Life often moves fast in MLS, especially once teams get knocked out of the playoffs. That’s been the case for the Union this week, as they had just three days after Sunday’s season-ending loss to make their end-of-year roster moves.
Most already were in the works before the weekend — and before sporting director Ernst Tanner was put on administrative leave last week amid an investigation into alleged misconduct.
Still, Wednesday’s announcement from the club served as a milestone.
The Union bid farewell to a quartet of little-used backups in goalkeeper Oliver Semmle, defender Isaiah LeFlore (who was injured for a long time), academy-bred midfielder Nick Pariano, and former Drexel striker Chris Donovan.
All four players had 2026 contract options declined.
Chris Donovan’s time with the Union is up after 3 1/2 seasons.
Two players had options picked up, to no surprise: defender Nathan Harriel and striker Tai Baribo. That sets the stage for talks on new contracts with both.
Earlier this month, Israel’s Ynet news website reported that the Union offered Baribo a $2 million contract. It remains to be seen if that proves true, or, if so, whether he’ll take it.
The major news item was that the Union have not sent Mikael Uhre packing just yet. It was expected that they would, as he’s out of contract, but the announcement said the team is “in on-going negotiations” with him.
Presumably, the team would like its joint No. 3 all-time scorer to take a big pay cut. Uhre has scored 43 goals in 155 games over four seasons in Chester, tied with former running mate Julián Carranza. The Denmark native also has 28 assists.
Mikael Uhre hasn’t always been universally popular, but some fans have come to appreciate his skills more than they used to.
Uhre has always been the first to say he knows he should have scored more, and some fans preferred to focus on what he didn’t do over what he did. They also were influenced by the fact that his $2.8 million transfer fee was the team’s record until Bruno Damiani broke it last winter.
Some people in the Union’s front office shared the negative view. Uhre would have been cast off after last season had his performance not automatically triggered his contract option for this year.
His defensive pressing efforts also didn’t always satisfy manager Bradley Carnell, which is part of why his playing time fell this year: from 2,667 minutes over 41 games last year to 1,542 minutes over 35 games this year. Though the Union weren’t in the Leagues Cup or Concacaf Champions Cup this year, the lighter schedule can’t solely account for a drop that substantial.
Other fans appreciated the breadth of Uhre’s skill set, from his runs that pulled defenses apart to an underrated cutback move on the ball. And they would not reject a player who hit double digits in scoring in each of his first three years here. This season was the first in which he didn’t, tallying six goals — though he made up for that with eight assists.
Alejandro Bedoya (center) was on a one-year contract this season.
Three other players are out of contract, and the Union said they’re in talks with all of them: third-string goalkeeper George Marks, former captain Alejandro Bedoya, and veteran midfielder Ben Bender.
Bedoya, 38, also had a role in the front office this year and has become an ambassador for soccer around town. He presumably will be allowed some of his own say in when he hangs up his cleats, though he knows as well as anyone that the time is coming.
The Union’s announcement did not say who is conducting the negotiations while Tanner is on leave. Nor did it say whether there will be an end-of-year news conference, though one is expected.
Other key figures in the front office include assistant sporting director Matt Ratajczak, scouting director Chris Zitterbart, and academy director Jon Scheer.
Union sporting director Ernst Tanner is on administrative leave as MLS investigates allegations of discriminatory behavior.
As for the players whom the Union are keeping, the club announced Tuesday that it agreed to a new contract with midfielder Indiana Vassilev. He was one of Carnell’s first signings, having previously played for the manager in St. Louis, and the 24-year-old showed why with his work rate. Early on, that didn’t produce goal contributions, but it did by the end of the year.
On Wednesday morning, a few hours before the full announcement of roster decisions, the Union announced they had picked up centerback Olwethu Makhanya’s contract options for 2026 and ’27.
The 21-year-old impressively stepped into a starting role this year. If he starts next year equally well, there might be calls to get him into South Africa’s national team. Much of the Bafana Bafana roster plays in their country’s domestic league, not in Europe, and there has been some interest in seeing how Makhanya would do for his country.
Andrew Rick (center) in the pregame huddle with teammates before the Philadelphia Union's Major League Soccer (MLS) game against the Chicago Fire at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania on Saturday, August 23, 2025.Philadelphia Union
Which Union Players Should Stay or Go? Swipe and decide
Though the Union’s playoff run ended earlier than hoped for this year, it was still a successful season. Winning the Supporters’ Shield returned the team to MLS’s elite, and the squad saw some new names rise to prominence. But as always in soccer, there isn’t much time to reflect. The Union have to make their offseason roster moves quickly, then get to work preparing for next year. Here’s your chance to play sporting director and pick who should stay or go.
