Match recap of Philadelphia Union’s shocking 4-2 win against Orlando City SC on MLS’s opening weekend: “We really did exactly what we wanted to do from the beginning of the game”

A new era of Philadelphia Union soccer is here, and life under Bradley Carnell is off to a positive start. Despite conceding an early goal on the road, a big second-half performance pushes Union to a 4-2 win and 3 points on the opening weekend of the 2025 MLS season.

Starting XI

Carnell’s first starting lineup as the Head Coach of the Philadelphia Union had a few wrinkles, other than moving from the 4-4-2 Diamond that was favored under Jim Curtin to a 4-2-2-2.

Andre Blake was back between the posts for his 300th career appearance for the Philadelphia Union on Saturday night after missing much of the 2024 season. In front of him, a makeshift backline made up of 2 first-team debutants, Frankie Westfield and Olwethu Makhanya, partnered by two veterans in Jakob Glesnes and Kai Wagner.

Jovan Lukić, another debutant who made some positive first impressions after a rocky start, took a spot in the double pivot next to Danley Jean-Jacques, who kicks off his first full season with the Union in 2025. Much more familiar to the fans of the Blue and Gold, Daniel Gazdag and Quinn Sullivan took position as the two attacking midfielders, with Tai Baribo and Mikael Uhre putting the pressure up top.

“I’m not sure too many teams come to Orlando and feel comfortable and confident, especially with a new group, a new coach coming into town…and then you have some new guys on the field. We have [Danley] Jean-Jacques, we have [Jovan] Lukić – who did a great job, the double 6’s there, they did a really great job – and then you have Frankie, Olwethu, so I mean yeah, to come to this place and respond against a bit of adversity, to show the courage and the character and resilience that we’ve been building up over 5 weeks now, I’m really proud of the boys” – Philadelphia Union Head Coach, Bradley Carnell

An Early Orlando Lead

Just 8 minutes in and on his league debut, Marco Pašalić opened his MLS account after Orlando City seamlessly connected a number of passes around Union debutants Jovan Lukić and Olwethu Makhanya and moseyed their way into the penalty area, kicking off the Bradley Carnell era on a bad foot.

Baribo Brings Union Level

After pressure from Quinn Sullivan forced Orlando into a turnover inside their own half in the 23rd minute, Union worked their way into the final 3rd and created some chaos around the penalty area. A mis-hit by Quinn Sullivan sent the ball out to Pedro Gallese’s right and into the path of Kai Wagner, who sent a low, fizzing cross through the 6-yard box where Tai Baribo was waiting to tap the ball in and level the game at 1.

The first goal of the Bradley Carnell era came from the exact type of soccer we’ve been told we’re going to see this season. High, relentless pressure when the other team is in possession, and then quick and direct passes that lead to goals in transition once turning the other team over. Despite going down early, Carnell stuck to his game plan, and the team was rewarded once they found their footing.

Gazdag Gives Union the Lead

Now on level terms and with a pep-talk from the new manager at the break, Union came out of the second half absolutely flying. In the 48th minute, with the ball along the left sideline, Quinn Sullivan lofted a picturesque pass that curled to the far post and fell perfectly into the path of an outstretched Daniel Gazdag’s right foot.

Gazdag, getting the perfect touch on the ball from Sullivan, neatly re-directed the ball passed Gallese’s near-post and into the back of the net, giving Union their first lead of the Bradley Carnell era. Quinn Sullivan, who played a big role in creating the first goal, gets credited with an assist on the goal by Gazdag. A great start to the 2025 season for Quinn.

Uhre Extends Union’s Lead

When playing it out of the back goes wrong! Just 3 minutes after Gazdag’s goal, Orlando City’s Rodrigo Schlegel mishandled a back-pass that sat perfectly for a pressing Mikael Uhre.

Uhre stepped onto the ball and hit it with his first touch at the top of the penalty arch, beating Gallese and jumping Union out to a 3-1 lead early in the 2nd half.

Baribo Brace Seals First Win of Bradley Carnell Era

In the 64th minute and with a 3-1 lead, 19-year-old Frankie Westfield received the ball along the right side of the pitch and darted forward with conviction. After collecting a failed first attempt at a cross into the box, Westfield, with his right foot, sent a second ball through the penalty area, which was put in the back of the net by the first-touch of Tai Baribo, his 2nd goal of the game, and his 18th goal in his previous 23 games across all competitions for Union.

The assist was the first of Westfield’s MLS career and comes as the “cherry on top” of his MLS debut. Still just 19 and able to play either outside back position, Frankie Westfield looks set to log some minutes behind Kai Wagner and Nate Harriel this season and should now bring some extra confidence to the pitch whenever he’s called upon next.

Pašalić Puts In Consolation Goal

In the 79th minute and down 4-1, Orlando City’s Marco Pašalić notched his 2nd goal of the night and his MLS career after a couple of shot attempts rang the post and Union failed to clear the area. The goal didn’t mean anything for the result at the end of the day, but veteran Keeper Andre Blake surely wasn’t happy with young defender Olwethu Makhanya’s positioning and spectatorship on the play and gave him a bit of an earful, which I’m sure is a bit easier for Makhanya to swallow after a 4-2 win.

Quotes from Carnell

After the opening goal from Orlando inside the first 10 minutes, a lot of Union fans were probably having that “here we go again” feeling. But Bradley Carnell’s team stuck to the game plan, got themselves level, made a few tweaks at half-time, and absolutely shell-shocked Orlando in the final 45 minutes of the game.

“For them to come out and be challenged here in this game was kind of a microcosm of the whole pre-season. We go a goal down, and then we’re chasing a little bit, we lose our structure, and then coming out of the 2nd half after correcting one or two things and then all of a sudden you can change the picture in a million ways and we did do that in transition, we really did exactly what we wanted to do from the beginning of the game.” – Philadelphia Union Head Coach, Bradley Carnell

Let’s be honest here. I’m not sure anyone, maybe even Bradley Carnell, could have predicted a 4-1 win on the road in the opening game of the season. It’s a great start to a new era of Union soccer, and while Carnell knows they need to continue growing and getting better, he’s seeing lots of things to like about his team, and he’s happy to see them rewarded on Saturday night.

“We left that Montreal [pre-season] game last week feeling very confident and very happy the way the pre-season ended. So I’m excited they could put it on display tonight, but I’m more just happy for the group. I’ve asked a lot of them, they’ve committed to me, we’ve had some great energy, we’ve done a lot of things off the field and reestablished some foundational standings within our group now, and I think you could see that togetherness today.” – Bradley Carnell