Philadelphia Union have earned a spot in the Leagues Cup Semifinals for a second straight year, and this time around, they’ll head on the road to take on Columbus Crew. Don't miss the action with coverage starting at 7:30PM ET on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Wednesday’s match is set to be a competitive one, as the defending MLS Cup Champions are in a strong run of form again this year. Head Coach Wildred Nancy has led his team to third place in the Eastern Conference standings, and so far in Leagues Cup, they’ve taken down two top-of-the-table opponents in Inter Miami CF and New York City FC, plus a dominant 4-0 win against Sporting Kansas City to kick off their campaign. Their recent competition has been fierce, having won by just one goal against Miami and defeating New York City in penalties, but Columbus has had a simpler Leagues Cup journey than the Philadelphia Union. The team’s 2023 success earned them a group stage bye, while Philadelphia Union have played five games to get to this point.
Head Coach Jim Curtin’s squad has two more Leagues Cup games on their legs than Columbus, and they’ll likely travel a thinner squad due to suspension and potential transfers. After picking up a pair of yellow cards against Mazatlán, Tai Baribo was forced to leave the match and is not eligible to play on Wednesday. Additionally, even though there has not been an official transfer announcement, on Friday before the team departed Curtin told the media that José Martinez will not be on the team travel list either.
Otherwise, Philadelphia Union is healthy and eager for the challenge ahead.
"We'll be the underdog. We recognize that, but we have confidence from going on the road and beating a really good Cincinnati team recently. So it's not an impossible task, and this is a group that, again, is hungry to win a trophy," Curtin said.
Columbus boasts a notable home field advantage – they've only lost two of 41 games at Lower.com Field across all competitions. Under Head Coach Wilfred Nancy, who joined the team ahead of the 2023 season, they boast a +57 goal differential in Columbus.
"There are four really good MLS teams left, all you could make a case for to find a way to win it, and I expect a really hard match against Crew, probably the best team in our league," Curtin said.
"When Columbus is going good and the job that Wilfred's done in that building, I think they've only lost twice in a long, long amount of games. I'll just say it's going to be tough, but at the same time, we have a group that has belief. We will be brave and anything can happen in a semifinal."
Columbus is a undoubtedly a formidable opponent, but with three-time MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Andre Blake back in net after missing a long stretch due to injury, the Philadelphia Union has built major momentum that has powered them through Leagues Cup so far.
Philadelphia Union have only won two games so far this season without Blake in Net, and across all competitions, the team has only lost twice with the 33-year-old Jamaican in net for the full 90 minutes.
The latest display of his impact came on Sunday against Mazatlán, when he made a string of game-changing saves to keep the game level despite playing down a man. When it came to penalties, he dove to make an incredible opening stop, starting the shooutout with a save, then making a second to overcome Philadelphia Union's Liga MX visitors.
The winner of Wednesday's match will advance to face either LAFC or the Colorado Rapids on their home pitch in the Leagues Cup Final on August 25th. Whichever team falls will still have a shot to take home a spot in Concacaf Champions Cup in a third place game on that same date.
With both teams one win away from having the opportunity to battle for a trophy and Round of 16 berth in Concacaf Champions Cup, Wednesday's match is shaping up to be must-see TV. Tune in on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV to watch the action!