Our soccer reporter Jonathan Tannenwald also provides his analysis on how much of a roster overhaul the team needs. Make your pick for each player by swiping the cards below — right for Stay or left for Go. Yes, just like Tinder. Finding it hard to decide? We'll also show you how other Inquirer readers have voted so far and what we think the team will do.
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Goalkeepers
As ever, Andre Blake leads the way, with Andrew Rick a strong backup behind him.
#18
Andre
Blake
Captain
Crowd says
Contract
Signed Thru: '26 Option: '27
Age
35
Inky Says Stay
The Union's No. 1 in net, and the best goalkeeper in MLS for nearly a decade. Neither of those things will change soon.
#1
Oliver
Semmle
Loaned out
Crowd says
Contract
Signed Thru: '25 Option: '26
Age
27
Inky Says Go
A loan out this year was the final proof that he wasn't good enough for the MLS level.
#31
George
Marks
Crowd says
Contract
Signed Thru: '26
Age
26
Inky Says Go
He did his job as an emergency signing when other backups were injured.
#76
Andrew
Rick
Home grown
Crowd says
Contract
Signed Thru: '28 Option: '29
Age
19
Inky Says Stay
The safest hands the team could ask for in a backup goalkeeper, as he showed again in the playoffs.
An era is ending with Mikael Uhre’s expected departure. Will the Union sign another Designated Player to replace him, and will the team let young prospects fill out the depth chart?
#7
Mikael
Uhre
DP
Crowd says
Contract
Signed Thru: '25
Age
31
Inky Says Go
It's been an open secret for weeks that his time is up. Here's hoping fans appreciate what he did.
#9
Tai
Baribo
Crowd says
Contract
Signed Thru: '25 Option: '26
Age
27
Inky Says Stay
He likes Philadelphia, and fans like him. Will contract talks produce a deal that keeps him in town long-term?
#20
Bruno
Damiani
DP
Crowd says
Contract
Signed Thru: '28 Option: '29
Age
23
Inky Says Stay
A relenteless worker not afraid to mix it up physically. But goals count the most, and there weren't enough this year.
#25
Chris
Donovan
Crowd says
Contract
Signed Thru: '25 Options: '26, '27
Age
25
Inky Says Go
He's been a good servant, but his skill set remains limited. Better to play the club's young prospects.
#32
Milan
Iloski
Crowd says
Contract
Signed Thru: '27 Option: '28
Age
26
Inky Says Stay
His arrival in the summer saved the season and launched a run to a trophy. Here's hoping for an encore next year.
#35
Markus
Anderson
Crowd says
Contract
Signed Thru: '26 Options: '27, '28
Age
21
Inky Says Stay
Regained the first team's good graces this year even though he didn't play much. He brings something different, and that's needed.
#55
Sal
Olivas
Home grown
Crowd says
Contract
Signed Thru: '28 Option: '29
Age
19
Inky Says Stay
He showed in his first-team cameos that he deserves more chances next year, and maybe did this year.
#77
Eddy
Davis III
Home grown
Crowd says
Contract
Signed Thru: '27 Options: '28, '29
Age
19
Inky Says Stay
He's still young, but deserves a shot next year to show if he can step up to the first team.
GENEVA — The 2026 World Cup draw next week will reward the four highest-ranked teams — Spain, Argentina, France and England — who will be placed in separate sections of a new tennis-style seeded tournament bracket.
FIFA said Tuesday the top four teams in the latest men’s rankings will, if they finish top of their respective round-robin groups, avoid each other until the semifinals of the June 11-July 19 tournament being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Defending champion Argentina with Lionel Messi and top-ranked European champion Spain with Lamine Yamal therefore can ensure they do not meet until the final at MetLife Stadium near New York.
“To ensure competitive balance, two separate pathways to the semifinals have been established,” FIFA said in a statement, aiming to reward teams whose consistent good results have raised their world ranking.
Lionel Messi celebrates scoring a goal for Argentina in September.
At previous World Cups, the path for teams into and through the knockout phase was decided by which group they were drawn into.
The draw ceremony for the first 48-team World Cup will be held Dec. 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in the presence of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The 42 teams that already qualified include Iran and Haiti which FIFA expects will play exactly where they are drawn regardless of complicated politics those countries have with the U.S. The 16 host venues for the 104 games include 11 cities with NFL stadiums in the U.S., three in Mexico and two in Canada.
The other six entries will be decided in March when European and global playoffs brackets are scheduled, and those teams all will come out of the draw pot of lowest-ranked teams.
