Philadelphia Union is back in action as they face off against FC Cincinnati for a nationally broadcast contest on FS1 and free on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV on Wednesday night.
Philadelphia Union is headed to Cincinnati to take on a familiar foe that sits second in the conference with 36 total points so far this season. Head Coach Pat Noonan’s squad is just two points shy of Inter Miami, despite having played two less games so far this season, solidifying the side as a Supporter’s Shield favorite at the midway point of the Major League Soccer season.
Cincinnati has unleashed dominance on it’s opponents, picking up only three losse and three draws in 2024. Their defense is near impenetrable, having only conceded 18 goals, but their scoring ability is not to be overlooked, as only Inter Miami and New York Red Bulls are the only teams in the East that sit above them in total goals scored.
It’s no secret Philadelphia Union is in for a challenging contest against Cincinnati, especially with a shorthanded squad that’ll once again miss players like all-time leading goal scorer Daniel Gazdag, centerback Damion Lowe, and midfielder Jose Martinez due to UEFA Euros and Conmebol Copa America play with their national teams.
Offseason signing centerback Miles Robinson is Cincinnati’s only player called up to his national team – he’s with the United States, but he won’t be the only impact starter missing from the group. They’ll also be without one of their top defenders in 28-year-old Matt Miazga, after news broke on Monday that the 2023 Defender of the Year-winner wouldn't be available against the Union after being removed from the field on a stretcher in their Saturday night matchup against San Jose Earthquakes. In a press conference, Noonan explained that Miazga’s injury presently appears to be a long-term one, and they’d be forced to play without him.
The match in which he picked up the injury was an intense one, that nearly saw Cincinnati claimed their fourth loss of the year. Pavel Bucha scored his first-ever goal, but determination from the California side to the tune of two consecutive second half goals put Cincinnati down 2-1. However, the star of the show swifty became Yuya Kubo, who came off the bench in the 64th minute to score a hattrick in the span of 10 minutes, solidifying a 4-2 lead for his team.
The back-and-forth nature of the match isn’t dissimilar to what the Union went through over the weekend, though Curtin’s squad came out on the other side with a disappointing 2-1 loss despite playing up two-men by the end of the match.
With a desire to claim points as they push through the second half of the season and two stalwart defenders off of their opponent’s arsenal, goalscoring will be at the forefront of the Union’s priorities. Danish striker Mikael Uhre has hit his stride as of late, and without the team’s former dynamic front three, he’ll be relied on even more. The Boys in Blue have been one of the best teams away from home in 2024 in league play, sitting just one road result away from time the league's best mark with eight games unbeaten to start the season.
