On Saturday, Philadelphia Union will aim to strengthen their place at the top end of the Major League Soccer Eastern Conference when they host FC Cincinnati with kickoff at 2:30 am.
The Philadelphia Union started the MLS season in fine form, winning five consecutive games after an opening-day draw. However, the Union’s strong run eventually ended with a 2-0 defeat away to Toronto FC.
Philadelphia then drew five matches in a row before returning to winning ways on May 25 when they beat Portland Timbers 2-0 at home, thanks to goals from Daniel Gazdag and Sergio Santos. The Union is now 7th in the Eastern Conference standings, with 27 points from 24 games played this season.
Philadelphia Union and New England Revolution shared the points in a 1-1 draw after Mikael Uhre equalized late on after Gustavo Bou had broken the deadlock. Now returning to action after over two weeks off, Philadelphia will take their MLS wins tally to seven for the campaign to strengthen their position at the top end of the division.
Cincinnati will be looking to return to winning ways after consecutive defeats against Orlando and New York at the weekend. The side currently sits seventh in the Eastern Conference standings, having won four of their last seven games in all competitions.
Philadelphia vs. Cincinnati Head to Head
Both sides have six games against each other, with the hosts taking five wins while the visitors are winless. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- New England Revolution 1-1 Philadelphia
- Portland 0-2 Philadelphia
- Philadelphia 0-0 Inter Miami
- Philadelphia 1-1 New York Red Bulls
Away
- Montreal 4-3 Cincinnati
- Cincinnati 2-3 New England Revolution
- Chicago Fire 1-2 FC Cincinnati
- New England Revolution 5-1 FC Cincinnati
Philadelphia Team News
The Philadelphia Union are without three players on international duty—Brandan Craig, Paxten Aaronson and Quinn Sullivan—as they’re with the USA Under-20 team. With Aaronson and Sullivan out of the picture, Cory Burke is likely to come into the attack from the outset.
FC Cincinnati Team News
Brandon Vazquez will continue to lead the line for the home team, having netted seven goals this season. Junior Moreno is another threat following his brace last time out, while young winger Alvaro Barreal also added to his tally in that game.
Prediction and Odds
The hosts have shown themselves among the MLS’ strongest teams, and we back them to narrowly get over the line in what should be an intriguing encounter.
- Home Win
- Goals Under 2.5
- No Score: Away
