MLS Matchday 32 Information
- Who: Philadelphia Union (14-8-4, 46 points) vs FC Cincinnati (17-4-6, 57 points)
- When: Saturday, September 16, 2023 – 7:30 PM EST
- Where: Subaru Park – Chester, PA, USA
- How To Watch: Apple TV – MLS Season Pass
2023 Matchup
- April 8, 2022: FC Cincinnati 1 (Acosta 69′ (Pen)) – Philadelphia Union 0
Key Storylines
FC Cincinnati’s MVP Frontrunner and Captain Luciano Acosta will be suspended for Saturday’s match against the Union. This will be only the second match with Acosta for FC Cincinnati this season in MLS – the only other occurrence resulting in a 5-1 loss in St. Louis.
FC Cincinnati also played their regular season match last season in Chester without Acosta – resulting in a 1-1 draw. FC Cincinnati played fellow Argentine Álvaro Barreal at the attacking midfield role, while the backline consisted of Nick Hagglund, Geoff Cameron (retired), and Tyler Blackett (Rotherham United/Championship). Oh, and former FC Cincinnati AND Philadelphia United midfielder Haris Medunjanin (Castellon/Primera Federation) played alongside Obinna Nwobodo in the double pivot.
Philadelphia have conceded the first goal in 14 of their 26 MLS matches. They’ve also had two 0-0 draws, meaning that in matches where a goal has been scored, Philadelphia have been the one to concede first 58% of the time. The Union have also conceded a goal within the first 15 minutes of the match 8 times in 26 matches, roughly 1/3 of their matches.
Matt Miazga
On taking on the captain’s armband:
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to be one of the captains. I like to pride myself in my leadership and I guess my position demands that, and obviously having the trust from the coaching staff, from Pat (Noonan) to give me the armband. But, it’s not just me. Obviously, we have a lot of leaders on this team. Me wearing the armband doesn’t make me more of a leader than others. A lot of guys, you know, some of them are more by example, some of them are more by speaking and communicating, and a lot of guys are a mixture of that. So for me, it’s just about continuing what I do – trying to be a leader from the back and help the guys stay organized and keep the group together.”
On getting off to a strong start:
“It’s extremely important. It’s extremely important. Obviously, you saw against Atlanta we got down 1-0 and it was difficult to get back into the game, but we managed to do it. So, we all know that the first goal is always important. It sets the tone of the game, it sets the tone for the rest of the match. We’ve been pretty good, I think, when we’ve scored first as well, so hopefully we can continue that, have a strong start and fight for those three points.”
Pat Noonan
On the Philadelphia attacking trio (Uhre, Carranza, Gazdag):
“Yeah, they pose a lot of threats. From their ability to finish off plays in front of goal, the willingness for them to run in the box to get on the end of crosses, to get in behind back lines, the way they operate and move together in a close proximity that makes it difficult on the opposition to defend. They comp well. There’s a threat with speed, aerial duels. I just think it’s a good balance with that front three in being able to move the ball on the ground, being able to play direct, being able to get in the box – mobile players. So, this will be a good test for our team and our backline. And, you know, the goalkeeper position, specifically. So yeah, a very strong attacking group.”
Photo Credit: Andres Isaza
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