Fortunately for the Philadelphia Union last night they are better at playing with 10 men than against. That and FC Cincinnati’s flashy-named but disjointed attack was unable to solve the Union hustle as the boys in blue held on to a 1-0 lead for a half hour and solidified their standing at the top of the Eastern Conference perch. Though the match was over-billed for its importance - the U.S. Open Cup semifinal coming up is far more consequential - it was a thrilling contest that showed what we’ve known all season long - that this year’s squad is built for bigger things.

In the email today:

1. 🐍 Union clinch playoff berth with 1-0 win over Cincinnati

Though it wasn't really in doubt the Philadelphia Union officially punched their ticket to the postseason with a 1-0 win over FC Cincinnati on Saturday night that also gave them some breathing room atop the standings.

Bruno Damiani scored the lone goal of the night four minutes after halftime on a lovely assist from Milan Iloski and the Union defense help up for a half hour after Olwethu Makhanya was shown a second yellow to win their seventh road contest of the season. The home loss was the third in a row for Cincinnati, which remained in second place despite the loss.

Andrew Rick, making his second straight start after replacing an injured Andre Blake in the loss at the New York Red Bulls, was excellent on the night making five saves to record his sixth clean sheet in 12 starts this season and seventh of his career.

After Makhanya was sent off for a second yellow, the Union kept up their pressure and were able to created a couple chances despite being down a man. Perhaps more importantly the Union were able to see the game out without conceding a stoppage time equalizer, something that has been one of the few Achilles heels this season.

Kai Wagner put in a strong shift at left back and Jakob Glesnes made a potential goal-saving tackle with a sliding challenge he had to get right to see yellow instead of red just before halftime. Iloski nearly opened the scoring with a shot that just missed the mark in the first half, Tai Baribo had a near miss from inside the six and Quinn Sullivan hit woodwork early.

The Union will get next weekend off for the international break before a key week that includes a long road trip to Vancouver (Sept. 13) and a U.S. Open Cup semifinal (Sept. 16) in Nashville. Though the game against Cincinnati was heavily billed - and there was plenty of hyperbole along those lines in the broadcast - the next two matches are perhaps even bigger for a team that is still in line to win three major trophies heading into September with the U.S. Open Cup, Supporters' Shield and MLS Cup still in play.

3. 🌍 Union Players Report for International Duty

The Union have next weekend off before a big week with a league game in Vancouver and a U.S. Open Cup semifinal in Nashville but before that we’ll have to cross our fingers and toes no one gets hurt or held up on international duty. Below are the senior and youth team call-ups for Philadelphia Union and Union II.

🇺🇸 Nathan Harriel (Friendlies: South Korea, Sept. 6 in Harrison, N.J. / Japan, Sept. 9, Columbus, Ohio)
🇭🇹 Danley Jean Jacques (World Cup Qualifiers: Honduras, Sept. 5, Curacao / Costa Rica, Sept. 9, Costa Rica)
🇮🇱 Tai Baribo (World Cup Qualifiers: Moldova, Sept. 5, Moldova / Italy, Sept. 8, Israel)
🇺🇸 U.S. U-20 Team: Frankie Westfield 
🇺🇸 U.S. U-19 Team: Kaiden Moore, Neil Pierre, Andrew Rick, Eddy Davis III, Sal Olivas
🇺🇸 U.S. U-17 Team: Cavan Sullivan, Kellan LeBlanc, Jamir Johnson, Malik Jakupovic

4. 🛡️ Social Post of the Day: Shield Level

4. 🔗 Link Roundup

• Quentin Hall has his reactions to last night’s signature 1-0 win for the Philadelphia Union.

• In a match with a Community Shield field, the PIAA Class 4A and 3A girls state champions met in Wallingford earlier this week.

• Oaklyn United earned a first round bye but four other local teams will be competing in the first round of qualifying for the 2026 U.S. Open Cup on September 13-14. West Chester United has already qualified via their National Amateur Cup win.

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