The Union go to Red Bull New York on Saturday for a rematch that carries more weight than the last meeting did. Philadelphia beat Red Bull New York 3-1 on July 22, and the win launched a six-game unbeaten run in league play that has changed the look of the season, even if it has not changed the standings enough yet.
That is why Philadelphia Vs Ny Red Bulls is being searched now: this is not just another stop on the calendar, but the first meeting since the summer turnaround began. Ryan Richter said on Thursday that the July 22 match can feel like it was "20 games ago" and also like it was "yesterday," a useful measure of how quickly the Union have moved from one phase of the season to the next.
The numbers are decent, but not decisive. The Union are 5-10-6 with 21 points, and a win on Saturday would still only tie them with ninth-place Orlando City on points. Orlando City would keep the edge on the first tiebreaker, total wins, so the Union would still need more than one result to break into a playoff position.
Richter said the group has given him a clearer picture of what it is made of. He said he has learned a lot about the players, seen both the good side and the bad side of them, and watched them keep working, stay focused and stay honest in their conversations over a busy stretch. That matters because the Union have built this run since the World Cup break, but the calendar has not slowed down to match their progress.
There are still 13 of the 34 games left to play in just over two months, which leaves room for a climb but not much for wasted points. The regular season ends on Nov. 7, and every game between now and then has a way of turning a good spell into something more or exposing it as a brief surge.
There is also a subplot around the younger players drawing attention. The headlines are already framing Red Bull New York against the Union as Julian Hall versus Cavan Sullivan, while Stas Korzeniowski was loaned to Rhode Island FC for the rest of the year on Thursday. Korzeniowski, 23, made nine first-team appearances for the Union this year, scored two goals in the early-season Concacaf Champions Cup rout of Defence Force FC and added seven goals in six games for the reserve side in MLS Next Pro.
Richter said he is not looking past Saturday, and that is the only sensible way to read the moment. The Union have finally put together a run that asks for a bigger place in the race, but they still have to earn that place one weekend at a time, starting again against the same side they beat in July.
