Bradley Carnell wants the Philadelphia Union to be “brave and aggressive” when they take on the New York Red Bulls in MLS on Saturday.
Philadelphia were supposed to host the Red Bulls at Subaru Park in the U.S. Open Cup quarter-final in midweek, but it was postponed due to severe weather warnings in the area.
The Union have therefore had a week to prepare for their match against New York as they look to get back to winning ways after suffering back-to-back defeats against the Columbus Crew and Nashville SC.
Those losses have seen Philadelphia drop from top of the Eastern Conference to third, and Carnell wants to take the fight to his former side.
“They’ve been quite active in transition in the last couple of games, and they’ve been a little bit more clinical in transition the last couple of games,” Carnell said of the Red Bulls.
“We’re going to have to nullify that and really be brave and aggressive in the counter press, and to step on the front foot and defend forwards.
“We need to set the tone in our stadium. I know what it’s like firsthand, being on the opposite side of it all those years, and I know the feeling coming into this stadium.”
The Red Bulls, meanwhile, are on a four-match winless streak in MLS and sit eighth in the East, 10 points behind the Union.
New York have drawn their last three matches, giving up the lead in all of those games, and head coach Sandro Schwarz knows they have a tough test ahead of them on Saturday.
“The idea of Bradley and his players is clear,” he said. “They have a clear direction, especially in transition moments, and that’s what we have to defend.
“I expect a very intense game, and we have to show our quality. We have to play very clean without risk, especially in the final third. We need to be organized and be very aggressive in the duels.”
One goal in mind #DOOP | @GiantFoodStores | @opencup pic.twitter.com/YwgGp9iX4y
— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) July 9, 2025
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Philadelphia Union – Tai Baribo
Tai Baribo has scored in three straight regular-season home matches for the Union.
The only Union player with a longer streak since the start of the 2023 season was Daniel Gazdag (five straight in 2024, eight straight in 2022-23).
New York Red Bulls – Emil Forsberg
Emil Forsberg scored his seventh goal of the season in the Red Bulls’ 1-1 draw on Saturday.
Forsberg, who scored nine goals in his first season with New York, is the second Red Bulls player in the last 20 years to score at least seven times in each of his first two seasons with the team (Mike Grella – 2015-16).
MATCH PREDICTION: PHILADELPHIA UNION WIN
Philadelphia Union are unbeaten in 11 straight matches against the Red Bulls in regular-season MLS play (W7 D4), with New York’s last league win over the Union coming in September 2019. This is the Union’s longest unbeaten run against any opponent in regular-season MLS play in club history.
After going unbeaten in 11 straight regular-season matches, the Union have dropped two in a row in league play, both on the road. Philadelphia do remain unbeaten in eight straight at home in regular-season play (W5 D3), though, having not lost at Subaru Park in league play since March.
The Red Bulls have drawn their last two regular-season away matches, including a 1-1 draw at San Jose on Saturday. This is the first time the Red Bulls have avoided defeat in consecutive away league games since a run of four straight draws in June-July 2024, including one at the Union on July 6, 2024.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Philadelphia Union – 57.1%
Draw – 22.2%
New York Red Bulls – 20.7%