Chester — Coming off a thrilling shootout win over the Chicago Fire to open the first of a best-of-three series in the MLS Cup Playoffs, the Philadelphia Union head back on the road for one last time this season for Game 2 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, looking to close out this first-round matchup between the two sides.
Game 1 saw the Union jump out to a two-goal lead in the second half at Subaru Park thanks to goals from Indiana Vassilev and Milan Iloski, only to have it washed away late due to goals from Jonathan Bamba and former Union center back Jack Elliott — both from set pieces — to hand Philadelphia its first blown two-goal lead since May 24 against Inter Miami, when the Union let a 3-1 advantage slip away.
“Credit to them,” said Carnell about Chicago’s comeback. “They gave us a really good game, and I think they took some space later on in the game, and we gave away two silly set-piece moments. But you know, that’s something we can control, and we should have, or could have, done a better job on that. And for sure, it’s a topic for us going into the next game.”
And yes, credit must be given to a Chicago side that has yet to be defeated since September 25 against New York City at home (technically a draw, even though the Union won on penalties). But Carnell remains confident in his side’s performance.
“I said after the game went our way,” said Carnell when asked about his thoughts on Sunday’s match. “You know, they defended really deep. And it’s always tough to break down a block within any league, any team, and in the world of soccer. And to go 2-0 up shows our strengths, and that’s what we’re going to feed off — our strengths and the way we got that advantage and built up those moments.”
It’s certainly an advantage the Union want to capitalize on Saturday afternoon as they look to replicate their regular-season road result — a 1-0 win thanks to a Bruno Damiani goal and a strong defensive showing.
As for whether Gregg Berhalter will go with a back four, as he did against Orlando City, or a back five like in Game 1, that remains to be seen. For Bradley Carnell, it’s more about focusing on what his side can control heading into the match.
“We’re a team who’s built on principles, as we’ve always spoken about,” he said. “So we’ll focus on us and our principles. And you know, if the game goes 20 seconds long, I can show you four different shapes and formations within 20 seconds. It’s just semantics of where positioning is. You blink once, you blink twice, and the formation has already changed. And then, obviously, there are teams in possession and out of possession — there are different formations as well. So for me, that’s why principle — principle — is always the way to go.”
While the outcome remains to be seen, Carnell did mention the squad is fully healthy. That includes Jeremy Rafanello and Mikael Uhre, who, according to Carnell, had been dealing with a knee issue but looks fully ready to go. Whether Uhre starts or Rafanello sees action remains to be seen.
For Chicago, Sergio Oregel will miss the match due to the red card he received for punching Kai Wagner in the last match. The Fire appealed the decision, but it was denied by the league. As for Philip Zinckernagel, who suffered an injury during warm-ups last match, there’s been no official word on his availability, though he did not appear in the injury report Friday evening.
As for whether Carnell sees the match going similar to Game 1?
“I don’t have a crystal ball, not sure you know,” he said. “So all I know is we have one advantage in the series, right? So we have a massive moment to tie it up in two matches. So this is our full focus.”
A final thought: Since MLS adopted the best-of-three format back in 2023, Game 1 winners have gone on to win Game 2 ten out of sixteen times, advancing 63 percent of the time. So while there’s still work to be done, the odds are in Philadelphia’s favor. Time will tell how the results actually turn out.
The match is scheduled for Saturday, November 1, with a 5:30 p.m. kickoff. The match 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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