Photo courtesy of Ron Soliman
The Philadelphia Union cemented their place atop Major League Soccer with a 1–0 victory over New York City FC at Subaru Park, securing the 2025 Supporters’ Shield. Mikael Uhre’s first-half strike proved the difference, as Philadelphia held off a persistent NYCFC side to claim their 20th win of the season — a new club record — and secured the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed in the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs.
First Half
From the opening whistle, the Union played with urgency and intent, creating four early chances within the first 11 minutes. Bruno Damiani and Milan Iloski helped drive the attack, pressing high and forcing NYCFC into uncomfortable positions. Still, the visitors looked dangerous on the break. Alonso Martínez and Hannes Wolf both tested Philadelphia’s back line, with Wolf drawing a sharp save from Blake in the 20th minute.
As the half wore on, the match grew physical, with Danley Jean Jacques and Jakob Glesnes both shown yellow cards for challenges in midfield. Despite NYCFC controlling more of the ball, the Union stayed patient and looked to strike when space opened up. Their persistence paid off in the 40th minute when Jovan Lukic threaded a pass into Mikael Uhre on the right side of the box. Uhre took a composed touch and fired low past former Union keeper Matt Freese to make it 1–0.
Second Half
The second half opened with the same competitive energy, as NYCFC pushed forward in search of an equalizer. The Union, meanwhile, looked to maintain control and manage the tempo. Bruno Damiani picked up a yellow card early in the half, prompting head coach Bradley Carnell to adjust his side. In the 58th minute, he replaced Uhre with Tai Baribo to refresh the attack, and later introduced Jesús Bueno, Olivier Mbaizo, and Alejandro Bedoya to reinforce the midfield and back line.
As the minutes ticked away, New York City increased the pressure, sending crosses and long balls into the box. Yet Philadelphia’s defense remained resolute. Andre Blake, calm and commanding in goal, dealt confidently with everything that came his way.
Three Points
- Brick Wall Blake (& Co.): Facing an NYCFC side that dominated possession and pushed late for an equalizer, Blake and the Union’s defensive line stayed unbreakable. The veteran keeper’s sharp stop on Hannes Wolf in the first half and his commanding presence down the stretch preserved the shutout.
- Depth & Discipline: Carnell’s bench made the difference; Baribo’s energy, Bueno’s grit, Bedoya’s leadership all helped the Union close out a tense game. For 90 minutes, the Union showcased their ability to manage momentum, maintain structure, and stay composed through physical play.
- Uhre Strikes Gold: Uhre’s 40th minute goal was pure composure; a clean finish after a clever setup from Jovan Lukic. In a match where chances were limited, the Dane’s precision made all the difference.
Lineups
Philadelphia Union (4-4-2): Andre Blake, Jakob Glesnes, Nathan Harriel, Kai Wagner, Olwethu Makhanya, Jovan Lukic, Indiana Vassilev (Alejandro Bedoya – 81’), Danley Jean Jacques, Milan Iloski (Olivier Mbaizo – 81’), Mikael Uhre (Tai Baribo – 58’), Bruno Damiani (Jesus Bueno – 73’)
Unused Substitutes: Andrew Rick, Neil Pierre, Chris Donovan, Ben Bender, Cavan Sullivan
NYCFC (5-4-1): Matt Freese, Thiago Martins, Justin Haak, Raul Gustavo, Kevin O’Toole (Aiden O’Neill – HT), Tayvon Gray (Mitja Ilenic – 59’), Maxi Moralez (Maximo Carrizo – 87’), Andreas Perea, Nicolas Fernandez, Hannes Wolf (Julian Fernandez – 78’), Alonso Martinez (Agustin Ojeda – 59’)
Unused Substitutes: Seymour Reid, Strahinja Tanasijevic, Jonathan Shore, Tomas Romero
Scoring Summary:
PHI: Mikael Uhre (Jovan Lukic) – 40’
Disciplinary Summary:
PHI: Danley Jean Jacques (Yellow – Foul) – 19’
NYCFC: Kevin O’Toole (Yellow – Poor Sportsmanship) – 34’
PHI: Jakob Glesnes (Yellow – Foul) – 36’
PHI: Bruno Damiani (Yellow – Foul) – 55′
Oh my oh my oh my. Voice. Gone. Hands. Red. What a night. What a season. Flipped off NYC bus as they left.
For us, it obviously means No. 1 seed for the playoffs plus CCL again.
