Philadelphia Union Looks to Best Pittsburgh Riverhounds in Keystone Derby & Move On in the Historic US Open Cup Tonight

Tonight, the Philadelphia Union will face off with USL Championship side Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the Round of 16 of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. It’ll be a rainy and cold night in Chester, and the Boys in Blue are coming in hot. They’re unbeaten in their last seven matches and will be taking on a Pittsburgh side that hasn’t won since their last-minute shocking goal against NYCFC, which made them the only non-top-division side to advance to this stage of the historic tournament. Will Cupset reign supreme, or will the Union continue to show how they’re an elite team in 2025?

MLS, Union — Image Credit: Philadelphia Union

Union’s rotation and projected lineup

Over the last month, Philly has played in six matches and hasn’t lost once: four wins, a draw, and a PK shootout Open Cup win. They’ve scored 12 goals and conceded six. This is a defining moment for the club’s 2025 aspirations, and one thing that Bradley Carnell has done exceptionally well is rotating his squad.

With nine games in May, we all knew Philly would need to weather the storm of this gauntlet. Carnell has rotated his players for a midweek-weekend month to perfection. In years past, Philly relied on 15 players to get results; now, it seems like Carnell trusts 20+ guys to play and execute the fast-paced pressing system that the Union uses. I’d expect that to be the case tonight as well.

In the last US Open Cup match, the Union played seven players who usually wouldn’t start. This time around, I’d expect more of a best XI mix with homegrown players sprinkled in.

Predicted lineup | Formation (4-2-2-2)

GK: Rick;
LB: Westfield, CB: Makhanya, CB: Harriel, RB: Mbaizo;
CDM: Bueno, CDM: Danley;
CAM: C. Sullivan, CAM: Vassilev;
ST: Uhre, ST: Damiani.

Pittsburgh looks to keep its Cinderella run going

The Riverhounds haven’t won a league game since March, but they have won two Open Cup games over Columbus Crew 2 and NYCFC. They’re hoping to keep this run going against a cross-state rival. Pittsburgh’s historic coach, Bob Lilley, is at the helm, and he will try to get the most from his team to beat the current top team in MLS.

While they have only scored eight goals in their last eight games, two coming in the Open Cup, Pittsburgh will not come into this game and will go quietly. They’re a sound team that plays in a 3-4-3/5-2-3 formation. They can get numbers behind the ball and defend for their lives, while their attack looks to spring fast counterattacks to get a shocking goal. They can also get goals from set pieces, specifically corners. This team is built to go on a Cinderella run, but only if they can be a pest.

If Pittsburgh can frustrate the Union as they did against NYCFC, then this could be a gritty match that needs 120 minutes and maybe even PKs to settle. Philadelphia will need to be able to rise above the extracurriculars, something they’ve been baited into a bit this season. The stage is set for the Keystone Darby, so who will be moving on?

Philadelphia union — May 7, 2025; Chester, Pennsylvania, USA; Indy Eleven defender Hayden White (33) shields the ball from Philadelphia Union forward Mikael Uhre (7) during the second half at Subaru Park. Mandatory Credit: Caean Couto-Imagn Images

What to watch for: Union vs Riverhounds

It’s going to be rainy and cold in May. This Keystone Derby has 0-0 through 90 minutes written all over it. The only way that doesn’t happen is if one of two things happens.

If Pittsburgh can fluster Philly and play over their press, they may be able to exploit open-field areas to get goals. That will likely be their game plan. Look for Captain Daniel Griffin to be the catalyst for that in the middle of the field. Also, they have a stellar keeper in Eric Dick, who can pull a four-save game to stifle another division one team.

If Philly can rise above pesky Pittsburgh and press them into mistakes in their own defensive third, then they could win this game by multiple goals. Bruno Damiani will likely be the man asked to score the goals. 15-year-old phenom Cavan Sullivan will probably start again, and maybe he can provide a moment of magic. The Union has the talent to get the job done; it’s just a question of whether it can be done on a rainy Wednesday in Chester.