Fresh off losing their fourth-straight regular season game for the first time since 2013, the Seattle Sounders will now visit a Philadelphia Union team that spent much of the pre-World Cup portion of the season as one of the worst teams in the league. The defending Supporters’ Shield winners were so bad, in fact, that reigning MLS Coach of the Year Bradley Carnell was fired and replaced by interim coach Ryan Richter.

The Union, though, looked much better in their first game after the break, beating the New York Red Bulls 3–1. Remarkably, it was their first home win of the season. Still, the Union sit last in the overall standings with just 10 points through 16 matches.

The Sounders come into the match with a frustratingly long list of unavailable players, with as many as six potential starters either out or questionable for this match. The latest player to join those ranks is Jackson Ragen, who is suspended after picking up two yellow cards in the loss to Austin FC.

Notes

The Sounders and Union have an all-time record of 5–5–3 against one another. The Sounders won the previous meeting in 2024, a 3–2 victory.
The Sounders are one win away from claiming their 100th MLS road victory since joining MLS in 2009.
Brian Schmetzer is sitting on 148 career wins. He is trying to become just the ninth coach in MLS history to reach 150 wins.

Absences: Injury, international duty and suspension

Union

OUT: Philippe Ndinga — Hamstring

Sounders

OUT: Pedro de la Vega — Knee; Kim Kee-hee — Hamstring; Jordan Morris — Quad; Nikola Petković — Knee; Jackson Ragen — Suspended; Alex Roldan — Hip; Cristian Roldan — Quad

QUESTIONABLE: Yeimar Gómez Andrade — Hamstring; Ryan Sailor — Hamstring

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