For the second year in a row Philadelphia Union is headed to the Leagues cup Semfinal as they'll make the trip back to Ohio for a battle with defending MLS Cup Champions Columbus Crew on Wednesday, August 21st.
The Boys in Blue are into the Semifinals for the second consecutive year after defeating Mazatlán FC on Saturday night in a penalty shootout. The victory extended the Union's unbeaten streak to seven dating back to July 17th against the New England Revolution. Philly's Leagues Cup run begain just over a month ago when they claimed the top spot in East Group 4 with a victory over Charlotte FC, 1-0, and battling powerhouse Cruz Azul to a 1-1 draw. Forward Tai Baribo then powered the Boys in Blue in the first two matches of the knockout rounds with back-to-back braces against CF Montreal in a 2-0 win and on the road at FC Cincinnati that saw the Union claim their first-ever road win in the tournament's history by a 4-2 margin.
The Union's next opponent has played just three games thus far in the 2024 Leagues Cup as their victory at MLS Cup secured them a bye into the Knockout Rounds. They kicked off their tournament run with a resounding 4-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City and then went back and forth with last year's inaugural Leagues Cup Champion Inter Miami CF but prevailed by a 3-2 scoreline. On Saturday night, they secured their spot into the Leagues Cup Semifinal with another home win, this time over New York City FC in a penalty kick shootout.
