CHESTER, Pa. — The Philadelphia Union return home on Saturday evening to face off against MLS Eastern Conference foe D.C. United for the second time this season since their 1-0 defeat at Audi Field back on Matchday 1. The Union will be looking for their first home victory in league play of 2026 as the squad looks to build momentum off its 2-1 victory last Saturday over CF Montreal in a thrilling second-half comeback.

But for Philadelphia Union head coach Bradley Carnell, he knows that last Saturday was just one win and the team still has a lot of work ahead of them.

“I mean, it’s three points,” he said when asked if the mood had changed in practice after the win. “I think we’ve built such a high standard for ourselves and built high expectations, but that does not mean by any means, you’re going to be automatically guaranteed points on the board, right? I think you can see every team is highly motivated when they play us, and we always have to expect their best.”

“We know the competition is always getting higher and the levels are getting better here in the MLS,” Carnell mentioned. “So you know, it’s another case of focusing on us and the things we can control. And yeah, that’s what we have to do, and it’s just three points. The standard that we’ve been playing at is not at our level, and it’s not where we want to be. But, I’m proud of the boys for, you know, fighting, and I’m proud of the boys for getting everything or doing everything to get a result in Montreal, it’s a team that’s fighting for their lives.”

The club will certainly need to continue to fight for their lives, as they have yet to win a league match at Subaru Park and have been outscored 5-3 in their home matches so far this year, all coming in one-goal losses.

So while the results have not gone their way and the performances have not always looked their best, as I have shared during the course of this early season, and while many, myself included, could say that part of that is due to the constant rotation of the squad and lineups on matchday, the same could be said for 2025 when the Union seemed to bring out a different pairing or starting eleven each matchday.

Still, however, Carnell does recognize the need for consistency in certain areas should this squad continue to improve.

“We’re trying to build levels of consistency,” he said when about asked if he is starting to figure out his preferred pairings yet. “I think you can look at the lineups last year in 34 match days, how many different starting lineups there were and when you when you have a strong core and a strong identity and a strong philosophy, you can believe in the next man up. But then over the last couple of weeks you have to start to try and build all right, what gives us the best chance to get a clean sheet? That’s where we, you know, close out games or just stop the bleeding a little bit.”

D.C. United comes into the match fresh off being eliminated from the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in the Round of 32 following a 3-3 draw before losing in penalties, 6-5, to defending USL League One champion One Knoxville SC on Wednesday. They will certainly be looking to bounce back from that disappointment.

Though since their Matchday 1 victory over Philadelphia, United has only been able to earn one other win and a draw in their other seven matches and have scored just four goals as a team so far this season.

Though the results have not always gone their way, and based on the standings and goal totals they have fared slightly better than Philadelphia to this point, Rene Weiler’s squad has faced a similar fate as the Union in that their squad has lost three out of their four matches by one goal as well.

Add to the fact that only Inter Miami and FC Dallas have been able to score more than one goal against D.C., and you have a defense that, while they are not scoring at a great rate, is defending well — something Carnell has noticed as well.

“They don’t give up many chances, right? So it’s a 4-4-2, how they defend,” he responded when asked about United’s defense. “And they have some competitors in the back line, and you know, they have some feisty pieces on the field, you know. So we have to match that intensity.”

“But yeah, they don’t give up much, and it’s up to us to use our chances, and we’ve identified a few spaces where we feel that we can reap rewards and benefit, and hopefully those come to fruition on game day. But yeah, there’s no easy games anymore.”

D.C. could say the same, however, as their leading scorer in former Union striker Tai Baribo is currently listed as questionable ahead of tomorrow’s match. Baribo, who has three of United’s four goals on the season, has been dealing with a thigh injury and has been absent from their last two matches. He is listed as questionable on the league’s player availability report.

“Hope it’s nothing serious,” said Carnell when asked about Baribo. “We always want to face the best opponents, and DC, with Tai Baribo is certainly a force to be reckoned with. So, you know, we preparing and planning accordingly. And again, we can’t control what we cannot control. So whether he’s in the building, traveling or not, that’s a narrative we cannot drive and control.”

On the injury front for United, they will be without Hakim Karamoko, Sean Nealis, and Gabe Segal. Forward Luis Munteanu is also listed as questionable for this match.

As for the home side, Agustin Anello is still out as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury. However, Carnell did provide an update.

“He’s in that little space right now, and it’s been, I think, five weeks now, post Atlanta. So yeah, we’re getting to the nearest stages. But again, I’m not putting any pressure on him. We’re just trying to work in accordance with the medical team to get him the right type of treatment, the right type of ball work, and get him sort of freedom of thought within his body.”

Regardless of who is in the lineup on Saturday, one should expect perhaps another low-scoring and highly contested match that, should the Union manage to come out ahead, will go a long way in digging themselves out of this slow start and perhaps begin to move up the table in the MLS Eastern Conference.

The match is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. start from Subaru Park and will be available on Apple TV.

Main article photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Union