Atlanta United will host the Philadelphia Union on Saturday afternoon, with both teams eager to improve after disappointing starts to the 2026 MLS season.
Atlanta (0-3-0, 0 points) and Philadelphia (0-3-0, 0 points) are both without wins, having scored just three goals between them. Atlanta has two of those goals, both scored by Alexey Miranchuk in a 3-2 loss to Real Salt Lake last Saturday.
Despite their challenging start, Atlanta players remain optimistic.
“It happens. It’s football, but the key is to trust the system and believe it will work,” said midfielder Cooper Sanchez. “I think we’re heading in the right direction.”
After winning their second Supporters’ Shield in 2025, the Union aim to overcome their own early-season issues. Their only goal this season came from Indiana Vassilev’s penalty kick in the 89th minute during a 2-1 loss to New York City FC on March 1.
“We see some positive signs heading in the right direction. But that’s meaningless without execution,” said Philadelphia head coach Bradley Carnell. “The positive is that we have a healthy squad, with players recovering well and ready for the game.”
Philadelphia’s last match was a 1-0 home loss to Club America in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16 tie on Tuesday, which followed a 1-0 defeat to the San Jose Earthquakes.
Philadelphia is unbeaten in its last five encounters (3-0-2) with Atlanta. They won all their matches against Atlanta in the 2025 season, including a 3-0 victory at home on April 19 and a 1-0 win away on May 17.
Atlanta United last defeated the Union on July 2, 2023, with a score of 2-0.