Philly Leader

Philadelphia Union is approaching the end of its regular season schedule with two critical matches remaining to secure a spot in the Major League Soccer playoffs. The team, led by Head Coach Jim Curtin, will face Columbus Crew on Saturday night at Lower.com Field. Philadelphia currently holds the 10th position in the Eastern Conference standings, just below the playoff line. The upcoming matches are crucial for their chances to move above the cutoff.

This weekend's game marks the third encounter this year between Philadelphia Union and Columbus Crew, including their meeting in the Leagues Cup Semifinal in August. So far, Philadelphia has not managed to secure a victory against Columbus.

Columbus Crew has established itself as one of the top teams in MLS, having won both the 2023 MLS Cup and 2024 Leagues Cup recently. Under Head Coach Wilfried Nancy, and with key players like Cucho Hernandez and Diego Rossi performing well, Columbus presents a formidable challenge for any visiting team.

"We sit in a spot where, with two games left, we know that if we win both, we'll be in the playoffs," Curtin stated. "The challenge is now we have a really tough opponent in Columbus... They're very talented... But regardless of whether they rotate or make some changes, they still have a very deep squad."

Columbus has been strong at home this season, losing only four regular-season matches there. Their recent loss was a close 3-2 match against Inter Miami. Lionel Messi's early goals set Miami ahead, followed by Luis Suarez scoring shortly after halftime. Despite goals from Rossi and Hernández for Columbus, Miami secured victory as Rudy Camacho's red card reduced Columbus to ten men.

Both teams enter Saturday’s match following losses; Philadelphia Union was defeated 2-1 by Orlando City. The Union is expected to field an almost fully healthy squad but must be cautious with Jack Daniel Gazdag and Kai Wagner due to yellow card accumulation.

A positive result against Columbus is vital for Philadelphia's playoff hopes. A loss could potentially eliminate them from contention if Toronto FC wins against Inter Miami and CF Montréal wins or draws against Charlotte.