CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 17: Bruno Damiani #9 of Philadelphia Union celebrates with teammate Cavan Sullivan #6 after scoring the second goal of the team during the MLS match between Philadelphia Union and Charlotte FC at Subaru Park on October
PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Union are on the verge of capping off an unprecedented mid-season turnaround as they return to Subaru Park on Saturday night.
Hosting the third-place New England Revolution at 7:30 p.m. for their penultimate regular-season home match, the Union now control their own postseason destiny. A victory would officially clinch a berth in the 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs, marking the franchise's 10th postseason appearance and eighth in the last nine seasons.
A historic unbeaten streak
The backstory:
The Union's playoff push is fueled by a remarkable 15-match unbeaten streak that began following the World Cup break.
Through the first 15 games of the regular season, Philadelphia sat in dead last in the Eastern Conference with just seven points and a 1-10-4 record. Since Interim Head Coach Ryan Richter took over, the club has earned 39 out of a possible 45 points, skyrocketing up the standings to sixth place.
If the Union secure a playoff spot, they will become the first team in MLS history to qualify for the postseason after earning seven or fewer points through their first 15 regular-season matches.
Additionally, if Richter leads the team to a win on Saturday, he will set an MLS record for the most regular-season wins without a loss to begin a managerial career with 13, surpassing Lothar Osiander's record of 12.
Players to watch
Big picture view:
Philadelphia's offense has been powered by Milan Iloski, who is currently riding a five-match scoring streak. Iloski has 19 goals on the season, placing him third in the league's Golden Boot race behind Petar Musa and Lionel Messi.
With one more goal, Iloski would become just the second player in Union history to score 20 goals in a single regular season.
Ironically, the first player to achieve that milestone for Philadelphia—midfielder Daniel Gazdag—will be on the opposing side of the pitch Saturday. Gazdag, the Union's all-time leading goal scorer, was traded to the Columbus Crew in 2025 before being moved to the Revolution this year.
New England also brings a potent attack, led by Carles Gil, who has tallied 12 goals and 11 assists this season.
The Source: This article was written using information provided by the Philadelphia Union.