Who: Philadelphia Union vs Chicago Fire
What: MLS Regular Season, Matchday 20
Where: Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
When: Wednesday June 25th, 8:30 PM EST
Watch: MLS Season Pass on AppleTV
Whistle: TBD
The Philadelphia Union travel to Chicago to take on Gregg Berhalter’s Chicago Fire. The Union will look to start off a three-game road trip on the right foot, and continue to extend their club-record unbeaten run.
Scouting Report: Chicago Fire
The Fire have been one of the more perplexing teams to follow in recent MLS season, often among the league’s top spenders, but they can’t seem to make that money work: they haven’t made the playoffs in seven seasons, and finished bottom of the Eastern Conference in 2024. Chicago hired former USMNT boss Gregg Berhalter this offseason to try to right the ship.
It has been a up-and-down start to life in Chicago for Berhalter, with the team alternating between impressive victories and frustrating losses. The Fire’s most recent two results illustrate this: a 7-1 romp over DC United was followed up by a 2-0 home loss to Nashville. Still Chicago find themselves just outside the playoff spots with plenty of time left in the season, a big improvement over recent years.
This season Chicago play with Berhalter’s signature possession-based style, but with more emphasis on attacking than Berhalter typically showed with the US national team. Top-scorer Hugo Cuypers is one to watch up top, while old friend Jack Elliott is a stalwart on the backline.
Injury Report:
- OUT: Chris Brady (international duty)
- OUT: Christopher Cupps (lower body)
- OUT: Rominigue Kouame (lower body)
- OUT: Chris Mueller (not due to injury)
- OUT: David Poreba (lower body)
- OUT: Carlos Teran (lower body)
Scouting Report: Philadelphia Union
The Union did well to pull off a short-handed win last week against Charlotte, but will need to find that magic again this week in Chicago – the Union will once again be without a number of starters due to injury and international duty.
Absences mean opportunity, and one player who might benefit is Markus Anderson, who scored the match-winner in his first MLS appearance of the year last week. It may be too soon to see Anderson from the start, but it will be interesting to see whether he has leap-frogged Chris Donovan on the depth chart
Another spot to watch is right-back, where the Union’s excellent depth is being tested by three separate injuries/absences. It will be interesting to see what Bradley Carnell does at the position of Olivier Mbaizo can’t go.
Injury Report:
- OUT: Tai Baribo (not due to injury)
- OUT: Andre Blake (international duty)
- OUT: Ian Glavinovich (knee)
- OUT: Nathan Harriel (international duty)
- OUT: Quinn Sullivan (international duty)
- OUT: Mikael Uhre (adductor)
- OUT: Frankie Westfield (ankle)
- QUESTIONABLE: Olivier Mbaizo (adductor)
Matchup to Watch: Bruno Damiani vs Jack Elliott
With Baribo and Uhre still out, the Union could use some production from their record-signing. Damiani will be up against Union legend Jack Elliott on the Fire’s backline. We all know Elliott has quality, but he has been known to struggle against more powerful center-forwards like Damiani.
Player to Watch: Jovan Lukic
With so many key players absent, particularly in the attack, Lukic’s strength and leadership in midfield will be crucial if the Union hope to come away from Chicago with a result.
Prediction: Chicago 1 – 2 Union
To borrow a Philly sports cliche, the Union have proven they know how to win this season – the Fire have not. Even short-handed, it’s hard to doubt Philly on their run of form.
Here is the whistle & flags info, from @PROreferees on X. (remember links don’t work in comment boxes).
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Ref Greg Dopka
AR1 Kyle Atkins
AR2 Corey Parker
4th Jon Freemon
VAR Fotis Bazakos
AVAR Matthew Seem
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I would also add that in Carnell’s pregame presser he mentioned Jesus Bueno as coming back from tweaking a hamstring (my words, not his.)
A final point to mention is that Jakob Glesnes is sitting on 4 yellow cards and has accululated only two of the necessary six consecutive card-free matches played to be forgiven one of them. (a match in which he did not play does not count in the sequence of six.)
You have Tai as being out “not due to injury.” I was under the impression,from a few things I saw online,that he managed to leave Israel several days ago but was rehabbing a calf injury that would likely keep him out for the next three games.
I had the same question, then saw that’s how it’s listed in MLS injury report so I guess that’s the official term. I think I saw from Tannenwald he just got back to the US yesterday, so I guess that’s too quick a turnaround regardless of the injury status.
We’re #29! We’re #29!
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Annual MLS salary report: Messi top paid player, Union #29 in team payroll. Again: https: //www.espn.com/ soccer /story /_/id/ 45580966/lionel-messi-earns-205m-best-paid-mls-second-year
We’re #29! We’re #29!
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Messi top paid player in annual MLS salary report. Union #29 for 2nd straight year: https: //www. espn. com /soccer /story /_ /id /45580966 /lionel-messi-earns-205m-best-paid-mls-second-year
(Not trying to be a jerk) but the entire soccer/footballing world lists the home team first
What are the chances Danley is back in time?
I’m wondering that too.