Philly Leader

Philadelphia Union center-back Jack Elliott expressed optimism regarding the team's recent performance. "I think we started to find ourselves again. This tournament has helped us to reignite the flame that we have," he stated in a press conference this week.

The Boys in Blue are set to compete for third place in the Leagues Cup on Sunday, hosting Colorado Rapids at Subaru Park. While there is no trophy at stake, the match holds significance as Philadelphia Union aims to secure their spot in the Concacaf Champions Cup for a third consecutive year.

After a slow start to the summer, Philadelphia Union gained momentum throughout the Leagues Cup. The return of players from injuries and national team duties contributed to a series of complete performances that bolstered their confidence.

Philadelphia Union began their tournament campaign with a 1-0 victory over Charlotte FC, marking their first win against Dean Smith's side in 2024. In their second group stage match, they drew 1-1 with Cruz Azul but were defeated 5-3 in penalties before an enthusiastic Subaru Park crowd.

Advancing past the group stage, Philadelphia faced Montréal for the third time this year and secured a 2-0 victory thanks to two goals from Tai Baribo. A pivotal moment came with their intense 4-2 win against Eastern Conference rivals FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium. Baribo scored twice more, supported by goals from Mikael Uhre and Quinn Sullivan.

In the quarterfinals against Liga MX’s Mazatlán at Subaru Park, Baribo received two yellow cards in the first half, forcing Philadelphia to play with ten men for the remainder of the game. Despite this challenge, they managed a 1-1 draw and triumphed in penalties thanks to key saves by Andre Blake and decisive shots from José Martinez and Jesus Bueno.

Philadelphia's journey ended on Wednesday when they faced Columbus Crew on the road. Despite an equalizing goal from Daniel Gazdag, Crew emerged victorious and advanced to face LAFC in the Leagues Cup Final.

Philadelphia Union will now prepare for one final Leagues Cup match against Colorado Rapids on Sunday evening at Subaru Park. The match will determine who secures a place in next year's Concacaf Champions Cup tournament.