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Due to the imbalanced scheduling, I’ve always ranked Supporters Shield below championship trophies including tournaments, but silverware of any kind is certainly better than nothing. Given low expectations after last year and our miserly owner, our journeymen and youth products have produced beyond expectations to put it kindly. Kudos to them.
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What bugs me again is ownership. The shield presentation at least gave the crowd (self included) the chance to boo Sugarman.
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Our club has done so well on youth development and spotting unappreciated talent that we really could win MLS Cup or CCC if it just kicked in for an aged global killer like Muller who was reportedly interested in us before Vancouver, but he won’t spend on that.
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We don’t need to totally buy success like others given our development program strength. It’s just that Sugarman is denying us the Promised Land by not going the extra mile for a key difference maker who can also educate.the rest in training as a twofer.
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The shield gives Sugarman the false argument that his cheapness works by other methods. He basically argued that tonight with the shield presentation.
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It’s unfair to fans,.and the players alike who want not just ust the glory but the opportunity that championships on their CV offer in a fleeting career.
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Upside…like a lottery, you can’t win if you’re not there. Top seed obviously helps. Same for making CCL for marquee international matches plus a shot at CWC.
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Question for the forum. What would you recommend for the dead rubber against Charlotte? It’s not a dead rubber for them given playoff qualifying and seeding. We have the international break beforehand. We don’t want injuries, but also don’t want cold feet from lack of play, and shaping playoff seeding matters.
The booing at the trophy ceremony felt too harsh to me. Despite what we may want from ownership as far as spending, we literally could not have asked them to finish higher in the standings this year. What’s there to boo about?
The players were duly and deservedly cheered. They earned it despite Sugarman.
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The owner is a parasite who lets them and us down on full potential. Sugarman is not a sympathetic character. He bought at the right time and is cashing in. No grudge there. The grudge is so should the players and fans who have endowed him a secured future for himself and his inheritance.
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He needs to be a Lurie, which is not inconsistent with personal success.
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We will not win championships until he does as others who do so do.
I agree with Mike, that was not the appropriate time to boo, it was a time to celebrate.
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And despite the unbalanced schedule, this has to rank higher than the Open Cup, especially now that the top teams aren’t even allowed to play. And even MLS Cup is somewhat of a crapshoot since it is a bunch of one offs.
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Regarding the game against Charlotte, I think you want to play some of your top players, otherwise it’s 3 weeks between games. Give the night off to guys like Blake and Danley who are likely to be playing during the international break and don’t have anyone push through injuries or anything.
Disagree. Sugarman is a bum. I’m glad so bbn many booed. His speech was lame. Boooooo, go fly a helicopter, Jay.
From 130, it sounded and felt like a good-natured kind of booing. Like… a boo with a smile. A natural expression of the complex tonal register of Philly sports fandom, especially when mixing negativity with a far warmer and more celebratory sense of things, all in the same response.
Sugarman: cringe.
Congratulations to the staff and players.
Didn’t think they had it in them. They’ve looked all but dead for a month.
This one is far more valid than 2020-and 20 wins is nothing to sneeze at.
For it to rank as best in class though, it must cross the final hurdle. I just don’t believe they have the firepower to do so.
Congrats on the season.
Blake and Danley sit as they most likely will see significant minutes as Jamaica and Haiti compete for WC.
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I would try to figure out a way to have Glesnes and Wagner play the first half then rest. I think they have enough midfields and strikers to balance out the minutes there.
There are 30 teams in the league and over a full season of 34 games you are the best team in the league.
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In every other soccer culture THIS is the standard of excellence. Playoffs by their very nature invite chance, happenstance and an array of possibilities. I appreciate in the US there is a playoff system. It is unique. Nothing about that takes away from this accomplishment. It is a trophy of merit. Earned.
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You are the best team in MLS. I do not always approve of certain things but it is yours. Go forth. Boldly. Well done.
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The road to MLS Cup is through Philadelphia.
EXACTLY Pachy. Well said. some people just simply WANT to be angry and choose to remain unfulfilled.
Relish an amazing accomplishment by our boys in blue.
Our system in not the same as elsewhere. We don’t play regular season ‘home and away’ against every team. The nation is too big for that, hence the East-West dynamic with a random few against West teams. Even the choice few are different than whar other East teams play. The SS is sort of East Champ Plus, not an MLS championship.
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Teams that win championships have said as much. It’s championships that truly matter. That’s not saying this isn’t a notable accomplishment. It gets us No 1 seed plus entry into CCC. That’s the BFD a stepping stone chance for a championship hampionship.
