League-leading Union set to take on last-place CF Montreal
It's a battle of first versus worst when the Philadelphia Union host CF Montreal on Wednesday in Chester, Pa.
The Union (13-5-4, 43 points) head into the midweek matchup with the best record in MLS, moving atop the standings with a 2-0 win against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday. The victory snapped a two-game losing streak, both losses coming on the road.
'Really happy with the result,' Philadelphia coach Bradley Carnell said after the match. 'I think it was a good bounce-back from the last couple of games, where we didn't quite show our true selves.
'We wanted to be a little more expressive, a little more of who we are and what we are. I think you saw that in abundance (Saturday). I'm really proud of the boys for their application and the way they went about their business.'
Philadelphia has the second-best home record in the Eastern Conference at 7-1-3, with its 24 points earned as the hosts trailing only the Columbus Crew. Its lone loss on its own pitch came March 16 against Nashville -- the Union's second home match of the season.
Homegrown midfielder Quinn Sullivan earned his team-leading eighth assist of the season on Bruno Damiani's insurance goal in the win against the Red Bulls. Just past the midpoint of the season, the 21-year-old is only three assists shy of matching his career high of 11 set last season.
'He does so much work for us off the ball, for him to get rewarded, I think it's just deserved,' Carnell said.
The Union have been the stingiest team in MLS, conceding a league-low 21 goals.
That will be a tough challenge for a Montreal squad that has struggled to score all season long. The Canadian side (3-13-6, 15 points) has managed just 19 goals through 22 matches, with nine of those coming from Prince Owusu.
The German striker helped Montreal earn a 1-1 draw in its last outing, converting a penalty in the 83rd minute against Orlando City on Saturday. He's been on a roll over the past month, scoring five goals in his past five regular-season matches.
'We're creating more scoring chances lately, and I'm benefiting from that,' Owusu said. 'I know my role, and I'm very confident.'
Though tied for last place in the overall standings, Montreal is 2-2-1 in its past five matches and will be looking to earn points in consecutive matches for only the second time this season. They last did so in mid-May, following up their first win of the season with a draw.
Two of Montreal's three wins on the season have come on the road (2-7-3).
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
With the World Cup about a year away, contingency plans for wildfire smoke risks remain unclear
TORONTO (AP) — The 2026 World Cup being hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States is less than a year away and FIFA's protocols for matches affected by wildfire smoke remain unclear. The 48-team World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Canada is hosting 13 matches — seven in Vancouver and six in Toronto. The day after Toronto's air quality was among the worst in the world, the organizing committee for the World Cup in Canada declined to reveal guidelines for postponement or air quality related contingencies with soccer's international governing body. No policies are posted publicly. The Air Quality Health Index rating for Toronto was over 10, or 'very high risk,' on Monday morning, dropping to a 'high risk' rating of 8 by late afternoon. This year's fire season, according to Canadian government data, is the second-largest on record. Canada's most destructive wildfire season was in 2023, with more than 6,000 fires burning 37 million acres (15 million hectares) of land, according to Natural Resources Canada. Dr. Howard Shapiro, Toronto's associate medical officer of health, said in a statement that Toronto Public Health is actively reviewing the latest evidence and best practices for air-quality issues as the city prepares for the World Cup. 'TPH may provide guidance and recommendations on public health risks, including environmental health concerns such as extreme weather and wildfire smoke,' the statement read. 'This includes contingency planning to support the health and safety of residents, visitors, and participants during the tournament.' Outdoor activities on days when the Air Quality Health Index rises higher than 7 should be rescheduled, said Dr. Andrew Halayko, a professor of physiology and pathophysiology at the University of Manitoba, to protect the most vulnerable, including people who are 65 or older, pregnant, young children and those with existing health conditions. But others say it's difficult to pinpoint exactly when the air quality reaches a threshold where sporting events should be canceled. 'I personally think that we can't, based on good evidence, have general statements about what AQHI is unacceptable for a given event. Everything is contextual,' said Dr. Christopher Carlsten, the head of the respiratory medicine division at the University of British Columbia. That context includes the age of the general audience and the forecast of the air quality, and events should be judged on a case-by-case basis, he said. The impact of poor air quality on athletes is a subject of debate. Some experts think athletes can better handle poor air conditions because they are generally young and healthy, making them less likely to sustain long-term health impacts. Michael Brauer, a professor at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Medicine, said that studies show that even low levels of pollution impact cognitive ability — which not only affects performance but also increases the risk of injuries. 'Imagine two players going up for a pass at really high speeds, and if you make one tiny error, that could be a career-threatening injury,' he said. The Canadian Football League doesn't play games when the AQHI surpasses a threshold of seven, according to an agreement with the players. Those games are postponed. ___ AP soccer:
