The Philadelphia Union have one focus for the rest of their 2026 campaign: push for an MLS playoff spot. They're out of every other competition; they didn't advance past the Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16, failed to make the Leagues Cup quarterfinals, and have no shot at competing for the Supporters' Shield this year.
The Union's expectations of competing for a top-four spot in the East were blown out of the water when they became the worst team in MLS through the first half of the season. This was unexpected, given they were the league's best last year. However, selling off club legends combined with poor coaching decisions sent the team off a cliff. It took the almost two-month-long World Cup break for the club to make strides to right the ship.
In came interim head coach Ryan Richter and new sporting director Jon Sheer, and the vibes changed almost instantly. First, they brought back left back Kai Wagner from Birmingham City and made him a DP. They also inserted 18-year-old centerback Neil Pierre into the team, replacing Olwethu Makhanya. These changes stabilized the backline that had been one of MLS's worst. Quinn Sullivan returned from an ACL injury to bolster the attacking midfield, and his 16-year-old brother, Cavan Sullivan, took a step up to become a vital starter.
The Union has won all four of its MLS games after returning to MLS play, and now sits just five points behind the last playoff spot. The team has credited that run of form to the joy and togetherness Richter has brought back. Veterans have said it feels like it used to when the team consistently competed for trophies and top-four finishes in the East. Now the team is in an interesting spot with two matches this week: win both and rise above the playoff line.
The Union's two matches this week won't be easy. First, they take on Inter Miami on Wednesday, who sit in second place in all of MLS. Then, they go cross-country to take on Austin FC on Saturday. If Philly somehow finds a way to win both, they could be in the playoffs as early as next week.
Toronto (20 pts), Columbus (20 pts), and Orlando (21 pts) are just one to two points ahead of the Union. DC United (24 pts) and New York Red Bulls (25 pts) sit in the last playoff spots and are just five and six points above Philadelphia (19 pts). All of these teams play twice between Wednesday and Sunday, just like the Union, and if they drop points and Philly keeps winning, we could see a drastic shift in the standings around the playoff line. Here's a list of the matches to watch:
Wednesday, Aug. 19:
Saturday Aug. 22:
Of course, other results could change who Union fans need to watch. If Montreal (17 pts) and Atlanta (15 pts) rise up a bit in the coming games, they could factor into the last playoff spot picture. If NYCFC (26 pts) and Cincinnati (27 pts) falter, they could drop into the redline race.
One thing is clear for the Union: they have to focus on one game at a time. If they can keep this great form going against a Miami team that has been up and down recently and a Western Conference bottom dweller in Austin, then maybe Philly will be in a playoff spot after 21 games. If not, then they will still have 13 games left to make that playoff push!