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IMO, we need to aim for championships, and not let Sugarman off the hook for it. The players and fans deserve a no half measures chance at that by getting us over the hump with key purchases. He’s squandering the full potential.
MLS has clearly overexpanded to have 30 teams. That being said, winning the east is winning the league this year given how much stronger the east is. Columbus is 9th in the east, but their points would put them 5th in the west.
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If my quick calculations are correct, in interconference play, the east has 39 wins, 24 losses, and 23 draws with 4 games remaining.
It’s a bit more complex than that. We played 6 teams in the West this season, and 5 of them were middling to crap. The only good West team we faced was Vancouver. I wonder what a detailed strength-of-schedule analysis would show.
Maybe we played mid teams in the West but the East was a blood bath this year – surviving that at the top through the majority of the season more than makes up for any unbalanced scheduling this year
SilverRey that might be true. As I said, it would be interesting to see what a strength-of-schedule analysis would show.
I have to say that last night was a hell of a lot louder in the stadium than when they won the shield in 2020. It was also a lot more nerve wracking, especially when it looked like NYCFC had tied it up, only to see the linesman’s flag raised. (And the Union management needs to pay attention to the flag before setting off fireworks when they think they’ve scored.)
Agreed. Wait for the goal award before fireworks.
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Also agreed on atmosphere. We had a packed stadium compared to a 15% crowd restriction due to COVID.
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This SS also has far more merit because a full and more rounded season was played. In 2020, it felt like we played the Revolution like Groundhog Day.
The Ultras got the band back together and were loud as hell. They led the entire Soob in what seemed like 10 minutes of “Go Blue and Gold” to close out the night as loud as the building has ever been.
The celebration was awsome, they Brought Holden’s kit to the party and I wept.
The crowd standing and cheering for a good chunk of the end of the game was amazing!! Such team energy!!
I am thrilled with the victory last night and the season in general. The team exceeded expectations. Smart additions like Lukic and Danley and then the late season pick up of Iloski are a huge credit to Tanner. I was a big Jose Martinez fan, but the Lukic/Danley pairing have filled that gap with athleticism and more offense. Iloaki has been a huge gift, especially with Q Sullivan out. The Shield is a real trophy and needs to be celebrated that way.
As for MLS Cup, this is where the lack of star power is likely to hurt. This short, four game run to the finish line will likely be determined by one or two world class players, of which we have none. I am completely sure that the Union will give all of the effort that we all expect, but in the end, I do think a Messi or Muller or Son will be the difference maker. I hope I am wrong, but this seems to be the magic ingredient to winning an MLS Cup.
I share your sentiment for the Cup although anything is possible in playoffs. The team has achieved beyond all expectations. They’ve had their share of good luck to get the shield. Uhre’s goal as example. History”s probability suggests that strike going straight to the keeper or wide. As the saying goes good teams make their good luck. His winning goal in Montreal between the legs of the keeper also comes to mind.
Agree on world-class type player(s) needed to challenge consistently for Cup. Although hard to picture that type of player in what this system requires without disrupting team chemistry. A change of system is unlikely unless team is sold or Tanner leaves.
Hopefully the soccer gods keep smiling on the Union as they reach for the Cup.
Well that was fun. Let’s celebrate together again after our first Cup. Kudos to all the players for the hustle and grit they showed to take the Shield this year. Honestly, I didn’t see that coming.
Before the season began I predicted Union to finish near the bottom of the Eastern Conference (but not last, because DC United exists). I have never been happier to be so wrong about a prediction as I was last night.
What a game. I’m not a huge fan of the Supporters Shield as a trophy, but they did finish first in the East and that is impressive considering many folks thought they might not make the playoffs this year.
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The Jeff Lurie comment is fascinating to me as a Philly sports fan. Sugarman made the biggest mistake ever last year when he fired Jim Curtin, unlike Lurie who stayed with Andy Reid for years. He’s the same owner that banished the best GM right now in the NFL to the other side of the stadium until deciding to let him actually run the team.
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I think Sugarman is an owner that lets Tanner make all the decisions and for the most part just stays out of the way. Lurie I believe does much the same thing. He also brought the team in 1994 and didn’t win the Super Bowl until 2018. He might have figured it out but it took a little while before he did.
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For me it isn’t the owner so much as the guy running the team. Did Tanner pass on Muller because they couldn’t pay him or because he thought Iloski was better fit for the style of play the coach runs?