Canada News.Net
9 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
LA Galaxy look to climb out of MLS cellar against Austin FC
(Photo credit: Kelvin Kuo-Imagn Images) Something has to give when offense-challenged Austin FC squares off against the porous defense of the Los Angeles Galaxy on Wednesday as the two Western Conference teams battle in Carson, Calif. The Verde have an MLS-low 15 goals in 21 league matches this year. The Galaxy's suspect defense has surrendered a league-high 43 tallies. The Verde (7-8-6, 27 points) head to Southern California after yet another anemic offensive showing, producing just four shots on goal Saturday in a scoreless draw with New England at home. Austin was able to split the points thanks to another sterling effort by All-Star goalkeeper Brad Stuver -- who stopped eight shots en route to his eighth clean sheet of the season -- but coach Nico Estevez lamented missed opportunities offensively. 'It's a game that if you play 10 times, nine you win,' Estevez said. 'I mean, you have almost two expected goals. The chances that we have is right in the goalkeeper. It is what it is, you know. We are unlucky.' The Galaxy have been playing their best soccer of the season of late, winning 2-1 on Saturday at home over D.C. United. Marco Reus and Diego Fagundez scored goals and Novak Micovic had two saves in the win. Los Angeles (3-13-6, 15 points), the defending MLS champion, has won consecutive matches for the first time this season and has captured three in a row at home. The Galaxy are 3-1-2 over their past six outings, turning the proverbial corner after going without a win in their first 16 MLS matches (0-12-4) -- the worst start in league history. 'The confidence is good and our spirits are high,' said Galaxy coach Greg Vanney. 'The emotion comes off the results we're not getting, but our thought process on where we are as a team have progressively been getting better. The guys are confident as we're starting to see games out.' Reus has been a key cog in the Galaxy's turnaround and leads the side with five goals and seven assists. Matheus Nascimento has five goal contributions (two goals, three assists) in his last six appearances. The Galaxy are still at the bottom of the West table and are tied with Eastern doormat CF Montreal for the fewest points and wins in MLS. The Galaxy and Verde met earlier this season in Austin with the home side winning 1-0. LA leads the all-time series 5-3-1.
Canada News.Net
12 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
League-leading Union set to take on last-place CF Montreal
(Photo credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images) It's a battle of first versus worst when the Philadelphia Union host CF Montreal on Wednesday in Chester, Pa. The Union (13-5-4, 43 points) head into the midweek matchup with the best record in MLS, moving atop the standings with a 2-0 win against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday. The victory snapped a two-game losing streak, both losses coming on the road. 'Really happy with the result,' Philadelphia coach Bradley Carnell said after the match. 'I think it was a good bounce-back from the last couple of games, where we didn't quite show our true selves. 'We wanted to be a little more expressive, a little more of who we are and what we are. I think you saw that in abundance (Saturday). I'm really proud of the boys for their application and the way they went about their business.' Philadelphia has the second-best home record in the Eastern Conference at 7-1-3, with its 24 points earned as the hosts trailing only the Columbus Crew. Its lone loss on its own pitch came March 16 against Nashville -- the Union's second home match of the season. Homegrown midfielder Quinn Sullivan earned his team-leading eighth assist of the season on Bruno Damiani's insurance goal in the win against the Red Bulls. Just past the midpoint of the season, the 21-year-old is only three assists shy of matching his career high of 11 set last season. 'He does so much work for us off the ball, for him to get rewarded, I think it's just deserved,' Carnell said. The Union have been the stingiest team in MLS, conceding a league-low 21 goals. That will be a tough challenge for a Montreal squad that has struggled to score all season long. The Canadian side (3-13-6, 15 points) has managed just 19 goals through 22 matches, with nine of those coming from Prince Owusu. The German striker helped Montreal earn a 1-1 draw in its last outing, converting a penalty in the 83rd minute against Orlando City on Saturday. He's been on a roll over the past month, scoring five goals in his past five regular-season matches. 'We're creating more scoring chances lately, and I'm benefiting from that,' Owusu said. 'I know my role, and I'm very confident.' Though tied for last place in the overall standings, Montreal is 2-2-1 in its past five matches and will be looking to earn points in consecutive matches for only the second time this season. They last did so in mid-May, following up their first win of the season with a draw. Two of Montreal's three wins on the season have come on the road (2-7-3).
