After giving up a late 2-0 lead and narrowly putting out the Fire on penalty kicks in Game 1, the Philadelphia Union went into SeatGeek Stadium on Saturday night and defeated Chicago by a score of 3-0 to complete the Opening Round Best-Of-3 Series sweep.
A first-half brace from Tai Baribo, a 3rd goal added by Bruno Daminai, and a PK stop from Andre Blake helped the Union secure their 4th win of the season against Gregg Berhalter and the Fire, and punched their ticket to the Eastern Conference Semifinal for the 5th time in club history.
“Very impressive for the guys to see the moment and to execute the way they did, to set up the tempo of the game in the right way, and then it was about game management. So I’m really proud of the guys, and then Andre [Blake] comes up massively in a huge moment.”
- Philadelphia Union Head Coach, Bradley Carnell
It took the Blue and Gold just 8 minutes to find the back of the net in the Windy City, after Chicago keeper Jeffrey Gal, who got the start over an injured Chris Brady, had his pocket picked inside his own 18 by a high-pressing Tai Baribo. Baribo nicked possession off Gal with one touch and with his second rolled the ball into the back of an open net to give the Union an early 1-0 lead on the road.
The early goal from Baribo was his first goal dating back to August 23rd, a regular-season 4-0 win against the Fire.
In the 16th minute, Jovan Lukic jumped on a failed clearance attempt by Chicago’s Philip Zinckernagel and quickly moved the ball out to the left for Kai Wagner. Wagner whipped a left footer into the middle of the box and found Tai Baribo, who snuck in front of former Union SuperDraft pick Jack Elliott to win the header and redirected the ball into the far corner of the net to double the Union’s lead.
“We knew with the field the way it would be, just put them under pressure and something might happen, and something did happen, but that wasn’t a massive game plan, that wasn’t a massive talking point, but with the way we defend on the front foot, a little proactive and trying to sniff out plays - credit to Tai and Bruno for doing just that.”
- Bradley Carnell
In the 35th minute, it was Union’s high press that once again forced Chicago into a mistake inside their own defensive third when Jovan Lukic got in the way of a clearance attempt from keeper Jeffrey Gal.
The blocked clearance by Lukic on the edge of the box fell kindly to Bruno Damiani near the penalty spot, and with a wide-open goal, the Uruguayan striker volleyed the ball into the back of the net to extend Union’s lead to 3-0 and just about seal Game 2 before the half-time whistle rang out.
“Tonight wasn’t about the beautiful 100 possession pass sequences. The state of the field dictated what both teams could do,” Carnell said about the playing surface at SeatGeek Stadium. “We sort of take opportunities when they come. We’re a proactive team on the front foot, and we try and force mistakes, and the way the game played, we were able to force a few mistakes.”
-Bradley Carnell
Union goalkeeper Andre Blake wasn’t called on too often on Saturday night, but came up big when he was. After Jovan Lukic was whistled for a penalty for pulling down Jack Elliott on a corner, Andre Blake made a diving stop on the PK attempt from Brian Gutiérrez to keep Chicago off the board and to maintain the Union’s 2-0 advantage in the 32nd minute of the game.
The stop from Blake proved to be a big turning point in both the game and the Fire’s season, as just 3 minutes later Bruno Damiani would benefit from the 2nd Jeffrey Gal error of the night to make it 3-0 Union.
With their 3-0 win in their final game away from home this season, the Philadelphia Union have now punched their ticket to the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 4 consecutive MLS Cup Playoffs appearances, and for the 5th time in the club’s history (2011, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025).
The Union will await their opponent, the winner of NYCFC and Charlotte FC, who will play their decisive Game 3 down in Charlotte on November 7th. No matter the opponent, the Union will travel to Chester, PA, for the Eastern Conference Semifinal against the Union on November 22nd-23rd at Subaru Park.
As the Supporters’ Shield winners and overall #1 seed in the MLS Cup Playoffs, the Philadelphia Union will play all of their remaining games at home in Subaru Park this season. MLS Cup runs through Philly.
Three wins to go. All at home in front of a rowdy Subaru Park crowd. One goal in mind.
The Eastern Conference Semifinals are next for the MLS Cup hopeful Philadelphia Union.
“I see this unity within this group right now, and you can’t quite put your finger on it, but it’s a special feeling, and it’s a special feeling all around Chester, roaming around with the fans, and the team, and the staff, the whole front office. When you feel this momentum and support, it’s something we can really enjoy for the rest of the season now.”
- Bradley Carnell