Iloski was an absolutely brilliant pick-up. I can’t figure out why San Diego wouldn’t pay him.
Lurie got better with time, but the difference is spending to get star power, e.g., AJ Brown, Saquon Barkley, etc.
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The Birds are likewise great talent spotters with the draft and developers, but spending on star power is the other part for acquiring championships. That combo makes them an arguably dynastic team right now.
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If Tanner had the cash support, we’d be picking up trophies given the combination of talent spotting and development supplemented by star power edges.
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Tanner, not wanting to cross his boss, told Sport Illustrated the following: “I’ve already been offered Thomas Müller … But from a financial perspective, that’s absolutely unthinkable for us … We’re a development club and operate with one of the league’s smallest budgets.”
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Tanner does the best within his Scrooge budget, the league’s second lowest. Given our talent development, we don’t need to buy a lot of stars, but we need some star edge investment Tanner is being denied his full potential.
“ If Tanner had the cash support, we’d be picking up trophies given the combination of talent spotting and development supplemented by star power edges.”
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I love how you assert that with nothing to back it up other than your dislike of Sugarman. Did Vancouver win the Shield with Muller? How about Cincy with its $20m+ pickups?
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If the Union had spent on Muller and not won the shield, you’d be typing in basement crying about how Tanner misspent money.
OCTinPHI:
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Vancouver–a team that sucked for years–just won the Canadian Championship for the fourth time in a row and may win the West for seeding. They roasted us 7-nil.
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If Sugarman truly can’t afford championships, then he should get investors like others have or sell it. Most people don’t buy luxury mansions and yachts for the simple reason that they can’t afford them.
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He’s making his problem the fan, players, and staff problem.
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Even an OP-ED on MLS.com–usually a sunshine talk PR site–admitted that the Union is good enough to make playoffs and the occasional SS without a key power purchase, but will always fall short of championships until we do.
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I’d like the team to experience championships. The players especially do. Not acquiring a difference maker has.even been a locker room gripe. Getting over the hump is good for their CVs.
The Eagles traded for AJ Brown, they gave up a first and a third round pick. The NFL has a cap and how you manage the cap is based on total cap allocation. The Eagles in this metric are 20th in the league out of 32 teams. For me the NFL has a much better cap strategy than MLS.
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Tanner wasn’t protecting his boss as he believed in this system before he took the job. You can go find interviews about how he believes in development and that was the reason they hired him.
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Yes the Union have one of the smallest player payrolls in the league but they have one of the highest spends in MLS on their academy. They also have the second smallest stadium and play outside the city. If you want to sign bigger wage players, they need more revenue. Can they expand the stadium by 7,500 seats? That would be the easiest way to increase game day revenue.
John,
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I believe part of the plan is to raise revenue from the Sportplex. It’s a fine facility plus a twofer for benefiting local and regional youth, amateur, and semipro sports.
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I’ve also heard expanding the Soob, but it’s talk so far.
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My reading in the news is that there’s no plans to move downtown, focusing instead of using our current location as a sports mecca.
Congratulations to all the players
And to Tanner/Carnell
Ownership booed rightly
A little more investment is called for and fair to be expected from supporters
I want everyone rested for Charlotte maybe play Baribo some time to find a goal
With a best of three round one as the 1 seed they shouldn’t need to risk injury to anyone in Charlotte to progress
Well done, Union. Well done. Nine Defensive players on the pitch at the end was agressive, and almost backfired, but they closed it out.
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I’m not sure what he makes, but I hope Tanner makes the most of any staff or player. The guy can mine talent. I sure hope that he loves the area, the States, the org. and his pay, because our development of young players is just a piece of the whole puzzle. That puzzle being Union success in a sea of big spenders on old euro talent. Tanner just hunts the Div 2 and B-level Div. 1 teams, all over the world, and provides us with the perfect mix of young overlooked stars in waiting and academy kids.
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Bradley Carnell has been great for this team, too. I’m sure Tanner’s touch is on that decision, too. Carnell has real passion, that you can feel, even during games. He’s been much more effective at mid-game adjustments, substitutions and squad rotations. This will be even more important next year, because I am already pumped for more mid-week Champion’s League games. It was painful not being a part of that Club World Cup, this year. Hopefully we can qualify for the next one of that, too.
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Now let’s go win the MLS Cup, so that we can all go out and buy a new jersey with a star on it! After that, we can take down that Campeones Cup.
Doop!
