CHESTER, Pa. — On Sunday, the Philadelphia Union will face their final opponent ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup break as they are set to face Inter Miami CF at the brand new NU Stadium on Sunday evening.
The match will be the final match for the Union and other clubs, as MLS is pausing during the World Cup, meaning this will be the last game until Philadelphia hosts the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday, July 22.
Meeting with the press on Friday afternoon, Philadelphia Union head coach Bradley Carnell praised their weekend opponent and added that this was one of the best versions of Inter Miami he has seen.
“I say that with the highest respect, ” said Carnell speaking to the media about the opponent. “You know, the most polished and best Miami team that I’ve seen since their expansion, right? They’re more, they’re younger, they’re dynamic, you know, and they can hurt you.”
“Their pressing metrics are pretty good up high, and they hunt the ball, so defensively they’ve invested a lot too, and then you go a layer deeper with the De Paul and Bright, who are very combative, and then they got gamers on the last line as well. They’ve signed strategically, which has made them a whole lot better, because then you put the star power and the firepower up front, and that’s when you can see where it all comes together, and it clicks together.”
The defending MLS Cup champions’ season has not been perfect, though the club currently sits in fourth place in the MLS Supporters’ Shield standings with 28 points and a record of 8 wins, 4 draws, and only 2 losses.
However, it has not gone without some bumps in the road after an impressive winter transfer window that saw them bring in the likes of Sergio Reguilón from the English Premier League, Dayne St. Clair from Minnesota United, and Germán Berterame from CF Monterrey by paying his reported $15 million buyout clause, while keeping the likes of Rodrigo De Paul, Tadeo Allende, and others as the club looked to improve and replace the likes of Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, who retired in the offseason.
Though after Inter Miami’s exit in the Round of 16 of the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup by Nashville SC and Javier Mascherano stepping down for personal reasons on April 14, the vibes around the club perhaps were a bit off despite getting results in the league. Guillermo Hoyos, the club’s sporting director, was announced as the new head coach for the squad’s upcoming matches.
Miami’s recent run of form heading into the match on Sunday could also play a factor. Currently on a three-game unbeaten run and coming off their first win at NU Stadium last weekend in a 2-0 result against the Portland Timbers, Philadelphia’s opponent looks to continue that run of results heading into the break.
Headlined by none other than Lionel Messi (12 goals and 5 assists), who again has been the focal point of Inter Miami’s success in attack, along with Berterame (5 goals and 2 assists) and Luis Suárez (3 goals and 1 assist), contributing to the squad’s league-leading 33 goals through 14 matches, Inter Miami will prove to be a strong challenge for Philadelphia’s defense, which has allowed 24 goals so far in 2026.
However, Carnell knows that trying to stop Messi alone cannot solely be the focal point should the squad hope to be victorious on Sunday.
“They’ve got other names on the field, though. I just mentioned that earlier on with all the star firepower that they do have now, and you know, they’re dynamic in every phase of play. It’s not just the one phase, and they can hurt you, right? And the worst thing is, and I always say this against the teams that have the big, big stars, the worst thing is, is when we have the ball, that’s the worst thing, because you know there’s Suarez, Messi, Berterame, they’re all just hanging out, and then all of a sudden they come to life in the transition, so, and that’s where they lethal, right, but yeah, we have a plan.”
Defensively, Inter Miami is a bit of a mystery as they have conceded 24 goals so far this season, the same as Philadelphia, and can be exploited in transition as Orlando City did at times in their 4-3 win over Inter Miami, something Carnell will try to exploit and capitalize on.
“Who makes the least mistakes in the 90 minutes, and who can capitalize on moments and mistakes going in the other direction, and we’ve seen, both teams do give up a lot in terms of some shots and here and there, and what have you. We’re looking to capitalize on certain moments, but again, they’re a good team.”
Philadelphia will need to have a strong performance defensively and in attack if they hope to succeed, and they may have to do so with some key pieces potentially missing. Carnell mentioned in his press conference that Japhet Sery Larsen (shoulder) is still working his way back, as is Jesús Bueno (hip). Indiana Vassilev took a knock to the head in practice, and his status remains questionable, while Stas Korzeniowski hurt his knee in Union II’s last match.
