After an unbeaten start to the season, FC Cincinnati will go on their first MLS road trip to the Philadelphia Union. It will be a competitive match early in the season between two sides hoping to contend in the East.
THE UNION
The Union’s offseason was rather exciting as they are usually not known to spend big. They added Jovan Lukic from a Serbian club to bolster their midfield, Ian Glavinovich from Newell’s to replace Jack Elliot at center-back, broke their record transfer fee to add Bruno Damiani from Nacional at striker, and traded for Indiana Vassilev from St. Louis.
Many had doubts when long-time head coach Jim Curtin was fired and subsequently replaced by Bradley Carnell. Despite that, Philly pulled off a win against an Eastern Conference contender and are still in the playoff conversation, as they have been for the better part of the past decade.
Carnell is a veteran staff member, serving first as assistant coach for the New York Red Bulls and then their interim head coach in 2020. He briefly served as coach for Canada’s Men’s National Team and was then hired to be the first head coach at St. Louis CITY SC. He initially impressed as they won the West in 2023, but he was relieved of his duties in 2024 after they declined and finished 12th.
His tactics unsurprisingly reflect his experience with the Red Bulls. His sides are known to play a high-press, counter-attacking style, as he noted during his introductory press conference for the Union, saying he believes in “being on the front foot, proactive in your face, aggressive and very counterattacking.”
The Union’s opening match of this MLS season was a 4-2 win over Orlando City. Their attacking trio of Gazdag, Uhre, and Baribo each had a goal and truly looked like a force together. Their defense was not full-strength; with new-signing Glavinovich not yet adjusted and homegrown signing Francis Westfield playing at right-back, they conceded 22 shots which included a brace from Marco Pasalic. New striker Bruno Damiani is eligible to debut in this match. Additionally, starter Nathan Harriel has recovered from his injury.
In this match, the Union will be looking to replicate Carnell’s orders on the pitch. They’ll try to lure Cincinnati into holding possession and use that to spring into counter-attacks. Being at home will be all the more helpful for this challenge so early into the season.
THE ORANGE & BLUE
The Orange and Blue’s unbeaten start to the season has generated much excitement among the fanbase. They have finally looked like a unit again, without the inconsistency seen in 2024. And there is still a higher ceiling to hit.
It was announced early on Friday that Luca Orellano, Sergio Santos, and Nick Hagglund are available for selection. That would bolster the squad, but we still have to wait to see Matt Miazga and Dado Valenzuela. The lineup is nearing full strength.
Still, the Union has been a competitive foe for this team, if not a full-blown rival. Over the past few seasons, this match has attracted league-wide interest because of that. The Orange and Blue have visited Subaru Park eight times, winning only once—last season’s final regular season match.
FCC notoriously struggles facing sides that are high-press and counter-attacking, like the New York Red Bulls. Tonight’s match will be a difficult challenge for this group as they still gel with one another.
The defense should be ready as Teenage Hadebe, Miles Robinson, and Gilberto Flores will be the likely starters. Flores pleasantly surprised during his debut against the Red Bulls and as he led the defense in the second leg against Motagua.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Tai Baribo is Philadelphia’s player to watch. In just a half season as a starter in 2024, he netted 16 goals in 22 matches. He scored a brace against Cincinnati when they faced each other at TQL last season. This form has been carried over into 2025, as he scored a brace in Philadelphia’s match against Orlando.
Kevin Denkey is Cincinnati’s player to watch. He has been even better than expected, scoring a goal in each of the last three matches he has played. All of them were different finishes, too, as he set up a goal with his own dribbling, scored a header, and slotted it in the corner from a through ball. He is proving to be the DP #9 this team needed and more.
WHAT TO EXPECT
If Philly’s tactics go as planned, Cincinnati will be facing an onslaught of attacking chances throughout the match. If they’re on the front foot, the defense should always be ready.
You can expect a competitive match; it won’t feel anything like the beginning of the season. These sides have always put together an entertaining 90 minutes; regardless of how talented FCC is, Philly will always be a challenging opponent.
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