Chester — Saturday night at Subaru Park is shaping up to be a memorable one as the Philadelphia Union close out their home slate of the 2025 MLS regular season against NYCFC. With the Chicago Fire defeating Inter Miami on Tuesday evening, the Union now have a chance to secure more than just three points on Saturday. A victory would clinch the club’s second Supporters’ Shield in team history.
Inter Miami’s defeat opened the door for Philadelphia. A win would put the Union at 66 points, while the most Miami could reach if they won out is 65 — the same as LAFC if they were to win all their remaining matches as well.
Vancouver, who just clinched the Canadian Championship on Wednesday by defeating Vancouver F.C., could also reach 66 points if they were to win out. However, even in that scenario, Philadelphia would win the Shield on total wins, finishing with 20 compared to a maximum of 19 for the Whitecaps.
While there are many other scenarios that could play out, the simplest path for Carnell and his squad is to take care of business tomorrow. As the head coach emphasized in his weekly press conference, it comes down to maintaining the same mentality that carried the club to this point.
“Can we stay the hunters, as opposed to the hunted?” Carnell exclaimed when talking about the approach to the match. “We’ve always come up with different ways to push the season where it hasn’t felt comfortable. Even though we were always in a comfortable position, there’s never been a bit of comfort in these walls. So there’s always been some added driving initiatives to keep the competition, to keep it humble, to keep it on the ground and just moving one step at a time.”
That’s the mindset Philadelphia will need against Pascal Jansen’s NYCFC, who have proven a challenge for opponents all season. Sitting third in the Eastern Conference with 53 points, City have won four of their last five, including a 3-2 Hudson River Derby victory over the New York Red Bulls last weekend. They’ll be eager to play spoiler in Chester.
“They’re feisty, they’re edgy, they’re one v one dynamic is excellent, and they have a real good attacking threat,” Carnell said of NYCFC. “So have we got ways and means to go around that for sure, and we’ve shown it a bunch of times this year. Listen, it’s two good teams, and we said there’s tight margins. They don’t give up too much and they create a lot.”
NYCFC’s attack runs through Alonso Martínez and Hannes Wolf, who account for 28 of the team’s 49 goals this season. Veteran midfielder Maxi Moralez remains a dangerous playmaker whenever the ball is at his feet.
Former Union goalkeeper Matt Freese also figures to be in net. The homegrown product was part of Philadelphia’s first Shield-winning squad in 2020, and surely would like to avoid watching his former club celebrate another title at his expense. Freese has enjoyed another strong season and has even played his way into consideration for the USMNT’s 2026 World Cup roster.
For the Union, the week brought difficult injury news. Quinn Sullivan, who exited last weekend’s match in D.C., is out for the season with an ACL injury. Jeremy Rafanello remains sidelined with a hamstring issue, while both Indiana Vassilev and Mikael Uhre — major contributors in last week’s 6-0 rout of D.C. United — are listed as questionable.
If Vassilev cannot go, expect Milan Iloski to fill the midfield role. Carnell also pointed to Ben Bender as a late-season option, praising his growing versatility. Danley Jean Jacques could also push forward into the 10 role, as he did late in the D.C. match. Cavan Sullivan may also get minutes, potentially stepping in for his older brother.
There is good news for Philadelphia as well. Kai Wagner is available for selection, and leading scorer Tai Baribo is back to pair with Bruno Damiani, who has been in fine form with goals in three of the last four matches.
The Union will also benefit from their home crowd. Subaru Park is expected to be near or at sellout capacity, which could give the hosts an added edge.
“I’m excited to hear, hopefully it’s a sellout, and have the fans as loud as they can be for the full 90,” said Carnell.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. in Chester. Fans unable to attend can watch the action live on Apple TV+ through MLS Season Pass.
Main article photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Union
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