As for Frankie Westfield (hip), Carnell mentioned that it’s a “race against the clock” for him and was listed on the player status reports ahead of Sunday’s match.
Another key loss for Sunday is center back Olwethu Makhanya, who will miss the match due to yellow card accumulation after picking up a yellow card in stoppage time of the first half of Philadelphia’s 1-1 draw with Columbus last Saturday.
While his loss will be felt, the young South African and the club got some positive news on Thursday afternoon when Makhanya was named to South Africa’s 32-member preliminary squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
According to the press release sent out by the Philadelphia Union’s PR staff:
The 22-year-old center back will have the opportunity to compete for a place on the final 26-player roster, which is set to be announced on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. The team will assemble in Johannesburg on Monday, May 25, before continuing preparations for the tournament, including a FIFA World Cup send-off match against Nicaragua at Orlando Stadium on Friday, May 29.
“It’s amazing for him,” Carnell said when asked about this opportunity. “I mean, yeah, I think it’s a little bit too late. You know, it’s great that he’s in the picture now, but I think he’s been doing this for the last 7 months.”
“I think a call up earlier would have been warranted and well deserved. The call up is now very well deserved and very mature that it’s come when it did. But everyone’s excited and obviously he can’t participate this weekend, he’s suspended, so he can now just turn his attention to full focus to whatever camp he’s invited to, wherever it is in Johannesburg, and then play a scrimmage, I believe, before that final roster is announced, and we wish him well, and all the best. But you know, I know he’s going to smash it.”
With him out for Sunday as well, look for the Union to turn toward center back Geiner Martinez, who has started the last three matches for the injured Sery Larsen. “Geiner has been amazing, just from where he was when he got here to where he is now,” said Bradley when asked about the center back situation. “I mean, he’s a great character, he’s actually, you know, rallies the guys along and keeps the energy going, and he’s a very physical player, and we’re trying to work with him in many different ways, and I think you can see the development that’s taken now in the last two three months, he’s hit another level, and which is great.”
Look for Nathan Harriel to remain flexible along that back line along with Ben Bender, Philippe Ndinga, or Olivier Mbaizo in one of the outside back roles depending on who is available.
Another player to keep an eye on is Union II’s Kellan LeBlanc, son of former Union II manager Marlon LeBlanc, who was seen training with the first team on Friday. While not uncommon, as he, Jordan Griffin, and others like Malik Jakupovic do get opportunities throughout the week according to Carnell, the Union head coach did praise him and said Vassilev’s status could allow the young academy player the opportunity to travel with the first team.
“He’s earned that reward, and you know, he’s very good in his last game as well (with Union II),” Carnell mentioned when asked about him at Friday team training. “So, yeah, I think it’s just part of who we stand for and what we are as a club. So I mean it’s great with the youngsters being around. What’s even better is the acknowledgement of the first team guys and saying, “Hey, that kid’s not too bad,” or “Hey, look at that action,” or you know. So, and that’s the peers recognizing good work, and that makes me happy, because Richter’s doing a great job, you know, and then they come here with the principles in mind, and they don’t skip a beat, so you know, brings intensity, it brings hunger to our group, and it shows off a lot of quality as well.”
Whether or not he actually makes the matchday roster remains to be seen, but it again goes to what we have seen with Carnell over the past season in giving young players opportunities at times.
Philadelphia has never beaten Inter Miami since the arrival of Messi, and Carnell knows going into the match that the home side will be favored. However, he believes in his squad regardless of who they are playing.
“We have our hands full for sure, but I think we’re going to be brave, and we were excited about this game,” he said. “You know, we’ve always, I’ve always said in terms of the names on the back of the shirts, never interested me, and it got me a long way in my career, and whether that’s as a player or as a coach, you’re always coming up against better, right? And this is the best of the best. So you know, in a moment where no one expects from us anything, this is maybe the moment that we can strike.”
Here is to seeing if they can strike heading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup break.
The match is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. kickoff from NU Stadium and will be available on Apple TV, Fox, and Fox Deportes.
Main photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Union
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