It’s a battle of first versus worst when the Philadelphia Union host CF Montreal on Wednesday in Chester, Pa.
The Union (13-5-4, 43 points) head into the midweek matchup with the best record in MLS, moving atop the standings with a 2-0 win against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday. The victory snapped a two-game losing streak, both losses coming on the road.
“Really happy with the result,” Philadelphia coach Bradley Carnell said after the match. “I think it was a good bounce-back from the last couple of games, where we didn’t quite show our true selves.
“We wanted to be a little more expressive, a little more of who we are and what we are. I think you saw that in abundance (Saturday). I’m really proud of the boys for their application and the way they went about their business.”
Philadelphia has the second-best home record in the Eastern Conference at 7-1-3, with its 24 points earned as the hosts trailing only the Columbus Crew. Its lone loss on its own pitch came March 16 against Nashville — the Union’s second home match of the season.
Homegrown midfielder Quinn Sullivan earned his team-leading eighth assist of the season on Bruno Damiani’s insurance goal in the win against the Red Bulls. Just past the midpoint of the season, the 21-year-old is only three assists shy of matching his career high of 11 set last season.
“He does so much work for us off the ball, for him to get rewarded, I think it’s just deserved,” Carnell said.
The Union have been the stingiest team in MLS, conceding a league-low 21 goals.
That will be a tough challenge for a Montreal squad that has struggled to score all season long. The Canadian side (3-13-6, 15 points) has managed just 19 goals through 22 matches, with nine of those coming from Prince Owusu.
The German striker helped Montreal earn a 1-1 draw in its last outing, converting a penalty in the 83rd minute against Orlando City on Saturday. He’s been on a roll over the past month, scoring five goals in his past five regular-season matches.
“We’re creating more scoring chances lately, and I’m benefiting from that,” Owusu said. “I know my role, and I’m very confident.”
Though tied for last place in the overall standings, Montreal is 2-2-1 in its past five matches and will be looking to earn points in consecutive matches for only the second time this season. They last did so in mid-May, following up their first win of the season with a draw.
Two of Montreal’s three wins on the season have come on the road (2-7-3).
–Field Level Media
