MIAMI — In their final match on Sunday evening before the World Cup break, the Philadelphia Union took on Lionel Messi and Inter Miami at NU Stadium, looking to end the first half of the MLS season on a positive note. And while they were, in the end, able to score four goals, it was not enough to keep Miami at bay, especially with a depleted back line.
The starting eleven saw a familiar face return as Frankie Westfield came back after missing the last few games with injury. Geiner Martinez started his fourth consecutive match at center back next to Nathan Harriel, with Ben Bender getting another opportunity at left back.
The midfield remained pretty much intact, with Jovan Lukic and Danley Jean Jacques in the defensive spots, while Cavan Sullivan and Agustín Anello patrolled the attacking positions in that group. For Anello, it would be his third start of the season.
Bruno Damiani and Milan Iloski received the start up top, marking the seventh time this season the duo paired up in the starting eleven.
On the bench, Jesús Bueno returned to action after missing the past several games. Union II’s Kellan LeBlanc received a short-term loan and appeared on the bench, marking the recent Union Academy graduate’s first appearance with the first team. One interesting omission was Malik Jakupovic, who did not play with the second team during Saturday’s 2-1 win over Atlanta United.
With the match kicking off, the Philadelphia Union found an early opportunity off a turnover, leading to an Iloski cross that Anello was unable to control before it was cleared out by Miami’s defense.
Philadelphia would do something they have not done much this year: score first. Following a nifty play by Sullivan to find Westfield crashing into the 18, Frankie’s awareness on the play allowed him to flick a header onto a running Iloski, who blasted a shot past Inter Miami’s Dayne St. Clair, giving Philadelphia a 1-0 lead in the fourth minute.
Philadelphia continued to punish Inter Miami by finding space in transition. Westfield, continuing his impressive start to the match, sent a long pass forward for Iloski, making it a foot race between him and St. Clair for the free ball. In the moment, the Miami goalkeeper made a misplay on the ball, taking down Iloski in the process and awarding Philadelphia a penalty kick.
Iloski converted the chance, giving Philadelphia a two-goal lead 10 minutes into the match.
Inter Miami got on the board in the 13th minute in what was a wild first 15 minutes of the match. Rodrigo De Paul broke through a 1-on-4 situation, laying off the pass, only for Bender to intercept but fail to control the ball, turning it over to Lionel Messi, who crossed it to a wide-open Germán Berterame, beating Blake to draw the match within one in the 13th minute.
The wild first half did not slow down as the Union tallied their third goal of the match. Following a Westfield shot that St. Clair saved but was unable to control, the ball spilled to a waiting Damiani, who pounced on the loose ball for his first MLS goal of 2026 in the 24th minute, giving Philadelphia a 3-1 lead. It was a moment for Damiani that had taken months to achieve, and the significance for him was clear by the reaction of his teammates embracing him in the celebration.
In an already chaotic first half, things kept going. Luis Suarez chested a feed into him from Ian Fray, allowing him to spin around and half-volley a blast past Harriel and Blake, drawing the match to 3-2 in the 29th minute and tallying five goals in the first 30 minutes of the match.
Berterame and Suarez would continue to punish Philadelphia, scoring two minutes apart to give Inter Miami a 4-3 lead. Philadelphia, however, kept fighting in the match.
Following the fourth goal, Philadelphia’s attack created three solid opportunities, forcing St. Clair to make three great saves on the Union’s attempts.
Philadelphia, however, would find a way to equalize the match. Following a handball from Reguilon off a Sullivan cross, Inter Miami countered, leading to Luis Suarez scoring what some thought would be his third goal of the match as Miami pounced on the Union’s defense in transition, leading to De Paul slicing it in for Suarez, who nailed it home. However, on the play, De Paul was called for offside.
Referee Rosendo Mendoza, following the offside call, had VAR check the handball, and after review, Mendoza awarded Philadelphia their second penalty of the half.
Iloski, already on a brace, beat St. Clair once again to draw the match level at 4-4, giving him a first-half hat trick.
The eight goals in the first half set a new MLS record for most goals in a first half as both teams headed to the locker room after an insane opening 45 minutes.
“I think by going up as early as we did, I think that just, you know, gets them more frustrated, and gets them more engaged in the game, and gets them more willing to dig deeper,” Carnell said. “We had to make them dig real deep tonight, and that’s what I said. Great to the guys for digging deep, and we should have had four or five goals in that first half.”
Inter Miami almost retook the lead coming out of the gate in the second half, with Messi’s corner landing to Ian Fray, who hit the post before the ball was cleared by Philadelphia.
Philadelphia went to the bench in the 57th minute, subbing off Anello for Ezekiel Alladoh.
For a moment, the Union looked as though they may be awarded their third penalty of the match. However, on the buildup, Damiani was in an offside position, negating Mendoza’s call.
Sullivan came off for Alejandro Bedoya, and Jeremy Rafanello came in for Martinez, moving Lukic to center back. When asked if Martinez came off due to being on a yellow card, Carnell only added that it was something with his hamstring that led to the substitution.
Inter Miami almost had another goal in the 72nd minute as the crossbar saved Philadelphia. Berterame beat Harriel driving into space to find De Paul firing a shot that beat Blake, but just missed the net.
However, Miami finally broke the deadlock in the 81st minute. The goal started in the back with St. Clair trying to catch Philadelphia on the counter, leading to Berterame breaking in on goal and forcing Blake to make a heads-up play on the ball. However, the ball deflected past him to the Mexican forward, allowing him to slot a pass through to a charging Suarez to finish the play and put Inter Miami up 5-4, giving him a hat trick on the evening.
Carnell went to the bench again, bringing on Finn Sundstrom and Philippe Ndinga for Frankie Westfield and Bruno Damiani for the final substitutions of the match.
Iloski tried to bring Philadelphia back level late with an attempt from the left side inside the 18, which was blocked by St. Clair, keeping Inter Miami ahead in the match.
Miami, in the 93rd minute, put a nail in the coffin as Rodrigo De Paul finished a dump-off from Mateo Silvetti, allowing the Argentine to slot it past Blake to make it 6-4.
“I thought we took our goals, and you know, you can never shut them down, they’ve shown that the games have been wild, you know, just wish we could have kept it tighter in certain moments, but everyone dug deep.” Carnell said post match.
“I’m just sorry for the end of the game, you know, the guys didn’t deserve that. Yeah, we expect more to close out the game, you know, everyone digging deep, and we lack the depth and the quality at the end of the game.”
Philadelphia will now have just under two months to recoup and regroup until they next play on July 22. With just seven points and now 11 points out of a playoff spot, while stranger things have happened, at the moment it looks like a tall task. Carnell remains hopeful they can turn it around while also knowing that things need to improve.
“I hope we can show what the philosophy can do,” Carnell said. “I think we can compete against really good teams and frustrate good teams, but we need the killer edge and the killer mentality.”
It will be an interesting summer for sure, with plenty to work on until Philadelphia returns to action on Wednesday, July 22, facing Red Bull New York at Subaru Park.
Main article photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Union.
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