Following the international break, the Philadelphia Union and Inter Miami will resume their MLS campaigns when they square off on Saturday at Subaru Park.
In their previous league contest, the Union played to a third successive draw, 2-2, against CF Montreal, while the Supporters' Shield leaders claimed a 3-3 draw with St Louis City.
Match preview
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On Saturday, the Union will officially reach the midway point of the regular season, narrowly above the playoff line in the Eastern Conference.
Jim Curtin's men are currently eighth, with only three points separating them and DC United, who are outside the playoff picture.
Since May, this team have started slowly in most of their matches, with three of their previous 10 MLS goals coming in the opening half.
In 2024, the Union have struggled to get results on their home field, suffering four defeats in the regular season, the most for them in a single domestic campaign since 2018 (six).
For all of their chances created throughout the regular season, they have not been as consistent defensively, conceding multiple strikes on nine occasions.
One thing this team have done effectively all year is react well when going behind, coming back to earn a result in six domestic encounters when trailing in the second half, collecting eight points in the process.
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No matter what the opposition throws at them, Miami always seem to find a way back, which was the case against St Louis in their previous encounter.
Tata Martino's men trailed on three occasions in that encounter but found a way back each time, with 21 of their 35 domestic points occurring after conceding the opening goal.
Unsurprisingly, the Herons are at the top of the MLS scoring charts with a league-high 42 goals, though they have regressed defensively in recent games, conceding three times in successive encounters.
With nearly half of the domestic campaign still to go, they are on pace to equal an MLS record for the most goals ever scored in a single regular season, a record currently held by the 1998 Los Angeles Galaxy and the 2019 edition of Los Angeles FC (85).
Since a 4-0 defeat at the New York Red Bulls on matchday six, Miami are unbeaten in their last five league contests away from home, their longest run in club history.
After losing their first two visits to Subaru Park, the Herons have points in three of their previous four away matches versus the Union, winning their last encounter in Chester during the 2023 Leagues Cup semi-finals (4-1).
Team News
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In their draw with Montreal, the Union were missing Julian Carranza with a minor ankle knock, Andre Blake and Isaiah LeFlore were sidelined due to knee injuries, while Holden Trent was unavailable because of a sore finger.
Jack Elliott will be suspended for this match after receiving a straight red card just beyond the hour mark in their previous encounter, Damion Lowe could miss this match as he is expected to be selected to the Jamaican squad ahead of the Copa , while Jack McGlynn and Nathan Harriel will be attending a US U-23 camp with both eyeing a spot on the Olympic team this summer.
Daniel Gazdag was named to the Hungarian squad for the Euros, which begins this weekend, while Jose Martinez was selected to the Venezuelan team for the Copa America campaign and may be questionable for this match.
Gazdag converted a 56th-minute penalty against Le CFM before Mikael Uhre temporarily put them in front two minutes later, the 10th and fifth, respectively for those players domestically this season.
Lionel Messi suffered a minor hamstring strain for Argentina in a friendly versus Ecuador and will likely be rested as he prepares to play at the Copa America in the United States.
Luis Suarez may not play either after being named to the Uruguay squad for that tournament, while Matias Rojas could be selected for Paraguay.
Diego Gomez is dealing with an ankle sprain, Robbie Robinson has a knee problem, while Nicolas Freire, Ian Fray and Facundo Farias all have ACL injuries, with the latter ruled out for the season.
Messi and Suarez netted in their previous league fixture, while Jordi Alba also scored, the second for the Spanish defender in MLS this year.
Philadelphia Union possible starting lineup:
Semmle; Glesnes, Berdecio, Makhanya; Mbaizo, McGlynn, Bedoya, Flach, Wagner; Donovan, Uhre
Inter Miami possible starting lineup:
Callender; Weigandt, Aviles, Kryvtsov, Alba; Redondo, Busquets, Bright; Campana, Afonso, Taylor
We say: Philadelphia Union 2-2 Inter Miami
Even if the Miami superstars are unavailable, the other players on this squad have stepped up all season when called upon, and we believe they will do so this weekend.
The Union are playing well but struggling to find that little bit extra, which can make the difference between one point and three.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joel Lefevre
