The time is here, Union fans. The Chicago Fire are rolling into town, and Subaru Park is set for Game 1 of the MLS Cup Playoffs Best of 3 Opening Round Series on the banks of the Delaware River.
Your Philadelphia Union are the 2025 Supporters' Shield winners, and on Sunday, they kick off what they hope will be a long journey to winning the MLS Cup at Subaru Park. Before the action starts and the Union starts their quest to be the first team to do the league double since 2022, let's take a look at what I think are the Blue and Gold's strengths and weaknesses heading into the Playoffs.
Subaru Park has been and continues to be a difficult place to play for visiting teams, especially come Playoff time down in Chester. During the 2025 season under Carnell, the blue and gold put together a record of 12W-4D-1L at Subaru Park, outscored opponents by a total of 35 goals for to 15 goals against, and kept eight clean sheets during those games.
Since winning their first playoff match in club history against the Red Bulls back in 2019, the Union have an impressive home record of six wins and two losses during the MLS Cup Playoffs. One of those losses was the infamous COVID game against NYCFC, in which the Union was left without many important players.
The Union had the best defense in the league during the 2025 season, and they managed to do so with their backup keeper, Andrew Rick, in net for 14 of those games.. With just 35 goals conceded this season, or 1.02 goals conceded per game, breaking down Union’s defense proved difficult for opponents all season long, while the U kept a league-high 14 clean sheets throughout 2025.
A backline led by Defender of the Year candidates Jakob Glesnes and Kai Wagner, the Union can always frustrate their opponent and keep themselves in position to win. Supported by young Olwethu Makhanya - who some think deserves a shout for Defender of the Year as well - and either Nathan Harriel or Frankie Westfield on the right, defense might be Union’s best asset going into the playoffs. And of course, you’ve got three-time MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in Andre Blake back there as well.
The Union were one of the most dangerous teams in the league from set pieces during the 2025 season, scoring 17 of their 57 goals from dead-ball or set-piece situations, which often plays such an important role in teams making deep playoff runs.. Much of that success comes from left back Kai Wagner, whose service into the box is as good as anybody in the league on his day. Whether it be from a corner kick, a long free kick played into the box, or a shot put directly on net, Kai’s left foot can instantly change the game.
Something that can’t be overlooked is how powerful a locker room full of guys who believe in what their manager is preaching and are all pulling in the same direction for the benefit of the team, and not one player in particular can be, and that’s the Philadelphia Union under MLS Coach of the Year candidate, Bradley Carnell.
Since game 1 of the 2025 season, it’s been clear how in tune this team is and how bought in they are to Bradley Carnell’s philosophy, both on and off the pitch, and an unbeaten month of May was proof of the plan. They know exactly who they are, and they do it well. 34 games later, and the Union are Supporters’ Shield winners, looking to become the first team to do the double since 2022, and will do so while staying true to what got them there.
It feels strange to cite the Union’s offense as a reason for concern heading into the playoffs when they’ve put up both a 4-0 and a 6-0 win in the last seven games of the season, but outside of those games, they are struggling to hit the back of the net just a little bit.
Union lost three of its last nine games and failed to score in all three of those matches. During that same span, the U scored just once in four games, resulting in three wins and a draw. The 4-0 and 6-0 blowouts were the only games in the final nine of the season in which the blue and gold managed to score multiple goals.
One more thing to note on this topic - Tai Baribo, Union’s leading goal scorer - and at one point this season, Major League Soccer’s Golden Boot Leader - hasn’t found the back of the net dating back to August 23rd against Chicago. 6 games in a row without a goal for Baribo, which is the longest streak without a goal for the striker since breaking into the team back in June of last season.
If you can criticize this team at all after winning the Supporters’ Shield in Bradley Carnell’s first season, one place you can make a case for is their troubles against other playoff teams in the Eastern Conference. While the U did manage to do the double over both Chicago, their first round opponent, and FC Cincinnati, the Union put together a record of just 2W-2D-6L against the other five teams on the Eastern Conference side of the playoff bracket, and were outscored 10GF-16GA in those games.
Overall, against all teams competing in the MLS Cup Playoffs Opening Round Best of 3 Series, the Union had an overall record of just 6W-3D-7L during the 2025 regular season and were outscored by a total of 20GF-24GA, with the 7-0 loss to Vancouver significantly affecting that number.
It’s simple; it just doesn’t happen often. Obviously, Union fans will remember that 2022 was the last time this happened, when LAFC won the Shield over the Union due to a tie-breaker and won the MLS Cup with Gareth Bale’s last-second... never mind; you know the rest of that tale by now.
So, how many teams HAVE done it? Only 8 in total, and only twice has it happened in the last 10 seasons.
LAFC - 2022
Toronto FC - 2017
LA Galaxy - 2011
Columbus Crew - 2008
LA Galaxy - 2002
Sporting Kansas City (Known as Kansas City Wizards at the time) - 2000
DC United - 1999
DC United - 1997
The Eastern Conference side of the bracket is going to be an absolute dogfight this year, and I think you could make the case for any of these teams to make a deep run. Cincinnati, Miami, Columbus, and Nashville all feel like powerful contenders in a playoff format. At the same time, Charlotte, NYCFC, and Chicago can also make noise in a best-of-three series.
What helps the Union, however, is being on the opposite side of the bracket, as in Miami, Nashville, Columbus, and Cincinnati. This means they’d only have to beat one of those teams on their way to a final, and it would come in the Conference Finals—and of course, it would be at Subaru Park.
