The unique 2020 MLS schedule resumes with Phase 1 on Thursday evening as Philadelphia Union takes on New England Revolution at 7:30 PM on PHL17.
With the Florida based MLS is Back Tournament now in the books, teams now return to their home markets to continue the regular season with a regional play format that’ll see the Union will play six matches against four teams in the Northeast including the Revs (2), Red Bulls (2), Columbus, and DC. While fans flocked to Gillette Stadium for watch parties during the Orlando tournament the stadium will be closed to fans for this match. Several other safety precautions have been set in place to keep players, officials, and essential staff safe amidst these circumstances.
For the Union they’re coming off a strong showing in Orlando and earned some MLS is Back Tournament awards along with international transfer rumors surrounding Brenden Aaronson and Mark McKenzie. Needless to say Philly has garnered attention from all around the league.
Playing the Revs in Orlando has the guys feeling confident in breaking down their strategy. “You can always be well prepared if you look at the last game, how they played and what their formation was. It helps coming into this game,” Kacper Przybylko noted when talking to media on Tuesday.
The Revs will once again be missing a key part of their offense with Carles Gil being sidelined after having surgery on his left achilles. Bruce Arenas is continuing to make roster changes with the recent acquisitions of Kekuta Manneh from FC Cincinnati and Tommy McNamara from Houston Dynahom while Wilfried Zahibo went to Texas in the deal. The club will look to quickly sync up against a strong Philly defense
Players to Watch
Andre Blake: Winning the Golden Glove and being a finalist for Player of the Tournament in the MLS is Back Tournament, Dre will be looking to carryover this momentum back to regular season play.
Kacper Przybylko:After scoring 3 offside goals in Orlando, Kacper will look to get back on track and back to his onside goal-scoring ways.
Gustavo Bou:With Gil missing for a significant amount of time, Bou has stepped up and nearly cashed in on a set piece opportunity in the Round of 16 matchup.
