Decision Day is almost here! The Philadelphia Union will host their final match of the regular season on Saturday, November 7th, facing Toronto FC at Subaru Park at 4pm.
MLS Decision Day is the last matchday of the regular season, deciding postseason positioning or lack thereof for every team across the league. This year’s finale will significantly impact Philly’s seeding and opponent for the playoffs – click here for tickets to support the team in their final push!
What's on the line
This year’s Decision Day slate will heavily impact Philadelphia Union’s postseason path. The team currently sits in 6th place with 47 points – a win against Toronto would guarantee that the Union would remain in that spot, finishing the regular season with 50 points.Â
With a draw, the Union would secure a top-seven finish and avoid the Wild Card played between the 8th and 9th seed teams. A Union loss plus wins from both Cincinnati and Columbus would force Philly into that match.
Should the Union finish 7th or higher, their 2026 campaign will continue with Round One of the postseason following the November FIFA international break. The playoffs begin with a best-of-three first round seriers. Home field advantage for the first, and if needed, third game is awarded to the higher-seeded team in the matchup.
- 6th: Union win/draw + CIN draw/loss; OR Union loss + both CIN and CLB draw/loss.
- 7th: Union draw + CIN win; OR Union loss + exactly one of CIN or CLB wins.
- 8th: Union loss + both CIN and CLB win.
"Now that this last game of of the regular season is really meaningful for us, it gives us that extra little bump of what we're pushing for exactly," interim Head Coach Ryan Richter said in his Thursday afternoon press conference.
"Some stuff is out of our control as far as how the opponent goes after that. But what is in our control is is taking care of business, winning the game, finishing in sixth place, and then we can assess where we're at after that and see what the opponent looks like."
Bouncing back
After a historic 15-match unbeaten streak, the Union went winless in four straight -- an unfavorable end to their October calendar. The team pushed through a strenuous and competitive stretch, but ultimately picked up their first loss unde Rihter’s leadership as against New England Revolution. Three days later, the team took a good midweek point from Supporters’ Shield Champions Nashville SC on the road, but left Cincinnati emptyhanded on Saturday with a Halloween loss.
As it stands
Favorably for Philly, there’s not much on the line for their upcoming opponent, Toronto FC – the Canadian side has already been eliminated from playoff contention.Â
They are currently tied for points with both New York Red Bulls and New York City FC sitting just below the playoff line. Orlando City clinched the final spot, sitting in 9th with 43. While all the Eastern Conference spots have been secured, there's still plenty of room for movement as multiple teams are within three points of each other in the standings.
Who's In, Who's Out
Philadelphia Union's final gauntlet of games has been riddled with injuries and suspensions, but per Richter, all but two players are fully fit and available for Decision Day.
Still on the injury report are Milan Iloski and Japhet Sery Larsen. Iloski is the team's leading goalscorer, climbing to the top of the league's Golden Boot race with 19 goals before his injury. Richter said the team's #10 is still questionable, but it's 'pretty unlikely' that he'd be ready to go come Saturday afternoon.
As for Sery Larsen, Richter noted that he Danish defender is still experiencing concussion symptoms.
Players to watch
- 26-year-old American Desginated Player Josh Sargent scored nine goals in his first year back stateside after playing in Europe for Werder Bremen and Norwich City.
- 30-year-old Hungarian forward Dániel Sallói has also hit the back of the net nine times this season and tallied 10 assists, enjoying a strong start to his time in Toronto after nearly a decade in Kansas City.
Notes to Know
- The Union enter MLS Decision Day in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 47 points (13-12-8).
- Philadelphia has already clinched their 10th postseason appearance in club history and eighth in the last nine seasons.
- The Union have scored 62 MLS goals this season, tied with the 2024 team for the second-most in a single regular season in club history.
