Preview | Union begin road swing against Supporters’ Shield winners

The Philadelphia Union’s final match of the regular season is less than two weeks away, but before the highly anticipated Major League Soccer Decision Day slate on November 7th, the team has a pair of outings on the road to play. Next up is a midweek showdown against Supporters’ Shield winners, Nashville SC on Wednesday, October 28th – the action at Geodis Park is set to begin at 8:30 pm, tune in to watch on Apple TV.

All good things must come to an end

After 15 matches unbeaten coming out of the World Cup break, the Philadelphia Union suffered their first loss under the leadership of interim Head Coach Ryan Richter, falling 2-1 to now second-place New England Revolution at Subaru Park on Saturday night.

Despite the unfavorable result, the Union are still just one win away from a postseason berth. With a victory against Nashville, the Boys in Blue will officially earn a spot in the 2026 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.

It’s scenario season – on addition to the win, there are three other combinations of results in which the Union could clinch on Wednesday.

1. Union WIN at Nashville

2. Union DRAW at Nashville AND Red Bull New York DRAW at New England

3. Columbus Crew LOSS/DRAW at FC Dallas

4. Red Bull New York LOSS at New England

A playoff berth would mark the Union's 10th postseason appearance in club history and eighth in the last nine seasons.

As it stands

Nashville SC’s decisive 2-0 win over Montreal on Saturday secured them this year’s Supporters’ Shield. Sitting atop the rest with 70 points with three matches to go, they could surpass the Major League Soccer points record set in 2024 with 74 by Inter Miami, who now sit in third in the Eastern Conference standings. As for the Union, they sit at sixth with 46 points, still just one behind Charlotte FC in fifth. Both teams have yet to secure a playoff berth.

Next man up

Philly will make the trip south very shorthanded. Bruno Damiani is suspended due to yellow card accumulation, and per Richter’s Monday afternoon press conference Milan Iloski is injured and will miss both Wednesday and Saturday’s matches. Cavan Sullivan was out for the loss against New England due to an ankle injury, and he’s still questionable to return.

“Cav will be questionable for Wednesday. Still progressing from the ankle, so we'll see where he's at, how he gets through the rest of today with some recovery, and then where he's at tomorrow. But right now, he's questionable for Wednesday,” Richter said.

“[Milan] will be out at least for these two games. Doesn't seem like it's something that's a long-term thing, but he has a minor hamstring strain that he picked up at the end of the game. So he'll be out for sure for Nashville, and he'll be out for Cincy, and then we have to see kind of how he progresses in the next few days to give the kind of timeline of when he actually will be fully fit.”

As the team’s three highest scoring players, Iloski, Damiani, and Sullivan together have scored 38 of the team’s 62 regular season goals this year. Without them, Wednesday’s match will be an opportunity for other attacking players on the roster to step up for the momentous occasion and play expanded minutes.

“It's going to be an opportunity for our strikers to step up in a huge game. Ezekiel is one of them, Malik, Auggie. The three of them have been patient and pushing for this opportunity, and now it presents itself,” Richter said.

“It's a great opportunity for them, and a great opportunity for the team with the two of them, the three of them, pushing to lead the line and give us a great performance against Nashville.”

Players to watch

28-year-old English striker Sam Surridge is Nashville’s leading goalscorer so far in 2026, hitting the back of the net 18 times.

Team captain Hany Mukhtar is excelling in his seventh Major League Soccer season. The 31-year-old German Designated Player sits second on Nashville’s scoring leaderboard with 17 goals plus eight assists. He’s scored eight goals in the past seven games he’s played.

Notes to Know

Nashville SC’s Head Coach BJ Callaghan is from Ventnor, New Jersey, previously serving as the interim Head Coach of the United States Men’s National Team and assistant coach for the Philadelphia Union.