Even if Union pull out a win on Decision Day against FC Cincinnati, which could land DOOP in the MLS Cup Playoffs with a little help around the league, the 2024 season will officially be the least amount of points the Philadelphia Union have collected at home in the club’s history.
Union head into a decisive Decision Day with a heinous home record of just 4W-5D-7L for a total of 17 points at Subaru Park this season, a total that’s less than HALF of what this team achieved at home in 2022, a historic season for the U in the opposite direction.
Philadelphia Union Points at Home per Season
2024: 17 pts
2023: 36 pts
2022: 41 pts
2021: 36 pts
2020: 27 pts
2019: 34 pts
2018: 29 pts
2017: 33 pts
2016: 28 pts
2015: 24 pts
2014: 26 pts
2013: 26 pts
2012: 23 pts
2011: 30 pts
2010: 24 pts
Disappointing results at Home
Jim Curtin has recognized that his team’s form at home this season is unacceptable, going as far to say that he’ll never go through another season like this again(figuratively or literally, I’m not sure). But it’s kind of unbelievable some of the games Union dropped points in while playing at home this season, in a venue they’ve been so dominant in over the years:
2/24 – 2-2 draw against Chicago Fire
4/27 – 2-1 loss Real Salt Lake, 90th minute winner for RSL
4/30 – 3-2 loss Seattle Sounds, 3 goals conceded in opening 40 minutes
5/11 – 3-2 loss Orlando City, goal right before and after half-time by Muriel, missed PK by Gazdag
5/15 – 2-1 loss NYCFC
5/29 – 0-0 draw Toronto FC
6/1 – 2-2 draw CF Montreal, both teams red card
6/15 – 2-1 loss Inter Miami, no Messi and Miami Red Card
6/22 – 2-0 loss Charlotte FC
9/28 – 1-1 draw Atlanta United, ATL score on only shot on-goal
Playoff hopes still alive…but to who’s benefit?
With a win on Decision Day, and a loss from either DC or Montreal, the Philadelphia Union would somehow still qualify for the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs, thanks to Major League Soccer’s new (and bad, in my opinion) playoff format which was adopted and put into place last season.
37 points has the Union in 11th place, needing 40 to qualify for the 9th and final spot in the playoff picture. Prior to last season, before MLS let in 62% of teams into the playoffs, Union would have missed the post-season every year with a 40-point total.
Of course, the team’s goal will be winning their game on Decision Day and getting some help from around the league in order to sneak their way into the Playoffs, but the fact that it comes down to the final day, and requires help from teams around the league in the first place is a bright spotlight on just how bad this season has been.
At this point, Making the playoffs in 2024 only puts a band-aid over what fans have been pointing out for over a year – running it back with this roster was a mistake, and the team might need a shake up if they want to bring a trophy to Philadelphia before their current window of opportunity closes for good.
Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
