In this edition of Oppo Research, Hudson River Blue spoke with Evan Konigsberg of Philadelphia Soccer Now to learn more about the Philadelphia Union, New York City's Eastern Conference semifinal opponent at Subaru Park on Sunday. Here is your NYCFC vs Philadelphia preview.
• League Form (All Comps): W-D-L-W-W
• Record: 20W, 6D, 8L | 66 points, 1st place
• Scoring Leader: Tai Baribo, 18 goals
• Assist Leader: Kai Wagner, 10 assists
1. Philadelphia fans optimistic after dominant season
Hudson River Blue: Philadelphia breezed past Chicago in Game 2 of Round One after a too-close-for-comfort penalty shootout victory in Game 1. Obviously, Philadelphia is the favorite to lift MLS Cup, but NYCFC has defeated Philadelphia twice in the playoffs, once at Subaru Park. What's the vibe among Philly fans?
Evan Konigsberg: The vibe is optimistic for this one. The team has had a great season, and corrected a lot of the sloppy mistakes we saw in Game 1 in the second match. NYCFC were able to take advantage of Charlotte's aging back four last round, beating defenders for pace for goals multiple times in Game 3. The Union do not have this issue, as Makhanya and Harriel are two of the quicker defenders around. For that reason, I think the Union match up well, and Union fans have reason to be optimistic and hopeful around this one, especially with a healthy squad.
2. NYCFC's absences give Philadelphia a huge advantage, especially in the midfield
HRB: NYCFC will be without midfielders Aiden O'Neill and Andrés Perea, as well as leading scorer Alonso Martínez. How do you see Philadelphia taking advantage of this?
EK: It was heartbreaking to see what happened to Perea last round. His run of games in Philly was short-lived, but he was a cult hero for a moment for the Union. Missing two center midfielders is tough, and NYCFC will likely have to look towards more inexperienced midfielders, such as Jonathan Shore.
Danley Jean Jacques and Jovan Lukić will press the replacement midfielders as they receive the ball, forcing turnovers. Two center midfielders down is a huge loss, but an even greater loss is Alonso Martínez, who recently suffered a severe knee injury on international duty with Costa Rica. Martínez is a massive loss for NYCFC, and he troubled the Union defense early in the match multiple times during the Union's shield-clinching match at Subaru Park. This will likely allow the Union defense to play even higher up the field without the vertical threat of Martínez, who can burn defenders with ease.
3. Matt Freese and Andre Blake: Mentor vs mentee
HRB: This is the first time Matt Freese will be in goal at Subaru Park for a playoff game since he started for Philadelphia in the loss to NYCFC in the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2021. This time around, it'll be Freese versus his mentor, Andre Blake, in a battle of the goalkeepers. How do you think this clash will unfold?
