The Philadelphia Union finally did it; they won their first match of the 2026 MLS season. Up in Montreal, last place, Philly took on a team two places above them in the standings in a match that lived up to the billing of a sloppy affair. This was Montreal's home opener at Stade Saputo, and they wanted to give their fans a good showing, while Philly was looking to avoid going winless or even pointless in their first seven games of the season.
The Union knew Montreal would play in a 4-2-3-1 formation, and that the dangerous trio of Jaime, Carmona, and Owusu would be how Montreal looked to attack in transition. Bradley Carnell set his Union side up in their familiar 4-2-2-2 formation but made a few personnel changes.
Philadelphia Union starting XI vs CF Montreal
GK: Blake
LB: Westfield CB: Makhanya CB: Sery Larson RB: Harriel
DM:Bueno DM: Lukic
AM: Vassilev AM: Bender
ST: Iloski ST: Damiani
Jesus Bueno came into defensive midfield for Danley Jean Jacques, who had a knock and was on the injury report. Ben Bender slotted into the attacking midfield, as Milan Iloski was pushed up to striker. At first, the changes didn't look like they would provide much cohesion on the pitch. However, this core was able to create the spark needed in the second half to secure three points.
The beginning of this match looked like all Philadelphia Union matches so far in 2026: disjointed. The defense would stop a Montreal advance, and then a hopeful long ball would be played up the field. When this happened, Philadelphia would push its numbers high. The only problem was that this didn't lead to attacks; it led to Montreal winning the ball back and starting counterattacks into the vacated space.
Montreal thought they won a PK in the 13th minute off of one of these attacks, as Jaime was in on goal, and looked to be taken out by Union keeper Blake. However, after a VAR review, it was clear that Blake actually won the ball off of Jaime's foot. The Union dodged a bullet, but didn't learn from the mistake then. In the 23rd minute, another long clearance was hoofed upfield, but Montreal was ready for it. They won the initial header, and after a few easy passes and acres of space to run into, Jaime scored the opener. It had a big impact on the hosts, who took a 1-0 lead into halftime.
The Union knew its effort was not good enough, and they came out in the second half looking to play to feet rather than direct over the top. This change paid off from almost the first minute of the half. The ball was played to the attackers' feet, and it was clear that it made Montreal's inexperienced back line uneasy. Bruno Damiani and Milan Iloski were consistently fouled, giving Philly dangerous free kicks. In the 55th minute, they cashed in on one of those chances. Iloski whipped a ball into the Montreal box, and Sery Larson was unmarked and rose above everyone to nod in the equalizer. It was a big moment that truly swung the momentum.
Less than a minute later, Iloski thought he had given the Union the lead by rounding Montreal keeper Gillier and scoring, but he was narrowly offside on the buildup. However, Philly would not stop there. A good bit of play for Philly in the 70th minute saw a ball sent into the box. Substitute striker Alladoh headed the ball into an open space in the box, and Bueno pounced on it to give the Union the lead for the first time this season. Over the final 20 minutes, Union had the majority of the ball and more scoring chances. They failed to do so, but also stopped Montreal's frantic last-minute counterattacks. Philly takes the 2-1 W back home. Could this be momentum to build on?
The Philadelphia Union have their first win of the 2026 season! It's a major exhale for everyone associated with the club, from ownership, coaching staff, players, and fans alike. Could this be the building block Philly needs to get themselves up the standings? The play on the field still isn't perfect, and it seems like Carnell still doesn't have his best XI pegged down just yet, but the confidence coming from scoring multiple goals and winning might just be enough to get the positivity ball rolling again.
Philadelphia Union's remaining schedule for April 2026
Philadelphia Union (13th place | 3 pts)
Sat., Apr. 18: Union vs DC United (9th place | 7 pts)
Wed., Apr. 22: Union @ Toronto FC (6th place | 11 pts)
Sat., Apr. 25: Union @ Columbus Crew (11th place | 5 pts)
With three matches left in April, the Union can do the unthinkable and rise up the standings into a playoff place with more positive results. It sounds far-fetched after starting the season with six straight losses, but their first win of the season, coupled with promising play to end the month, could see Philly move out of the basement of the Eastern Conference. A few more wins against some of the teams around them in the standings, plus a draw north of the border, would see Philly enter May with 10 points. Let's see if they can respond this way, or if this first win is nothing more than an aberration.
