The Philadelphia Union are officially playoff bound! The team has two matches left on the regular season schedule before postseason positioning is locked -- one on the road, then Decision Day at Subaru Park. First up is a Halloween matinee against FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium. Tune in at 2pm on Apple TV to watch the action.
Playoffs on the horizon
The Philadelphia Union held this year's Supporters' Shield winners to a scoreless draw on the road in Nashville on Wednesday night, but it was ultimately a Red Bull New York loss to New England Revolution that clinched the spot for the Boys in Blue.
Now, playoff positioning is the priority. Should the Union secure a win or draw in Cincinnati, they'd finish in atleast seventh place or higher, therefore avoiding the Wildcard game between the 8th and 9th seeds.
Who's in, who's out
Bruno Damiani will be available for Saturday's match after missing the match in Nashville due to yellow card accumulation, but his partner up top and the team's leading goalscorer, Milan Iloski, will remain out due to injury.
Cavan Sullivan 'should be good' in time for Saturday's match per interim Head Coach Ryan Richter's Friday morning press conference. Jesus Bueno will also be back in the mix and available for selection for the first time since the team's match against Chicago.Â
Danley Jean Jacques won't make the trip to Cincy for due to his own card suspension, and neither will Ale Bedoya and Japhet Sery Larsen, who've been added to the injury list. Richter also noted Geiner Martinez is dealing with a knock as well.
Players to watch
- 28-year-old Brazilian attacking midfielder Evander was an MLS MVP candidate in 2025, and his league dominance continued into 2026 with 14 goals and 17 assissts so far this season.
- In his second season in Cincinnati, 25-year-old forward Kevin Denkey leads the team in scoring with 17 goals.Â
- Now on his third MLS team since 2019, 31-year-old forward Tom Barlow has settled in nicely for his first season in Cincy, scoring 10 goals and tallying six assists.
Notes to Know
- The postseason berth marks the Union's 10th playoff appearance in club history and eighth in the last nine seasons.
- With a win or draw against Cincinnati, the Union would guarantee a top-seven finish in the Eastern Conference, securing an automatic berth in the Round One Best-of-3 Series and avoiding the Wild Card match.
- A Union win combined with a Charlotte loss against Orlando City SC would move Philadelphia into fifth place.
- Since Interim Head Coach Ryan Richter's appointment, Philadelphia has earned 40 of a possible 51 points, posting a 12-1-4 record over 17 matches.
- Philadelphia has outscored opponents 44-20 (+24) in their 17 matches since the World Cup break
