Philadelphia Union vs Charlotte FC: Leagues Cup preview & predictions for July 27th

The Philadelphia Union will begin their 2024 Leagues Cup journey against fellow MLS side Charlotte FC, with the match taking place on Saturday, July 27th at 8:00 PM EST. They will be looking to continue their recent run of good form, with the club picking up two wins in their last two matches.

Reigning champions Inter Miami will look to claim their second consecutive title, while the rest of the clubs will look to take the trophy home. Last season the Union fell to the eventual champions in the semifinals by a score of 4-1, but the Boys in Blue ended up taking home third place, beating Monterrey 3-0.

Union’s Season So Far

The Union have had a season that has seen two completely different sides. They started off the year as the last undefeated side in the MLS, and then just a couple of weeks ago, they fell to to last place in the Eastern Conference.

Now, two consecutive wins at home has pushed them back into the playoff hunt, but it still has been a weird season for a team that has been near the top of the table the last couple of years. The club currently sits in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, with a record of 6 wins, 9 draws, and 10 losses.

They have scored a total of 45 goals, while conceding 42. For most of the season, the club was without star goalkeeper Andre Blake, along with other key players being out due to injury and international break. Most of these players have returned to the Union, trying to provide a push to get back to the team that everyone knows they can be.

Charlotte’s Season So Far

It is Dean Smith’s first year at the helm, and Charlotte FC has had a decent year to say the least. They have a record of 10 wins, 7 draws, and 8 losses, which puts them at 37 points on the season, good enough 6th place in the Eastern Conference, and 13th in the Supporters Shield table.

The strength of this Charlotte team is their defense, as they have only conceded 27 goals in MLS play, putting them at second lowest in the league. But Dean Smith’s side has an issue putting goals in the back of the net, only scoring 30 goals in 25 matches played. Charlotte is unbeaten in three consecutive matches, winning one and drawing their last two against the Columbus Crew and Austin FC.

Union vs Charlotte Match History

Since starting play in Major League Soccer in 2022, the Union and Charlotte FC have only faced off a total of six times. The two sides have each won two, lost two, and drawn two, with the most recent match being a 2-0 win for Charlotte FC at Subaru Park.

That was one of the two matchups that these sides have had this year, with the other being a 0-0 draw at Bank of America Stadium on May 25, 2024. There have been three matches played at Subaru Park, with the Union winning the first two, and then Charlotte taking the most recent one. These two teams seem to always put up an equal fight, and I am expecting that to continue at Subaru Park on Saturday.

Lineup Predictions

Now that Andre Blake has returned from injury, and Jose Martinez has returned from international duty, Jim Curtin has gone back to his usual 4-4-2 diamond formation, and I can not see that changing on Saturday night. Both Jack McGlynn and Nate Harriel will be unavailable for the match, as they are with the United States in Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics. With this known, here is my prediction for what Saturday night’s Starting XI by Jim Curtin will look like:

GK: Andre Blake

RB: Olivier Mbaizo, CB: Jack Elliott, CB: Jakob Glesnes, LB: Kai Wagner

CDM: Jose Martinez

RCM: Quinn Sullivan, LCM: Leon Flach

CAM: Daniel Gazdag

ST: Mikael Uhre, ST: Tai Baribo

This formation is almost exactly what we saw against Nashville last weekend, with the only change being Jack Elliott in for Damion Lowe. While Curtin could surprise us with some changes, I can see him wanting to start off this tournament on the right front, and put his strongest eleven out there with his current crop of players.

Score Predictions

Since Andre Blake has returned, the Philadelphia Union have looked like a completely different team. In the two matches he has played in, they have outscored their opponents 8-1, with a different player scoring a hat trick in both of the matches. The vibes surrounding the team just seem to be moving in a positive trend, and I can see that continuing on Saturday night.

The Boys in Blue will continue their good form, and snag a 2-0 win over a Charlotte FC team who has been hard to score against. Tai Baribo will score another goal for the Union as he continues to take off, and Mikael Uhre will end his goal scoring drought, and score his first since June 15th. A 2-0 win, a clean sheet, and both strikers scoring goals sounds like a good night for the Union, as Jim Curtin’s side continues to gain confidence as the season continues.