Thursday, October 1, 2026
79 ° Clear
79 ° Clear
The Philadelphia Union is coming off its first home win of the 2026 season. They don't have time to rest, as their next game comes just three days later. The Boys in Blue take on Seattle Sounders at Subaru Park on Saturday night, looking to do something they haven't done all season: win two games in a row.
On the banks of the Delaware River, two of the most frustrating teams so far in 2026 will meet. We all know how the first half of the season went for Philly. They had one win before the World Cup break, leading to chances at head coach and in the front office. Seattle is not in the same boat, but has been down in the dumps over the last few months.
Seattle is in the midst of a four-game losing streak for the first time since 2013. On top of that, the Sounders have eight players on the injury report; six of those players are out, and two are questionable. On that list are some big-name players that would normally start; they will also be without a key centerback who picked up a red card on Wednesday.
The stars could be aligning for this game to be another crucial one for the Philadelphia Union, who are looking to will their way back into MLS contention and right the wrongs that the club fell into in the first 15 matches of the season. To look at how they can do this, we need to take a closer look at Seattle's play and the trends of Ryan Richter's tactics.
Seattle has been a perennial club in MLS for over a decade. But in 2026, they have not been at the top of the West. They are in sixth place with seven wins, three draws, and five losses. The Sounders are usually a team that catches fire in the summer and makes a run to a top-four finish and a playoff run. The World Cup break, a losing streak, and injury woes may throw a wrench into that.
Sounders players out/injured vs Philadelphia Union
The Sounders are without six players who would likely start if they were available; couple that with their four-game losing streak, and this is a team that feels like they're in free fall. They still have dangerous attacking players in Paul Rothrock, Albert Rusnák, Jesús Ferreira, and Danny Musovski; if Seattle gets any points out of this cross-country trip, it will have to be because those attackers are on top of their game. It will be up to the Union's tactics to stop them and tip the scales to attack the Sounders' shaky defense.
In just one game under interim manager Ryan Richter, we are seeing the Union return to the team they were in the early 2020s. Under Richter and new Sporting Director Jon Scheer, Philly seems committed to returning to a youth-oriented club that functions best when it can counter-press and then get good service to create attacks. With the reintegration of left back Kai Wagner as the focal point of that play, and young stars like Cavan Sullivan and Neil Pierre, they may just find the push they need to get out of last place in MLS.
Philadelphia Union projected Starting XI vs Seattle Sounders
GK: Blake
LB: Wagner CB: Pierre CB: Harriel RB: Westfield
DM: Lukic DM: Danley
AM: C. Sullivan AM: Vassilev
ST: Iloski ST: Alladoh
The vibes surrounding the Union feel infinitely better in one game under Richter than they did under Carnell in the 15 games he was in charge for in 2026. There seems to be a renewed sense of collective fight from the players, which could push them to find ways to get points in games that felt like losses, and wins from games that could have been draws. That's how the Union became a consistent playoff team from 2019 to the present day, and even helped them win Supporters' Shields and make deep tournament runs in Leagues Cups and Open Cups. But for now, the question that needs to be answered is if the Union can win two in a row for the first time in 2026.
Skill, grit, and vibes can often determine the winner of an MLS game. Right now, the Union seems to have more of those three factors than the Sounders. Seattle's injury woes and the losing streak before and after the World Cup break have them a bit down in the dumps. Will they be able to change that against the last-place Union, having to travel all the way across the country? It doesn't feel like it.
It's odd to feel so positive about a last-place team, but the Scheer-Richter run Union feel like a breath of fresh air compared to a Tanner-Carnell run side. Is that, plus actual chance-creating players being on the field, enough to help the Union go on a run to making the playoffs in the second half of the MLS season? Win this game, and I think fans will answer yes to that question; they will believe again in their Philadelphia Union.
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