After earning much-needed victories, the Philadelphia Union and visiting D.C. United enter Saturday’s MLS matchup each intent on starting a run of success.
Philadelphia (5-3-1, 16 points) broke out last Saturday with a 3-0 home victory over Atlanta United. The win came after the Union had scored just one goal during a three-match winless streak (0-2-1).
D.C. United (2-4-3, 9 points) was desperate for a victory after losing four straight and responded with a 2-1 win on the road against the New York Red Bulls.
“It’s a version of us,” Union coach Bradley Carnell said of D.C. “They’ve kind of weathered a storm and they’ve trended really well their last two games.”
Before winning on Saturday, D.C. had struggled in its four losses, getting outscored 13-3. A sign of home came in a 1-0 loss to FC Cincinnati on April 12. In the 29th minute against the Red Bulls last week, top scorer Christian Benteke departed with a leg injury.
Over the next 15 minutes, however, Joao Peglow scored two spectacular goals, including one with a sidewinding delivery. The goals were the first two for the 23-year-old Brazilian after signing with D.C. four months ago.
“He’s getting settled in, assimilating to a new country and a new club with a new style of play,” D.C. coach Troy Lesesne said. “He’s made a difference for us, even when he’s not scoring goals.”
Lesesne said there was “a possibility,” that Benteke could play Saturday. He leads D.C. with five goals, after scoring an MLS-high 23 last year.
D.C., which has surrendered more goals than any team in the Eastern Conference with 19, has a tough task against Philadelphia, which it has not beaten in the last seven meetings.
Additionally, while the Union are seeking their seventh playoff berth in the last eight years, D.C. United are trying to reach the postseason for the first time since 2019.
Philadelphia will be without Jovan Lukic (two goals), who sustained two yellow cards in the Atlanta win.
The Union will look to top threats Tai Baribo (seven goals) and Quinn Sullivan (one goal, five assists).
Both scored against Atlanta when Philadelphia possessed the ball for just 41.2 percent of the match and played a man down after Lukic departed in the 56th minute.
– Field Level Media
