The Philadelphia Union are back with their first game since before the World Cup break. They’ll take on rivals the New York Red Bulls in their first opportunity to show that the second half will be different than the first.

In the email today:

By Brady Ferguson

The Philadelphia Union’s World Cup break was the feel-good movie of the summer. After sacking manager Bradley Carnell and cleaning out Sporting Director Ernst Tanner, the U spent the remainder of June and July getting the band back together to go for a second-half rebound.

Most notably, with the departure of Bradley Carnell, the Union appointed former player and Union II head coach Ryan Richter as the interim manager for the remainder of the season. Richter will be the second-youngest manager in the league at 36, and aims to salvage an abysmal start to the season.

Looking at players, the largest story for the Boys in Blue is the return of their all-time assist leader, Kai Wagner. After a brief stint in Birmingham, the left back returned to Philly on a $4M transfer deal, taking a designated player spot at his former club. While criticized, the Union are a different team with both the attacking and defending presence Kai provides. Wagner has 33 assists since 2023 for the U, along with 10 goals since joining the Blue and Gold.

Additionally, 22-year-old Quinn Sullivan returns to MLS play tonight in a highly anticipated comeback! Sullivan, who tore his ACL against D.C. United in September of 2025, is match fit, but I would not expect him to start this evening. Caution is the name of the game for the young playmaker, and his minutes are expected to fluctuate as he works toward full match fitness.

Aside from the additions, the remainder of the squad is healthy and available for the match. The only unavailable player is Olwethu Makhanya, who is absent for personal reasons. In his absence, I expect Nathan Harriel to slide inside to play with Sery Larson, as the addition of Kai Wagner will bolster the fullback position. Frankie Westfield should sit at the other side of this back four.

On the attack, expect Milan Iloskin and Ezekiel Alladoh to complement one another up top, with Cavan Sullivan, Danley Jean-Jacques, Indiana Vassilev, and Jovan Lukic to control the midfield against a dangerous Red Bull attack.

​Keys to Success

Red Bull have not won at Subaru Park since 2018. At that time, Subaru Park was named Talen Energy Stadium. The Union tends to find a second gear when facing New York, and Union faithful are hopeful that this is the case this evening. Against Miami, the Boys in Blue proved they can score when prompted, but the issues remained with the back line. If the Union can control the ball, find their moments, and defend soundly, they may just be able to find their first home win of the season.

You can catch the match at 7:30 p.m. on Apple TV+.

How Are You Thinking About the Rest of the Union Season?

🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Leagues Cup or Bust (3)
🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Playoffs, Baby (4)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 It Will Be Better But Still Not Enough (10)
🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ The Union Do Not Have This (6)
🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ We'll See (4)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Other (0)
27 Votes

via @beehiiv polls

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