Spain’s Lamine Yamal (right) is the soccer world’s new superstar.
That means four-time champion Italy could be a dangerous option in the draw on Friday of next week that will set the match schedule by placing teams in 12 round-robin groups of four teams each.
Europe has 16 teams in the lineup and a maximum of two can be drawn into any one group. The other 32 teams in the tournament cannot be drawn in a group with a team from the same continent.
The three co-hosts are among the 12 top seeds in the draw, which is scheduled to take about 45 minutes during a show lasting about an hour and a half, FIFA said. The U.S. will open on June 12 against a team from pot 3, then face a team from pot 2 and close the group stage against a team from pot 4.
It turned out that Matt Freese didn’t need to be the hero to oust his old team from the playoffs. Far more often Sunday night, the Union did it to themselves.
That was the feeling at the final whistle of the season as the Supporters’ Shield winners dropped a 1-0 decision to rival New York City FC in the Eastern Conference semifinals on Sunday night at Subaru Park.
Of all the game’s narratives — and there were almost as many as the fouls the teams bashed each other with — the Union looking so powerless was among the least expected. But far too often in the game, it felt like this team wasn’t going to score.
In the first half, the Union had four scoring chances, and at least two of them were only half-chances. The biggest what-if came in the 42nd minute, when Tai Baribo flicked a first-time shot from close range wide of the far post instead of trying to slam it nearer.
In the second half, the Union didn’t have a quality chance until the 73rd, when Danley Jean Jacques botched heading a cross from substitute Frankie Westfield, then Bruno Damiani whiffed on an acrobatic attempt at the loose ball.
For almost all the time until then, a New York squad, whose leading striker Alonso Martínez and key midfielder Andrés Perea were out injured, sat back and defended. That also wasn’t surprising, but the Union kept falling into the Pigeons’ traps. Play up the middle repeatedly fizzled out, and New York repelled almost all of the Union’s repeated crosses. When the Union tried shooting from range to try to break things up, all but one of the attempts were off-target.
“They had a team out there that was hungry, and for the first couple of moments of the game, we didn’t really match that,” Union manager Bradley Carnell said. “That’s on me. … Something just didn’t feel right, and we were a little bit slow to get into the game. Once we did, I thought we were very good.”
By the time Cavan Sullivan entered in the 83rd minute, it almost felt too late already. But even in the 15 total minutes he spent on the field — seven of regular time and eight of stoppage time — he was more creative than some of his teammates were all night.
But the end felt inevitable well before the final whistle. Westfield blazed over the bar from close (but offside) range in the 87th, and Freese went full-stretch to deny Milan Iloski in the 92nd. The Wayne native let out a big shout and a fist pump with that, finally releasing some of the emotions he’d kept pent-up with the U.S. national team.
The Union now turn to their offseason roster decisions, which are due to the league by Wednesday. Four players are out of contract, and eight have options on the table.
Any team expecting to make a deep run usually knows by this point what its decisions will be. The Union are no exception, even though sporting director Ernst Tanner has been on administrative leave since Wednesday. Most of the big calls were likely made before then.
But that doesn’t mean there will be smooth sailing. While the season’s end opens the door for a quick decision on Tanner, the odds of that happening feel slim. MLS has to finish its investigation, and there have been no hints about how long that will take.
If the league proves enough of the allegations of insensitive comments on many levels to move for Tanner’s dismissal, MLS and the Union will have to contend with however Tanner and his lawyers respond.
In the meantime, it looks as if the key decision-makers will be the trio of assistant sporting director Matt Ratajczak, scouting director Chris Zitterbart, and academy director Jon Scheer. All three know the way things work at the club plenty well, even if they don’t have Tanner’s name recognition or final-say power.
Union fans brought plenty of energy Sunday night, but they left the stadium disappointed.
The biggest decision that has already been made is releasing Mikael Uhre. He’s out of contract, and it’s been an open secret in Chester for weeks that he’s on his way out. Nor is it a secret in his native Denmark that Uhre has feelers out to clubs there including his previous home, Brøndby.
Uhre stood for a long spell on the field after the final whistle, at times with colleagues and at times alone. As he headed to the locker room, the fans left in the River End gave him a nice ovation.
“Let’s just say I’m keeping my options open,” he said. “I’m not saying I would never come back. I love it here — I love the people here, I love my teammates — so I would definitely not say no. But yeah, that’s not only up to me.”
The other players out of contract are Alejandro Bedoya, who will presumably first decide whether he wants to play another year; and two players deep on the bench, midfielder Ben Bender and third-string goalkeeper George Marks.
