Photo @PhilaUnionII

Philadelphia Union II’s Eastern Conference colleagues have between three and six games left in their regular seasons. It is time to discuss playoff chances.

MLS NEXT Pro’s official website continues to have no official document describing 2024’s competition guidelines. As published here earlier, PSP believes the following will be true.

• The top eight teams in the conference will make the playoffs.
• All matches will be single eliminations played at the home field of the higher seed.
• There will be no byes.
• There will be conference quarterfinals, semifinals, and a final, followed by MLS NEXT Pro Cup.
• In the conference quarterfinals the top three seeds will choose their opponents.
• The highest seed will choose from among the four teams seeded to play away.
• The second highest seed will choose from the remaining three away teams.
• The third highest seed will choose from the remaining two.
• The remaining two will play at the home of the fourth seed.
• In the conference semifinals the highest surviving seed will choose its opponent. The other game will be played at the home of the higher remaining seed.
• The conference final will be played at the home of the higher surviving seed.
• MLS NEXT Pro Cup will be played at the home of the side with the higher point total in the combined league table.

Using the chart

• We list the teams in the sequence of their places as of our latest update.
• The official points total for each is listed next to its name.
• Then comes the maximum number of points the team would earn were it to win all its remaining games.
• Then comes the number of games left.
• Then come the remaining home games, listed in chronological sequence.
• Finally come the away games, also in sequence.

When a team’s maximum number of possible points becomes less than the actual points earned by the team then in eighth place, that team is eliminated. To illustrate, even if Chicago were to lose its entire remaining schedule, arithmetically New England and Huntsville could not overtake it.

Eastern Conference

Union II currently is second in the conference (see below).

Our unofficial data was last updated on Monday, September 9, 2024 at 12:45 PM ET

Union II vis-a-vis playoffs

Union II play Carolina Core and Miami away, New York City FC and Atlanta home, and finish away to Chicago. None of the five are the same day as first team games or the day before one. But four of the five are the day after. In two of the latter situations, both teams are home so extra reinforcement the next day would be possible. Extra reinforcements on Decision Day would require a Sunday morning plane flight from Columbus to Chicago. Similar actions  have been taken in the past to secure a playoff spot for Union II.

Currently MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference playoff situation remains fluid and competitive, a real dogfight:

• The top nine teams in the conference are within seven points of each other. Only eight will make the playoffs.
• New York City FC at home on Wednesday, September 23^rd, Union II’s next home game, will be their highest ranked opponent as the table stands currently.
• Miami and Chicago are both currently above the playoff line, and are away.
• Tomorrow’s opponent Carolina lost its last match, so may well be on the rebound.
• Atlanta’s recent results seem mixed.

Union II will not necessarily secure its first ever home playoff match, although such remains possible.

• Player development will remain the top priority as the new group of former U17s try to earn professional minutes.
• The organization does value what single elimination games teach both them about their players and the players about single elimination games, so they will try to get one or more. But securing a home playoff game and its gate receipts is a first team priority primarily.
• Neil Pierre has been called up to the US U18s and will miss the Carolina and Miami away games.
• Three loan decisions for Union II contracts are pending we suppose. They are Carlos Rojas, Randy Meneses, and Gio Sequera. In the past other players about whom such decisions were being made received final chances to prove themselves at the ends of seasons. Such opportunities may take priority.