Mikael Uhre is also progressing well, but it sounds like he too will miss Sunday’s match. That would also leave Frankie Westfield and Olivier Mbaizo out, based on what the Union head coach suggested. It remains to be seen if Alejandro Bedoya—who was crucial in the Union’s three points in Chicago—or someone else will get the nod at right back.
One player who will definitely be out on Sunday is Philadelphia’s All-Star center back Jakob Glesnes, who picked up a late yellow card in Chicago and will be suspended for the Columbus match.
With the roster already thin defensively, look for Union Homegrown Neil Pierre to potentially make his first appearance in Columbus. Carnell addressed that possibility when asked what he has seen from the Homegrown center back.
“So every fit player who’s ready has put their hands up, whether that’s been at the Next Pro level or also with us in training and just showing the best versions of themselves. And, I think you saw against Atlas, Neil made a good account of himself and represented Union II yesterday as well. So you know, we’re taking things, all things, into consideration, and we’ll make the right call at the right time.”
Should Pierre feature alongside fellow center back Olwethu Makhanya, it would be the first time the two have paired up since the heartbreaking 3-2 defeat in last year’s MLS Next Pro Cup Championship against North Texas. However, the duo were vital during the 2024 Union II season, helping the second team win the MLS Next Pro Eastern Conference title.
Carnell added that Andre Blake is back from his national team call-up with Jamaica and that Jesús Bueno and Danley Jean Jacques have been training well, so look for them to potentially play a role in Sunday’s match as well.
The match is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. from Lower.com Field and will be available on Apple TV+ as part of the MLS Season Pass.
Main Article Photo Courtesy of the Philadelphia Union
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