They will need to win CONCACAF Champions Cup to qualify for the Club World Cup as there are only three spots left for the CONCACAF region. Cruz Azul have punched a ticket with last year CCC win. Unless the US host again as that country gets one extra team.
Don’t want to bring negative here but… Anna, the goal had a huge deflection which made it bounce up – It was neither a “clean hit” nor “fired low”. Either way who cares? It looks great on the final score !
Shots taken through legs is a tactic, not just a lucky deflection. “Clean hit” opportunities may never come in packed boxes. Shots not taken don’t score.
A deeply satisfying conclusion to a regular season that nobody, anywhere predicted.
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We’ve pretty well proven that Jim Curtin was not the secret sauce. Kudos to Carnell for doing a great job managing the team overall. Kudos to the players for just taking care of business, week in and week out. Nobody in the league has been more consistent about racking up points than the Union. And the underlying numbers show that it wasn’t a fluke either. They earned it.
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As for the SS not being the “real trophy”… I love how there are all these Eurosnobs who want pro/rel, but then when you finish at the top of the table, they say it doesn’t count. AFAIC, all the trophies count. And this one feels more special than the one in 2020 because that was an abridged season. No asterisk will be needed this time.
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As for our chances in MLS Cup, I think they’re better than some believe. Everyone talks about how you need star power in big games, but how’d that work out for Miami in Leagues Cup this year, and in the playoffs last year? Having home field advantage is gonna be huge.
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My prediction: another MLS Cup Final between the Union and LAFC. Except this one will be in Chester.
Promotion/Relegation will never happen due to the independent and different structures of the minor league US and Canadian systems. Plus, it would bankrupt relegated MLS teams due to poor interest.
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SS is a real trophy with real prizes (No 1 playoff seed plus CCC qualification). It’s just not a championship like elsewhere because of no home and away format between all teams. That’s due to league size (over 30 clubs and growing) and North America’s size (Canada and the US are the respective second and fourth largest geographic nations in the world).
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Miami hasn’t won MLS Cup yet, but there’s good odds that it will. It’s already won the SS and Leagues Cup. Messi and other stars are also frequently unavailable. LAFC has already won the MLS Cup, SS, and USOC. Both clubs are younger than ours.
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Star power won’t win all the time, but it helps assure that you win some. We have the best development program in MLS. We could be a dynamic club with cash investment in star power supplementation.
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We can’t fire an owner, but whatever pressures can be bought to bear on him to invest in championship success, the better. The fans deserve it. The team deserves it. He’ll do fine too. . . .
What we don’t need is him falsely justifying what he does like last night by using the SS as cover. We have piles of semifinals and finals with zero championships, and that’s where lack of stars catches up, e.g., Bale vs Donovan for sub relief.
“We can’t fire an owner, but whatever pressures can be bought to bear on him to invest in championship success, the better. The fans deserve it. The team deserves it. He’ll do fine too. . . .
What we don’t need is him falsely justifying what he does like last night by using the SS as cover.”
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God, you really are a whiner. Tanner just proved that you *can* win with this budget. Would I love them to spend more? Absolutely.
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But the Union lost $$$ millions last year according to Forbes. Sugarman has nowhere near the personal fortune of the MAs brothers, Blank, Craft, Tepper, etc. And when was the last time N.E. won something, even with Kraft’s fortune. Or Toronto with its profligate spending? And has Tepper won anything? Nope.
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You are the kind of person that if Sugarman sold out to a billionaire who then didn’t invest in the team, you’d still whine.
OCTinPHL, NE won the Supporters Shield in 2021 🙂 🙂 🙂
Fair Enough. But the point stands. Kraft has sh!t tons of money, and they won a Shield. Sugarman does not have anywhere near the fortune that Kraft does, and the Union have arguably been more successful.
It’s not about whining OCTinPHIm. It’s about winning championships, of which we have none in league or tournaments.
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We are frequently close due to development. We fall short due to not spending on key star pieces. Teams that win championship trophies have them. They’re essential. All winning teams know this.
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If Sugarman can’t afford that, then he should find investors or sell the team altogether. It’s unjust to fans and players to have undercapitalized owners who can’t pay to play.
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That’s not his excuse though. He’s asset rich as a long term value investor. Like other assets, he’s riding the Union for increased value without spending on it.
