CHESTER, Pa.— After two road matches in a row for each, both the Philadelphia Union and Union II return home to Subaru Park this weekend in clashes with tough opponents at or near the top of the standings.

Union vs Nashville SC

Facing each other for the first time this season, the Union, currently sitting in last place (15th) host the first-place Nashville on Saturday at 7:30 PM. The Union (1-7-2) have yet to win at home in MLS play this season, and are desperately trying to get back on track. There were glimmers of hope when they beat Montreal on the road 2-1, shut out D.C. United at home 0-0, and drew Toronto 3-3 away, however they dropped a 2-0 decision at Columbus Crew last Saturday in a match marred by a few costly mistakes.

One positive to note is that Japhet Sery Larsen’s straight red card given at Columbus has been rescinded after the Union appealed, so the center back will be available for selection.

Nashville (7-1-1-) is coming off a 1-0 loss in Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal leg one this past Tuesday, and before that beat Charlotte 4-2. Sam Surridge, who has been on an absolute tear, leads the league in goals (9), which is equivalent to the total number of goals the Union as a team have scored in league play. However, Surridge was listed as “out” in the player status report Friday night with a “middle body” injury. Bradley Carnell pointed out the multiple weapons that Nashville has in their attack, not just Surridge.

“There’s a lot of things to think about. You know, I don’t think it’s only Surridge. I think they’ve made some key signings with[Cristian] Espinoza. I think [Hany] Mukhtar, you know, ages like red wine. You know, he gets better every year and and seems to never skip a beat. So, you know, he’s doing great as well,” Carnell said. “So, it’s the supply, it’s the service from the areas, wide areas, set pieces. I think [Surridge’s] hold up play is really good, you know. And then he’s a lethal finisher in the box. So blocking shots, taking space away, and there’s a lot to mitigate. But again, when that lineup pops out, we’ll be prepared in a way that we expect their best and plan for their best.”

With the midweek matches Nashville is currently dealing with, could there be squad rotation? Of course, but Bradley Carnell pointed out that Nashville is playing with a lot of confidence right now.

“If you focus only about the opponent, you know, we are playing the best team in the league right now, whether they have resting a player, whether they’re not, there’s depth in that team, there’s confidence in that team,” Carnell said. “There’s everything going for them right now. You know, we’ve had those feelings too. We know exactly how it is, whoever we roll out, it’s next man up.”

While the Union’s defense has been largely strong and the squad has had mostly low-scoring games, the lack of scoring, especially from the strikers, has been troublesome. They will need to get that attack going as they also look to counteract what Nashville will be bringing.

Two players that have been performing well have been Frankie Westfield and Jesús Bueno. Carnell indicated that Westfield, who was out of the lineup at Columbus due to an injury, was back in training and they would make a decision on him. He was not listed in the injury report. Bueno, who exited the Columbus match right before halftime with an ankle injury, was ruled out. At least getting Westfield back could be huge as, in this writer’s opinion, he has been one of the Union’s best and most consistent players this season.

It will be “Star Wars Night” at Subaru Park on Saturday, and if you are not able to make it to the stadium, the match can be viewed on AppleTV.

Union II vs Red Bull New York II

The Union’s second team returns home to Subaru Park on Sunday after a road trip that saw a 1-0 loss at Toronto FC II and a 2-1 victory at CT United. Union II has risen up in the standings to third in the Eastern Conference of MLS Next Pro at 14 points (4-2-1), and the young squad has been gaining steam.

On the win at CT United, head coach Ryan Richter mentioned the squad having difficulty during the first 20 minutes, but that they grew into the game. He noted that his players had better composure with the ball and buildup as it went, and they were able to create good opportunities.

“I was happy with how individuals adjusted to like what the style of the game was as it went on,” Richter said. “And overall, I thought it was a positive performance. And of course, two great goals that you know were good plays from the team in the build up, but the final actions were really good individual quality.”

After giving up an early goal, Union II did not put their heads down, and did not change their mindset. Instead, they grew into the game. Richter was proud of his squad’s response. “They kind of got going, gained confidence, got more control, and then started to create some really good situations. So I think the fact that they didn’t react in a negative way to going down on the road was was a really positive.”

That momentum will certainly be important for their upcoming match against a familiar foe. On Sunday, they will face Red Bull New York II (17 points, 5-0-2), who are in second and undefeated . In their last meeting, back in March on the road, Union II won the shootout after drawing 1-1. Richter and his squad are looking forward to hopefully executing better this time around. The first shot in that match for Union II was not until Lennon Harrington scored in the second half, and the attack was having trouble breaking through.

