The show rolls on for Philadelphia Union as they continue their busiest stretch of 2023 with a midweek showdown against FC Dallas on Wednesday night. Kick off is set for 7:30PM ET with the match for all fans on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV!
The match is the fourth game in just 12 days for the Boys in Blue with the current stretch seeing the hosts unbeaten against the likes of FC Cincinnati, Charlotte FC and LAFC. While they are unbeaten they are still in search of their first three-point performance since the start of September with the Union having picked up three-straight draws during this stretch.Â
The latest came in difficult conditions and without a pair of starters as Tropical Storm Ophelia forced the MLS Cup rematch to be a survival of the elements. The match featured the fewest shots in a MLS match with the Union holding LAFC without a single shot on goal and just two shots in the entire match. Midfielder Jesus Bueno turned in a MLSSoccer.com Team of the Matchday worthy performance with his six interceptions and five tackles getting the Venezuelan a spot on the matchday honors bench. While the match was another draw, it was an example of the club's depth rising to the occasion with Jakob Glesnes' ironman streak coming to an end that forced the defensive pairing of Damion Lowe and Jack Elliott. Bueno's strong game came as his fellow countryman, Jose Martinez, missed the match too due to a nagging injury.
Wednesday's match will be the 16th all-time meeting between the Union and FC Dallas. While the Texas side owns a strong record in the matchup, the Union have won the last two contests in Subaru Park with 3-1 victory in 2017 and a 2-1 win two years later.
Both sides are clawing for every point as the regular season has become the final push for playoff positioning but quite different for the two sides. The Union have secured their spot into the 2023 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs and are currently locked in a heated battle for the No. 2 spot. Entering Wednesday the Union sit on 49 points which has them No. 4 in the Eastern Conference due to tiebreakers. The Boys in Blue have their sights set on Orlando City in the No. 2 spot sitting just two points behind the Florida side with the Dallas matchup the Union's game in hand to overtake the side. While they are two points back they are also in a massive block of teams at 49 points as well with Philly joining Columbus, Atlanta and New England. A dropped result could easily see a side go from a first round home game or two to on the road.
FC Dallas on the other hand currently occupies the final Western Conference playoff spot as they chase Portland, Vancouver and San Jose. One point behind and below the line are Sporting Kansas City but the Texas side has a whopping two games in hand. Despite their position in the table, FC Dallas has been one of the hottest teams in MLS with only one loss in their last 11 matches across all competitions. Dallas' latest result came against the Crew with a comeback 1-1 draw, continuing a storyline for the side who have avoided defeat after trailing in a match eight times so far. In those matches, they have stolen 16 points via four wins and four draws which are the most in 2023.
They've done so largely relying on goals from USMNT striker Jesus Ferreira whose bagged 12 goals in 21 starts and added four assists. No other player on the roster has more than four with Jadar Obrian and Bernard Kamungo both with four with the former leading the way with a team-high five assists.
