Chester – The old saying goes: good teams find ways to win games. And that’s exactly what it took on Wednesday night in Chester for the Philadelphia Union. After conceding right before halftime to visiting CF Montréal to draw the match level at 1-1, Philadelphia ground out a 2-1 second-half victory thanks to a 50th-minute goal by Olwethu Makhanya, bringing the Union to 46 points on the season.

Reflecting on Thursday during his press conference, Philadelphia Union head coach Bradley Carnell spoke about his squad’s performance.

“Some games you have to work your way into the game and sometimes you need a reset at halftime. It’s just unfortunate, I think if we go in at one to zero, I think the sort of complexion of the game changes slightly. We knew Montreal is a very good team coming into it. They had seven points in their current stretch which put them way higher up the table if you just tracked from match day 18. We knew what what we were up against and Owusu who’s tracking in all the right reasons at the moment has scored now three or four on the bounce. But we found a way to win and that’s the most important thing.”

With the midweek match in the rearview, Carnell and company now head back to Texas for a Saturday evening matchup against MLS Western Conference opponent Houston Dynamo at Shell Energy Stadium.

Dynamo head coach Ben Olsen’s squad currently sits just outside the playoff race in 11th place in the Western Conference, only three points behind the 9th-place San Jose Earthquakes, who are on 29 points and also chasing playoff positioning.

Houston is coming off a 3-0 home loss on Wednesday night to the Vancouver Whitecaps, in which an early goal from Emmanuel Sabbi set the visitors on their way. It marked Houston’s second straight defeat and third in their last five matches.

For former Philadelphia Union homegrown midfielder Jack McGlynn, this will be the first time he faces his former club since being traded to Houston on February 3rd of this year, prior to the start of the MLS season. So far this year, McGlynn has tallied 3 goals and 5 assists in 20 matches across all competitions. He has displayed his playmaking abilities multiple times this season for both Houston and the U.S. national team. He’ll be one to watch on Saturday—especially on free kicks or when given space outside the 18, where he can remind his former team just how dangerous his left foot is.

Another player Philadelphia will need to be mindful of is Argentine forward Ezequiel Ponce, who leads Houston with 9 goals across all competitions. He’s a dangerous threat anytime he gets inside the penalty area, and the Union defense will need to stay sharp to neutralize the Dynamo’s key playmakers.

For Bradley Carnell, Saturday marks the fourth time he has faced Ben Olsen. The two met previously during Carnell’s time at St. Louis City, with Carnell winning once and drawing twice. He’ll look to maintain that unbeaten record with his new club. Historically, Philadelphia has struggled in Texas, posting just 3 wins and 7 losses in league play. While Union fans may remember the 2018 U.S. Open Cup loss to Houston, Philadelphia did win the last league meeting between the two clubs in 2018 by a 3-1 scoreline on the road.

On a positive note, Mikael Uhre is back, and Carnell praised the Danish forward’s performance on Wednesday. With Tai Baribo and Bruno Damiani also available, the Union now have improved depth up front, allowing Carnell more flexibility with his lineup and substitutions—barring any last-minute surprises. If Jesús Bueno returns for Saturday, it may be the most complete the roster has been in some time.

“I think guys are confident to start or be competitive regardless who starts—that’s the first and foremost—and then that’s credit to the players because you know they’ve adapted to a situation here very well. The way we’re playing currently, they love who we are, they embrace who we are, and that gives chances for everyone because they know through the collective effort, we are strong.”

With several players nearing yellow card accumulation, Carnell may choose to rotate the lineup slightly—something he’s done regularly throughout the season. It will be a situation to monitor.

The match is scheduled for an 8:30 p.m. EST kickoff from Shell Energy Stadium on Saturday. If you’re not in Houston, you can catch the game on Apple TV+ as part of the MLS Season Pass.

Main Photo Article Courtesy of the Philadelphia Union