The Philadelphia Union can extend their club-record unbeaten streak as well as their lead atop the MLS standings when they visit the Chicago Fire on Wednesday.
A 7-0-3 record over their last 10 regular-season matches has carried the Union (11-3-4, 37 points) to the best mark in MLS at the unofficial midpoint of the schedule. Philadelphia’s all-around quality includes the fourth-most goals in the league (34) and the third-fewest goals conceded (19), which leads to the second-best goal differential (+15).
The club has been on such a roll that head coach Bradley Carnell didn’t exactly welcome the league-wide bye week.
“It’s kind of weird in the rhythm,” Carnell told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “You play all this fixture congestion, and then you’re forced to have five days out. Then you’re forced to have four days of training and, on the fifth day, you play again.”
Even with all the time off, the Union will be without several key players Wednesday. Tai Baribo, who leads MLS with 13 goals, will miss several more weeks due to a calf injury. Goalkeeper Andre Blake, midfielder Quinn Sullivan and defender Nathan Harriel are away on international duty at the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Chicago remains without goalkeeper Chris Brady due to the Gold Cup while regulars Philip Zinckernagel and Sam Rogers are questionable after missing the Fire’s last match with injuries. The 2-0 loss to Nashville SC on June 14 marked just the third time the high-scoring Fire were held scoreless this season.
Despite the loss to Nashville, the Fire (7-6-4, 25 points) are 4-2-0 in their last six regular-season matches. The streaky Fire began the season with 3-1-1 mark, then struggled through an 0-3-3 drought before their latest run of solid results.
“There’s definitely some growing pains, some ups and downs, but I think as the season’s progressed, we’ve started to kind of hit our stride a little bit,” defender Andrew Gutman told CBS Chicago.
The Fire are only 1-2-4 in home matches this season. The Union are 5-2-1 on the road.
–Field Level Media