Really happy for the team and all the staff that was a part of this season! Carnell is a breath of fresh air from a managers standpoint. He definitely used the bench to keep the boys as fresh as possible. Also let’s not dilute the Supporters Shield as a lame ass trophy! In every other league in the soccer world, that’s the top trophy! You accumulated the most points over the course of the season! You’re the top dog!! Period!! Playoffs are an American thing and subject to all the pitfalls of a short series of games. Yes we want the cup !! And I’m glad that it has to go through us!!
Great match! The Philadelphia Union really showed their strength on the field. Excited to see how they perform in the playoffs!
Decision Day should be fun plus necessary to examine. We need to factor that for addressing how we handle our last match against Charlotte. Along with factoring injury risks versus avoiding cold feet, we still have some further control over our playoff pathway.
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Nos. 2 through 9 still have lots of flux for Decision Day. The lower the seed, the less chance we play that team earlier if at all if eliminated. The wild card round will also knock someone out and set who we play in Round 1.
I’d hate to play Columbus in Round 1.
Since Jul 12, Columbus has a grand total of 2 wins (excluding Garber Cup). Those were against DC and Atlanta. They are NOT in good form.
They’ve slumped as Andy said. Nashville concerns me.
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Nashville could finish in the wild card as a favorite if they lose on Decision Day.
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They play Miami. Orlando has a game in hand for overtaking them. If Nashville loses, Chicago can also overtake them with a win.
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Nashville has had our number this year.
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Looking at the current table, would you want to push Charlotte up or down with our Decision Day match?
I want Charlotte to stay where they are. I want Cincinnati and Miami on the other side of the bracket.
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I also want to play them in the conference semis since they have the fewest road points among the eastern conference playoff teams except Nashville. So put them in the best possible position to have to come to Chester in mid November.
Playing on plastic grass, I’d be thrilled to see a Union 2 squad.
Maybe start Pierre, Cavan and Bender. And let Donovan go a full 90!
The problem is that the actual Union 2 have a playoff game that weekend so not sure which club makes more sense for Pierre. I agree with the other 3 along with Bedoya, Bueno, Rick, Mbaizo, and Rafanello. Also, if the US loses to Italy Thursday in the U-20’s then give Westfield some time. That leaves about 3 spots to give some 45 minute runs just to keep guys in shape.
Cincinnati gets the number 2 spot with a win. Hopefully they’ll be 2 and Miami 3 so they’ll have to play each other Cincy. If the Union play a backup lineup and lose, then Charlotte gets 4th.
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One worry is that with Nashville hosting Miami, they could lose and Chicago and Orlando could pass them since they play New England and Toronto, although both are on the road for the playoff bound team. (Orlando also hosts Vancouver next weekend during the international break.) If Nashville gets a draw against Miami they’ll hang on to at least 7th unless Chicago puts up an 8 spot against New England.
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My thought is to play a weakened lineup against Charlotte and use the game as a scouting chance since there is a good chance they’ll meet again around November 22.
This analysis is sound.
Congratulations Boys in Blue !
Now let’s Go Get The Cup !!!
DOOP !!!
Classic Union showed up. Wait, and wait, and wait, then strike.
Top 3 things from last night; the REAL Shield had no problems with getting mailed to Subaru Park.
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I was wrong on a lit of things and I want to acknowledge them; I was wrong about Uhre. I was wrong about Carnell and wondered if he could have results this good, this soon. I still believe if Curtin was in charge, theyd’ve found a way to gag it at the very end. Maybe this moneyball strategy of improving on the cheap just might work after all.
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Now it;s time for a slogan; 3W. 3 more wins.
That’s a horrible slogan. It means they lose in the conference finals Thanksgiving Weekend. 5 more wins is what I want to see.
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(Unless you are suggesting that they win 3 outright and have 2 more games where they advance on PK’s which is technically considered a draw rather than a win.)
Perhaps he’s only talking about the round 1? But it would be 2 wins, since game 3 wouldn’t be played.
BTW, it was a classy and deserving move for the team to bring out second backup keeper Holden Trent’s jersey for the SS award celebration. Reportedly, it wasn’t planned. The team simply brought it out. Kudos to them for that. That’s being a team.
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He never played a minute tbis year for the worst of reasons, having died at 25 y/o right before his planned marriage. He donated his organs to others in need who live on with them. RIP.
As most have said – a trophy of any kind was not expected at the start of this season. I am just enjoying the fact that this team played a certain way, successfully, all season and it deservingly paid off. They beat the breaks off the lesser teams, won more road games than any previous season, and fared well against everyone else (minus the debacle in Vancouver of course). While I won’t think the season is worthless, if they don’t at least get to MLS Cup, it would be a disappointment.
