Philly Leader

Philadelphia Union returns to Subaru Park on Wednesday to face Columbus Crew for the second time in a week. Last Wednesday, Head Coach Jim Curtin’s squad visited Lower.com Field in Ohio and suffered a 3-1 loss in the Leagues Cup semifinals. The result sent Philadelphia to the Third-Place match, while Columbus went on to win the trophy by defeating LAFC in the Leagues Cup Final. The upcoming midweek matchup will provide Philadelphia Union another opportunity to best their Eastern Conference opponent, this time for Major League Soccer points.

Wednesday marks Philadelphia's first league clash since they defeated Nashville SC on July 20th. Coverage will be available on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV starting at 7:30 PM ET.

Philadelphia Union currently sits at 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings, one spot below the playoff line. With nine games remaining, each match is crucial as the Eastern Conference table is tightly packed near the bottom. Atlanta is one spot above Philadelphia with 28 points, while Montreal sits at 11th with 27 points. New England, Chicago, Nashville, and D.C. United follow closely behind with 26 points each.

The Leagues Cup provided Head Coach Jim Curtin's squad an opportunity to overcome their early summer slump, finishing fourth among 47 teams across Liga MX and MLS. Tai Baribo was a standout performer in this year's tournament, finishing with more Leagues Cup goals than any other player with seven. His performance earned him top scorer honors and boosted his momentum heading into MLS play. Wednesday's match will be Baribo's first time facing Columbus Crew as he missed the semifinal due to suspension after receiving two yellow cards against Mazatlán.

During Head Coach Jim Curtin's pregame press conference, he discussed some of his team's takeaways from their tournament run and how they plan to apply those lessons in the final stretch of the season.

"I think we did take some things from Leagues Cup," Curtin said. "I think we improved; it didn't end the way we wanted it to, but at the same time, the guys know what we're capable of when we are sound defensively and finish off our transitions."

As for Columbus Crew, they'll face Philadelphia just three days after a dominant 3-1 win in the Leagues Cup Final against LAFC. Cucho Hernández was pivotal in that showdown, scoring two of Columbus' three goals to secure their second trophy within a year. When Crew topped Philadelphia last week, Hernández and Diego Rossi combined for three goals after Daniel Gazdag’s 32nd-minute equalizer.