Philadelphiavs.Cincinnati

The Union made a statement with a commanding 4-2 victory away at Orlando City, while Cincinnati edged past New York Red Bulls with a narrow 1-0 win on home soil.

Match preview

Bradley Carnell took the reins at Philadelphia Union following an underwhelming 2024 MLS campaign, which saw the club miss out on the postseason for the first time since 2017.

The Union ended last season on a low note, losing their final three regular-season matches, and their poor form seemed to carry over into pre-season, where they suffered three consecutive defeats, extending their losing streak to six.

Carnell's side eventually found their rhythm in their final pre-season fixture, securing a 1-0 win over CF Montreal - however, attacking concerns persisted, as they failed to score more than once in any of their warm-up matches.

That changed emphatically in their season opener, as Philadelphia looked much sharper in the final third, hitting four past Orlando City, with Tai Baribo netting a brace to help end a four-match winless run against the Lions.

Carnell will hope for another strong attacking display in the club's first home game of the season, although history does not favour them in this fixture, as the Union have won just once in their last six meetings with Cincinnati, drawing once and losing four times, including a 2-1 home defeat in their most recent clash at Subaru Park.

Cincinnati, meanwhile, enjoyed an unbeaten pre-season, registering victories over CF Montréal (1-0) and Philadelphia (4-1), while earning draws against Houston Dynamo (1-1) and Atlanta United (2-2).

They carried this momentum into the Concacaf Champions Cup, cruising past Honduran outfit Motagua with a 4-1 first-leg win before securing a 1-1 draw in the return fixture to complete a 5-2 aggregate victory.

That strong form continued into their MLS campaign, with an efficient display earning them a 1-0 win over the Red Bulls in their opening match.

Having fallen at the first hurdle in last season's MLS Cup play-offs, head coach Pat Noonan will be keen to see his side become even more ruthless this time around, particularly on their travels - it was a 3-1 away defeat to the Red Bulls that saw them eliminated last term.

Philadelphia Union Major League Soccer form:

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Philadelphia Union form (all competitions):

FC Cincinnati Major League Soccer form:

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FC Cincinnati form (all competitions):

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Team News

Philadelphia Union will be without Markus Anderson, who remains sidelined with an ankle injury, while Isaiah LeFlore is also unavailable due to a leg problem.

Right-back Nathan Harriel is a doubt, having only recently returned to training, with the season opener coming too soon for him.

Cincinnati, on the other hand, have several absentees to contend with Luca Orellano, Sergio Santos and Gerardo Valenzuela are all ruled out with leg injuries, while Nick Hagglund is nursing an ankle issue.

Goalkeeper Alec Kann is sidelined with a hip injury, and defender Matt Miazga is also unavailable due to a knee problem.

Philadelphia Union possible starting lineup:

Blake; Wagner, Glesnes, Makhanya, Westfield; Jacques, Lukic; Gazdag, Sullivan, Baribo; Uhre

FC Cincinnati possible starting lineup:

Celentano; Engel, Flores, Robinson, Hadebe, Yedlin; Bucha, Nwobodo, Evander; Denkey, Kubo

We say: Philadelphia Union 1-2 FC Cincinnati

Philadelphia Union will look to build on their impressive opening win, but FC Cincinnati's strong form and superior head-to-head record give them the edge.

We expect a tight contest, with both sides posing a threat in attack - however, Cincy's resilience and momentum could see them snatch a narrow win here.

Written by

Joshua Cole

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