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Having been in LA for 2022, I would kill to see a championship here. I think they’ll get there. It kinda feels like one of those seasons. I really hope they can pull it off.
My worry is that Nashville loses next week and drops to 8th. Then the Union would likely play the team that has been their nemesis all season. And that’s one of the things I don’t like about a playoff system. A lot depends on who you draw as compared to the regular season where you have to be best across everyone.
Andy, thank you for validating my biggest concern. Nashville has eaten us alive this year and we don’t seem to have any answers. Having said that, this team has a ton to be proud of and truly deserve a championship later this year. Will it happen? I certainly hope so!!!
Our development is top notch. Look how far it consistently gets us without star power.
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We’ve regularly made the playoffs for years now. Last year was an anomaly. We even make Champioms League/Cup more often than not now (2021, 2023, 2024, 2026). That’s obviously hard to make for a clear reason in the title and purpose.
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Look at Andrew Rick this year. He had a lot of appearances with Blake being out for injuries and internationals, He did well, and was a key reason for our season success by credibly plugging a big hole. He’s also getting experience with the U2 that’s back in the NextPro playoffs again.
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He’s only 19 y/o, and goes home with his parents after asking them to pick up Wawa or other grub after a big match with all the creature comforts of home life. He,like others, have grown up playing around many of his teammates. Familiarity definitely matters.
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We simply set the right scenarios for development. We have several keepers in other MLS squads that were developed by us, including local product Freese who was in the net for NYCFC on Saturday.
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That’s what we excel in doing. IMO, get us a key power piece difference maker (we don’t need many like others given our development strength) and we’d be a dynamic championships earning team.
You all have said it well–the Union have greatly exceeded our very modest expectations at the beginning of the year. Be honest–we thought that they would have trouble making the playoffs, did we not? I greatly enjoyed their pressing style of play, the relentless counterattacks and the emphasis on set pieces. It was clear from the opening matches that Coach Carnell had a group of players who bought into his system, and unlike in years past, the system seemed to be a good fit for the talents of the players. It was fun to watch and perhaps more importantly, I think that the players enjoyed playing that style–I noticed a lot of smiling (even occasionally from Wagner, who along with Andre Blake, have the most serious game faces of any of the players) from them this season.
To those of you who follow the EPL, which prize would you rather your club win, the Carabao (Leagues) Cup, the FA Cup or the EPL championship? The EPL championship for the season-long slog of 38 games is the ultimate prize. Yes, there are differences in the USA, but the season is nearly as long and the travel is even more wearisome than in the UK. Let’s celebrate the Supporters Shield winners irrespective of what happens in the playoffs.
I have to give a special shout out to Olwethu Makhanya, who has had an outstanding year. He has been a defensive beast, and he is very good on the ball. Quinn Sullivan also had an outstanding year, and the team was (and is) better with him on the field. Hopefully he will fully recover from his ACL tear.
Agreed on Makhanya. He was definitely the breakout star of the season. And remember he was not available when they gave up the 7 goals.
Given the system differences, my PL and MLS ranking of potential trophies are as follows (excluding the new CWC format for a specialized discussion).
*Premier League*
Pl
CL
Europa
FA Cup
EPL/League Cup/Carabao
UEFA Europa Conference League
*MLS*
MLS Cup
CCC
Leagues Cup
SS and USOC/Canadian Championship (tie and situational)
East/West Conference winner trophy
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I used to rank USOC higher than SS due to being a championship tournament and our FA Cup, but now the best MLS teams abstain. Its challenge and bragging rights have notably dropped.
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Now it’s situational. Both SS and USOC offers a CCC spot. SS offers more challenge plus top playoff seeding. USOC offers a classic tournament championship plus some prize money.
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When we have this kind of season, SS matters more on merit and prizes. If we’re having a middling or worse season, USOC has more value as a workaround.
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East/West also offers CCC plus a No 2 playoff seed, but it’s a junk trophy due to no serious bragging rights when you neither win the SS nor the MLS Cup. That’s probably why MLS lets teams annually keep them.
Not that big on Europe as I just watch but don’t really follow, but the domestic list is pretty accurate. I also can see some change on the horizon in maybe another decade if things work out.
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With the influx of cash from the Club World Cup, winning CCC is a 4 million dollar prize now, with 9.5 million for punching your ticket into CWC on top of that for a total of 13.5 million. That type of prize money might bring more attention to the tournament going forward.
