Philadelphia Union Aims to End Winless Streak Against Struggling Columbus Crew
The Philadelphia Union will seek a crucial victory this Saturday night as they host the Columbus Crew, who are also facing difficulties heading into the World Cup break.
The Union (1-9-3, 6 points) are experiencing one of the most significant downturns in form for a reigning Supporters’ Shield winner in MLS history. They have yet to secure a home league victory in 2026 and are winless in their last six league matches (0-3-3), following two consecutive away losses last Saturday and Wednesday.
This Saturday presents what may be their best opportunity to earn three points before the league takes a hiatus from late May to late July for the World Cup, with their final game before the break scheduled for May 24 against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami.
A bright spot in Philadelphia’s 4-3 loss to Orlando on Wednesday was Cavan Sullivan, the highly regarded 16-year-old who joined the match in the 44th minute for the injured Jovan Lukic. He scored once and helped the Union recover from a 2-0 deficit before conceding a 90th-minute goal.
“Cavan comes on and makes a real chaotic environment against a fatigued back line,” said Philly manager Bradley Carnell. “And we had two chances to score 4-3 in our favor. So you could say that gameplan worked out for getting him on the field when we did. It’s just unfortunate we couldn’t bring anything home last night.”
The Union will face a Crew team that has lost three straight matches, including a 3-2 defeat at the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday.
Columbus (3-7-3, 12 points) has arguably created better chances in all three of those games, averaging 62% possession despite being outscored 9-4.
“I think overall, almost every game we have played so far this season, we are more often in our opponents’ penalty box, but still, they can hurt us,” said manager Henryk Rydstrom. “We will soon probably win two games in a row without deserving it, and then I will be happy and irritated at the same time.”
Diego Rossi scored his team-leading fifth goal in Wednesday’s loss, while United States World Cup hopeful Max Arfsten added his fourth goal of the season.