After a two-week break between matches, FC Cincinnati (17-4-6, 57 pts.) prepare for a battle as they travel to The City of Brotherly Love to take on the fourth-place Philadelphia Union (14-8-4, 46 pts.) Saturday night for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.
Subaru Park, the venue for Saturday’s fixture, is one of the most difficult grounds for a visiting team. The home side has only lost outright once there, owning a record of 21-1-7 over the last two seasons and a 9-1-2 record this season.
“It’s not an easy place to go,” FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan said. “(The Union) know how to win at home. The environment is great. The crowd is great, and it’s a very strong team. There’s a reason that teams aren’t going there and getting results. So I think our guys certainly understand the challenges ahead of us.”
The long break between matches has allowed FC Cincinnati to rest, recover, and bring back a full group ready to play down the stretch run. But as the gap has worn on, players and coaches have grown antsy and excited for a return to gameplay.
“I feel that,” Noonan said of the anticipation to play. “You train long enough and you want a game. You want to try to take some of the things that you’re doing in training and the ideas to the game setting and I think I think our guys are ready to play.”
“We had two weeks off, so we’re kind of like, raring to go,” FCC defender Matt Miazga said. “We’ve been training the past two weeks. So it’s exciting to have a game to prepare for now.”
With seven games remaining in the 2023 regular season, The Orange and Blue lead the Supporters’ Shield race by 9 points over New England Revolution and St. Louis CITY SC. FC Cincinnati remains the only club to have clinched a point in the 2023 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
FC CINCINNATI at Philadelphia Union – SATURDAY, September 16, 2023 – 7:30 p.m. ET – Suburu Park
Stream: Free on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
TV Talent (English): Steve Cangialosi (PXP) & Danny Higginbothem (Analysis)
TV Talent (Spanish): Pablo Ramirez (PXP) & Carlos Ruiz (Analysis)
Radio: FOX Sports 1360, Sirius XM 157
Radio Talent: Tom Gelehrter (play-by-play), Omar Cummings (analyst)
ALL-TIME SERIES
The Union have historically owned the matchup between FC Cincinnati and Philadelphia Union winning five of the first six matchups between the two clubs since FCC joined MLS in 2019, owning a 2-6-2 record across all competitions.
FCC earned their first win over Philadelphia in franchise history last season, topping the Eastern Conference finalists 3-1 at TQL Stadium. Álvaro Barreal, Brandon Vazquez and Brenner scored as Pat Noonan coached his second match against his former club.
The Orange and Blue have never won when visiting Subaru Park but earned a draw for the first time last season in a 1-1 draw on June 18.
FC CINCINNATI NOTES
Another (Re)Union- Saturday is the fifth matchup for FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan against his former club, where he was an assistant coach from Jan. 2018 - Dec. 2021.
Noonan’s hiring to the Queen City was led by the former Union Technical Director, Chris Albright, who served as Philly’s Technical Director since his retirement from playing after the 2013 season.
Irreplaceable- FCC defender Matt Miazga is one of only nine outfield players this season to have started 21 or more games and not be subbed off. Miazga leads all FCC defenders with 1890 minutes played this season and has started all 21 games he has been available for.
Return home- Defender Ray Gaddis is the all-time leader in appearances and minutes for Philadelphia Union. With 221 appearances and 18,702 minutes played in the city of brotherly love, he helped the club win the 2020 Supporters’ Shield.
Second half strong- The Orange and Blue have been dominant defensively in second halves this season, allowing the fewest goals in MLS this season after the break with 9. No other MLS club has allowed fewer than 10 this season, and only 13 allowed less than 20
Looking for a sweep- FC Cincinnati have a chance to sweep a team for the third time this season. After sweeping Nashville SC and NYCFC this year, FCC have a chance to sweep a third team in a season for the first time in club history.
Without our captain – Due to Yellow Card accumulation FC Cincinnati will be without their captain, Luciano Acosta, for just the second time this season. In the previous match without Acosta, who was absent due to a shoulder injury, FCC fell to St. Louis CITY SC 5-1.
SCOUTING PHILADELPHIA (14-8-4, 46 PTS., 4TH EASTERN CONFERENCE)
Philadelphia Union have been one of the top clubs in MLS the last two seasons, and are back in the hunt for MLS Cup Playoffs success after a challenging start to the season. In their last five matches the Union have earned four victories and shot up the standings.
Dealing with fixture congestion earlier in the year after going to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions League, Philly opened the season with a 1-4-2 record before rattling off a eight game unbeaten streak while going 7-0-1 to reenter the race for MLS glory.
Like many other teams at the top of the table Philadelphia has been dominant at home, owning a 9-1-2 record when playing at Subaru Park. The Union have not dropped points at home since May 17 in a 0-0 draw with D.C. United, and have not lost since a 2-1 loss to Orlando on March 25.
Hungarian midfielder Dániel Gazdag anchors the Philly attack, scoring 11 goals in league play this season for the Union and adding 10 assists. With 58 career goals across all competitions, Gazdag is second all-time in goals for Philadelphia. Argentine forward Julián Carranza currently leads Philly in goals this season with 12.
Goalkeeper Andre Blake has been a rock for Philadelphia, owning essentially every relevant all-time record for the club, including wins, goalkeeper appearances, saves, and clean sheets. This season, the Jamaican national team member has made 19 starts and earned six clean sheets.
Long time head coach Jim Curtin is in his 10th season leading The Union, and has earned an impressive 156-115-90 record. Curtin took over the club as interim head coach in 2013 after leading the academy program in Philadelphia after his retirement as an MLS player. After turning around the club, winning 11 of their final 16 matches and making the U.S. Open Cup final, the interim tag was removed and he became the third head coach in club history.
While in charge of the club, Curtin has won the 2020 Supporters’ Shield and finished as runners up in the MLS Cup in 2022, and the U.S. Open Cup in 2014, 2015, and 2018.