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When it comes to the two domestic cups, much like MLS, expansion can bring in more fans. MLS with 16 teams probably hit its sweet spot for the league and the tournament. In the future if USL D1 gets up and running that might add some life to the tournament at least in the first few years. In Canada it’s just a matter of the CPL getting better and a little bigger. If either USLD1 or CPL can win either of these tournaments, I think it would actually make it more exciting and help build a rivalry.
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If the CWC can grow in stature, this would create a lot of synergy going forward for all these tournaments.
I would rank them somewhat differently. For Premier League, I would put CL ahead of PL. The competition in the latter stages is so tough there. I would also put FA Cup ahead of Europa. For the FA Cup you likely have to beat one or more top teams in the PL whereas getting into the Europa League means you missed out on a top 4 finish the previous year (and my favorite PL team won the Europa League last year so lowering its value is against self interest).
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In MLS, I would put CCC ahead of MLS Cup. In part this is similar to the reasons for ranking CL ahead of PL above. Also, I really think the format of MLS Cup leaves much to be desired. The best of 3 in the first round where winning in PK’s after a draw counts the same as winning in regulation just seems farcical. The NHL drops the shootout in the playoffs. MLS should only use the PK after game 3. If team A wins one game and the other two are draws, team A should win the series. Then they go from best of 3 to single game. I can see single game for the championship for to change format so drastically between the first and second round is not something I agree with.
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I would also rate the SS ahead of both USOC and Leagues Cup, especially with the new format for Leagues Cup. You play against 3 teams from the other league and then get ranked compared to teams from your own league and NOT the teams you actually play against? And then only 4 of 18 teams from each league make the knockouts? It’s basically a crapshoot tournament. MLS had 4 teams tied for 3rd meaning two went into the playoffs and two didn’t so it came down to goal differential when the teams had no common opponents. Given the randomness there, I would rank Leagues Cup lower than any of the others. Maybe if they went back to a normal format I might rank it higher, but still below shield, especially since it is almost a preseason tournament for the Mexican teams. In the three years they’ve had it as a “major” tournament, 11 of the 12 semifinalists have been MLS teams with the one exception from Mexico finishing 4th in 2023. Compare that with CCC over the same period where all three champions were from Mexico along with 7 of the 12 semifinalists.
John
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CCC cash and its parhway to CWC cash alone is a huge incentive. CWC with a billion buck prize pool speaks for itself. Chelsea netted almost $115 million, and that’s not including the goodwill, merch, etc.
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MLS has done a solid job screwing outside competition. The best USL clubs in desired new locations simply join MLS. To do so, they must fold their USL team to acquire a new MLS controlled franchise. While transferring their trademarks to the MLS club, the team history and records start anew as a new club.
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I’m unsure how to challenge that cycle for creating USL as a competing league. NEXTPRO also keep the reserve MLS teams out of it now. Thoughts?
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Sacramento nearly pulled off a USOC championship a couple years ago, but again, they’re seeking to join MLS.
Andy,
Indeed there’s reasonable arguments for different valuations. Subjectivity is mixed with objectivity.
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The big knock on SS for me is lack of championship value, but it’s still a long slog accomplishment as opposed to a tournament. Subjectivity is a bigger factor here.
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MLS Cup factors league and playoff performances, plus it’s our domestic league championship. That’s why I put it above CL.
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Leagues Cup easily ranks higher to me than USOC because it’s competition is stronger and offers better prize money, 3 CCC spots, and bragging rights with competing Liga MX clubs. The Union playing teams like Cruz Azul also sharpen us compared to games against USL and crappier MLS teams.
Leagues Cup might have ranked higher in 2023 and 2024, but the format in 2025 was SO bad that I would drop it to the bottom of the list. It would be like at the start of the playoffs saying forget about playing the games, we’re just going to have a draw to determine who is in MLS Cup.
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And playing teams like Cruz Azul might sharpen the Union if Cruz Azul actually cared about the game, but when you look at how badly the top Mexican teams did (0 total regulation wins for America, Cruz Azul, and Monterrey) and then all 4 Liga MX clubs losing in the quarterfinals, it no longer has the value despite the fact that it yields 3 CCC places.
Andy,
Indeed, I liked the 2023 and 2024 format much better. It was a WC styled tournament between the full leagues for an entertaining August. It got away from the ‘same old same old’ of season play featuring the usual suspects, and when we did face an MLS team, the dynamic was different.