Philadelphia Union will head back on the road this weekend for another Eastern Conference matchup, taking on Charlotte FC for the first time this year. Don't miss the action with MLS Season Pass on Apple TV!
A relatively new side in the league, the team’s first-ever meeting against the North Carolina-based team was just over two years ago. The Union hosted their new opponents on April 2, 2022, defeating them 2-0 with the opening goal coming from Julian Carranza for his first ever goal representing the Union crest. Flash forward to 2024, Charlotte FC has a newly hired head coach in Englishman Dean Smith, and under his leadership, they sit at sixth in the league with 21 points, while the Union sit at eighth with 17.
Second year striker Patrick Agyemang has established himself as his team’s scoring leader with three since the start of 2024, but with nine other teammates with at least one score in the statsheet, Charlotte’s seen evenly distributed attacking efforts from across their roster.
Their last match against LA Galaxy ended in a draw, and although they didn’t claim all three points, the result marked their fourth straight clean sheet for sx so far this season, which is a league-leading stat. They’ve conceded just 13 goals all season, which is the third least in the Eastern Conference this season, while oppositely, the Philadelphia Union have scored the third highest numbers of goals across in the East.
With both team’s competing strengths in consideration, this weekend is shaping up to be a battle between a stalwart defense and a high-powered attacking side.
A strength they share, however, is goaltending, and Andre Blake signed a new long-term contract with the club this weekend, keeping him in Philadelphia through 2026 with an option for 2027. Per Head Coach Jim Curtin, Blake’s unlikely he’ll make his return from injury this weekend, but rookie Oliver Semmle has stepped up in a big way this season, taking over Dre’s role as net-protector in his absence.
As for the Charlotte FC side, Croatian goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina has been consistent since the club’s first season, and at 31 years old, he’s continued to help life his team toward success.
The match will be a reunion of sorts, as it will be the pair’s first meeting since former Director of Academy and Professional Development Tommy Wilson accepted a job as Charlotte’s Technical Director.
It’ll also be the Union’s first match since returning to their winning ways – Head Coach Jim Curtin’s squad endured a hard-fought six game stretch without a three-point result. They rebuilt some momentum last weekend against New England Revolution at Gillete Stadium, securing a 3-0 shutout victory that extended their unbeaten road streak to seven, the second best road unbeaten start in league history. Philadelphia Union are the only team that has yet to lose on the road, and they’ll look to keep it that way when they play at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday night.
Don't miss the action this weekend by cheering on the Boys in Blue at the official Union Yards Watch Party that starts at 5:30PM with kick off set for 7:30PM.
