Philadelphia Union boss Bradley Carnell acknowledged his side face a stern test against away day specialists Chicago Fire in the MLS this weekend.
The Fire, led by Gregg Berhalter, have won seven games on the road so far this season, a total only bettered by FC Cincinnati and San Diego FC (both nine).
Carnell’s side come into the game at Subaru Park off the back of a disappointing 1-0 defeat to the New York Red Bulls, a game that also saw Bruno Damiani miss a penalty.
That result saw their five-game unbeaten run in the MLS come to an end, leaving them a point behind Eastern Conference leaders Cincinnati.
Carnell, however, did not understate the difficulty of returning to winning ways on home soil, saying: “They [Chicago] have to try and impose their way at home, whereas they can hand over the responsibility to the home team when they are travelling.
“They have a strict, rigid structure when they are defending and that’s always difficult to break down. In the last 10 games they have given up the third-least expected goals against (xGA).
“That’s just behind us, so they are going less than a goal a game expected in the last 10. They are doing things right and a lot of that starts with the away form and the way they are set up.
“They are not easy to break down with the way they defend. It is never easy anyway, but I think against Gregg’s [Berhalter] teams they always have great quality in the final third.”
Not our night. #DOOP | @PennMedicine pic.twitter.com/WRv3mGQ86Y
— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) August 17, 2025
Chicago, meanwhile, continued their impressive run of form with a 3-2 win over St. Louis City SC, with Brian Gutierrez’s 87th-minute goal sealing all three points.
The Fire are now unbeaten in their last five league games, and sit ninth in the Eastern Conference, level on points with the 10th-placed Red Bulls.
They have strengthened their push for the playoffs with the addition of defender Joel Waterman from CF Montreal, a player Berhalter believes will improve his squad.
“Joel’s experience at both the international level and in MLS will be a valuable asset to the team as we build for the future,” said Berhalter.
“His competitive nature and leadership qualities will have an immediate impact in this final stretch of the season. We look forward to welcoming Joel to Chicago.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Philadelphia Union – Kai Wagner
Wagner has been an impressive figure for the Union on the left-hand side of defence, creating more chances (73) than any of his team-mates in MLS play this season.
He also has eight assists to his name, a total only bettered by Martin Ojeda (nine), Luis Suarez, Philip Zinckernagel (both 10), Pep Biel (11) and Anders Dreyer (15) in the league.
Chicago Fire – Philip Zinckernagel
Zinckernagel has contributed to at least one goal in 10 straight regular-season away matches, equalling the longest streak in MLS history.
The Dane has totalled 16 goal contributions (eight goals, eight assists) over this run, and will be looking to add to that streak against the Union.
MATCH PREDICTION: PHILADELPHIA UNION WIN
The Union are unbeaten in their last 13 home matches against Chicago in all competitions (W9 D4) dating back to 2014. The Fire’s last win at Philadelphia was a 2-1 victory in August 2013.
But Chicago are not the only team to struggle at Subaru Park. The Union are unbeaten in 15 straight home matches in all competitions (W10 D5), having not lost at home since mid-March.
This is the third time since the start of the 2022 season that the Union have gone unbeaten in at least 15 straight games at Subaru Park.
Chicago, meanwhile, are unbeaten in five straight matches (W3 D2) for the second time this season. The Fire have not gone more than five straight regular-season games without defeat in eight years, since an 11-match run in May-July 2017.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Philadelphia Union – 63.6%
Draw – 19.4%
Chicago Fire – 17%