CHESTER — The stakes are too high for the Philadelphia Union to take anything for granted. But even if they were inclined to, D.C. United should provide ample warning against it.
The Union (18-7-6, 60 points) have three games remaining to solidify their position atop the Supporters’ Shield standings. If they win each of their final three contests, only Inter Miami can catch them, but it would require the Florida club to win its five remaining games, in addition to the three it has already won. Only two teams in MLS history have won eight in a row.
The Union can keep that pressure one with a win over D.C. United Saturday night (7:30, Apple TV+). To do so, they’ll have to overlook the Black and Red’s standing in 14th place in the Eastern Conference and 28th in MLS.
For the second straight week, the Union face a team that has undergone a midseason coaching change. Last week, they controlled the game but took more than an hour and a sizeable tactical change to get the goal from Bruno Damiani that put down the challenge of New England in a 1-0 win.
That came in the week that the Revs fired coach Caleb Porter, needing a win to forestall playoff elimination.
The D.C. meeting comes a week after the MLS original installed a new front office. It fired coach Troy Lesesne in July, bringing in Rene Weiler.
D.C. went 11 games without a win before a 2-1 victory at New York City FC. The team is 1-1-3 in its last five games, the only loss last week at Inter Miami in a 3-2 decision that was tighter than the host would’ve wanted.
Bradley Carnell this week insisted that there are no bad teams in MLS as a way to keep his team on its toes. That’s not exactly true: D.C. (5-16-10, 31 points) is an objectively bad team, but one that can punish an opponent that goes in with the mindset of taking things lightly.
“Every team has quality,” Carnell said. “Every team has DP 10s and 9s, and great midfielders and all of that that can create. So then it’s all about us again. What are we doing to mitigate that? What are the chances we’re mitigating?”
D.C.’s quality No. 9 is former Belgian international Christian Benteke. He has been an objectively effective signing in MLS, with 47 goals in 90 games, including nine this year after 23 last season.
But the Union have handled him well: Benteke has no goals and one assist on nine shots in 360 minutes against them.
“DC is a dangerous team,” defender Nathan Harriel said. “It’s not a safe game. It’s not an easy game, because they’re eliminated from the playoffs. Guys are still fighting for contracts, fighting for their own jobs.
“With Benteke especially, you have to be physical. In previous years, Jakob (Glesnes) has done a really good job with that, being physical, not letting him get off the ground first, bumping him, doing every we can to make life hard for him. So I think this weekend again, if we’re us, just being physical, not flat-footed on the jump, we’ll do the job.”
The Union welcome back Olwethu Makhanya, who has missed the last two MLS games due to suspension, though he played in the Open Cup loss to Nashville. Frankie Westfield is away with the U.S. Under-20s at the World Cup. Tai Baribo is suspended for yellow-card accumulation.
Harriel will likely shift to right back for Westfield. Mikael Uhre or Milan Iloski could take Baribo’s spot up top alongside Damiani.
The Union are coming off their 12th clean sheet of the season, a welcomed return to stinginess after allowing 10 goals in two matches, including the historic 7-0 humbling by Vancouver.
“Just getting back to our way at home especially, was huge,” Harriel said. “We have three games left in the season, all to play for. We’re still in first place. We control our own destiny. So just getting a clean sheet and the positive momentum in the group, it’s been huge this week.”
While they aren’t entirely in control of their destiny, the Union can win out and be in the catbird’s seat. That status confers a certain confidence that Carnell wants his team to show. Teams aren’t in first place seven months into the season by accident. Carnell has talked about playing without fear, and he’s mostly been pleased with how his players have carried out that remit.
“The mood is, for sure, playing for something to win and not trying to play to protect something to lose,” Carnell said. “It creates a bit of freedom. If I all of a sudden now change the narrative from how I started the season and have a fearful approach and fear of failure, then, we’re all doomed to fail. So for us, it’s keeping true to who we are as a team, as a squad, regardless of how many games are left, regardless of who’s behind us.
“We know where we are as a group, so that’s very important for us to acknowledge that and embrace that.”
Source: Berkshire mont