“Yeah, we’re excited for it,” Richter said of the matchup. “And I think the first game against Red Bull, you know, we did not play a good game. We ended up winning in a goal in a penalty shootout. And George [Marks], if you remember, had a number of big saves and was man of the match. And I think that says enough when the goalkeeper is man of the match. But there were a lot of opportunities for us to play, to be a lot more dangerous, and have a little bit more composure with the ball.”

What Union II did well against CT United was lacking when they played RBNY II the first time. “Defensively, it was okay. I would say goalkeeping fantastic, the attacking play, and not just the attackers, but the the composure and transition, the ability to find the free man, the ability to play forward quickly— this was lacking in the first game. So it’s a good test for us, because I think we’ve grown in all those areas since that last game. So now it’s a good test for us now against that opponent again, who brings real pressure, who counter presses aggressively. You know, have we actually gotten better at that? And here’s a here’s a nice measuring stick for that.”

Some key players in the match against CT United were the goal scorers Eddy Davis and Stas Korzeniowski, and Mamotou Berthé, who had his first MLS Next Pro assist on the second goal, and had a secondary assist on the first one.

On Davis, who had his first goal since August 31, 2025, Richter was very encouraged. “Yeah, he was dangerous in the game. He took his goal really well. I think he had two other big chances. One, the header, that it’s great movement to free himself, but he should score this, and he knows that. And then the situation in the second half where probably should have drawn a red card. It’s great timing to get behind and positioning between the two center backs and a good through ball by Matheus [De Paula]. So that’s what he can do. He has a real weapon, not just at this level, but at a higher level as well, with his pace. If he can read situations early and kind of get his timing to play off the shoulder of the last defender, like he can be really, really scary if he starts using that weapon that he has.”

That play that could have been a red card on the CT United player for pulling Davis down? Richter acknowledged that being a referee is a tough job, and with no VAR at the Next Pro level, it can be even more of a challenge. That being said, from what he saw, Davis had a clear path on goal to be 1v1 with the goalkeeper, and it should have been a red in his opinion.

“But ultimately, it’s you have to make these calls, because they affect games. And if we want these kids to learn, they have to be punished for the mistakes that they make, and say, for the center backs of Connecticut, they didn’t get punished in the way they probably should have for that mistake, right? And we want to put them in that situation, and you want to earn the rewards of getting in that situation, or else the game will lose all professionalism. So you have to make that call.”

Another player who had a strong game was Malian midfielder Mamoutou Berthé.

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Richter called it Berthé’s best game of the year, and like the team, he grew into the game after a rough early part. “He’s a great ball winner, but he also has a lot of soccer in him, and he started to bring that out, like kind of what we expected him. This was the first game where I saw him going to that level with the ball. So I was happy with a lot of lot of the plays he made, of course, the play that he makes on Stas’s goal, if you look, he wins the ball in in our defensive third, carries it out of pressure, plays a one, two. Good ball down the line for Stas. So it was an awesome individual played by him that led to Stas getting into that position. And then even on the first goal, he’s involved in build up, just being an option in possession, passing, moving, helping the team get the ball forward in the attacking players. So for him, definitely his best game in the season. And yeah, hopefully can he can build on that this weekend.”

As Union II get set to host RBNY II, one impressive stat is that they are tied in the East for the fewest goals conceded (6) and are second overall in Next Pro—as they were last season. Richter was not surprised about that with his squad, but he was definitely proud of them for it. He also stressed how much it is a reflection of the whole team.

“We’re all proud of it, and it’s not just to highlight the defenders or the goalkeeper. It’s the philosophy of the team. And you look the way our strikers are working against the ball. This is what leads to those kind of team statistics. It’s not just, you know, an outstanding performance and goal which there have great performances in the back line, which there have been, but it starts with the first pressure, and it starts with the way the midfielders are tracking runs and screening the middle and protecting their center backs and recovering when they have to defend the box, and then the other defenders and the goalkeeper doing their job as well. So it’s a team statistic that we’re proud of, and I hope that everyone in the team kind of looks at that as a positive and something that they’re a part of.”

Keeping dangerous players like Roald Mitchell and others from RBNY II from scoring will be an important task for the squad. They should certainly benefit from both the first and second team being home, so Richter may have a little more in the way of options for his lineup. Stay tuned for what that may be, and buckle up for what should most likely be a game with a lot of pressure from either side.

The match kicks off at 3:00 PM on Sunday, May 3 at Subaru Park. If you are unable to make it in person, you can catch the match on OneFootball or mlsnextpro.com.

Main article photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Union/ Union II.