Eight players have options on the table: goalkeeper Oliver Semmle; defenders Nathan Harriel, Isaiah LeFlore, and Olwethu Makhanya; midfielders Nick Pariano and Indiana Vassilev; and forwards Tai Baribo and Chris Donovan.
Mikael Uhre stands on the field alone, knowing he has played his last game for the club.
Most of those decisions should be easy. Semmle, LeFlore, Pariano, and Donovan will almost certainly go, and the other four should get picked up. The quartet deserve new contracts, and who negotiates them will be a big question. At least taking the options allows for time to have those talks down the road.
Baribo will likely be the biggest challenge. He has earned a big raise and would love to stay in town for on-the-field and off-the-field reasons. But the Union might be wary of breaking the bank for him, and they’d be right. His skill set has limits.
Earlier this month, Israel’s Ynet news website reported that the Union offered Baribo a $2 million contract. That has yet to be confirmed anywhere else, but if it’s true, the view here is that Baribo (and his agent) would be wise to take it.
Sunday’s loss was not a failure of the Union’s system. They should have won the game since New York was shorthanded, and if they’d had the injured Quinn Sullivan, their odds would have gone way up. But the Supporters’ Shield trophy can’t be taken away from them, nor does losing at this point in the playoffs devalue it.
“On another night maybe it goes our way,” Carnell said. “But it just wasn’t meant to be. It gives us something to be hungry for down the line here starting in the new year, and that gives me motivation to come back and think we can do this thing one step further.”
Union manager Bradley Carnell on the sideline Sunday night.
As the Union, the crowd, and the season headed off into the Sunday night darkness, some words from a few weeks ago came to mind.
They came from principal owner Jay Sugarman when he met with the national media in New York, just before the playoffs started. He wanted to drum up some positive attention for his team, and he succeeded.
But at one point, he said something that he knew might come back around on him: “We don’t rely so much on guys creating their own shot.”
It was once again the missing piece Sunday. The only players who have that skill are Cavan Sullivan and Iloski, and that’s not enough — even though Sullivan will be ready for a lot more playing time next year.
It’s especially missing at striker. Ezekiel Alladoh could be a big-time addition, but the evidence from his time in Denmark shows him to be stylistically similar to what this team already has in Baribo and Damiani.
Cavan Sullivan (left) trying to get away from New York’s Raul Gustavo late in the game.
Then again, who will sign Alladoh if Tanner goes? That will put an even bigger question on the table for Sugarman and the rest of the Union’s ownership.
It will sit alongside the biggest question of all, one Carnell brought back into focus when he said that “the fairy tale came to an end tonight.”
A big-city team that has made the playoffs in seven of the last eight years and made deep runs in four of the last five — plus two deep Concacaf Champions Cup runs — shouldn’t have to frame a Shield-winning season as a fairy tale. The Union are legitimately one of the best teams in MLS. They should be again next year and should be treated as such.
But how to get over the biggest hump of all, to win an MLS Cup, is a question that can only be answered at the top of the organization.
That has been true since the beginning, and now it’s on to the 17th attempt.
John Borodiak, 89, of Philadelphia, Hall of Fame Argentine American professional soccer player, popular coach and sports center volunteer, and longtime Center City dental lab owner, died Saturday, Sept. 13, of complications from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases at Graduate Post Acute nursing facility.
Born and reared in Buenos Aires, Argentina, of Ukrainian descent, a young Mr. Borodiak was such a star that, in 1960, at 24, he was invited to leave South America and play soccer in the United States for the Ukrainian Nationals in Philadelphia. So, for seven seasons, through 1966, he played fullback for the Ukrainian Nationals and won four American Soccer League championships and four U.S. Open Cup titles.
As a 5-foot-8, 160-pound defensive whiz, Mr. Borodiak didn’t score many goals or race down the field on breakaways. But, said his son, Ivan, also a former pro soccer player: “He was smooth, quick, and good up in the air.”
He played on the 1964 U.S. national team and was inducted into the Horsham-based Ukrainian Sports Museum and Hall of Fame in 2017. Over the years, he played against Brazilian superstar Pele and other international stars, and former colleagues called him “a living legend.”
Mr. Borodiak (left) played against Pele (center) and other international stars.
He also played with the Philadelphia Spartans in the National Professional Soccer League and the ASL’s Newark Ukrainian Sitch in 1966 and ’67. He spent the 1968 season with the Cleveland Stokers and 1969 with the Baltimore Bays in the North American Soccer League. He retired after playing a final season with the Spartans in 1970.
He made headlines after a game in 1967 when he blocked the game-tying goal after his goalie was caught out of position. “After I saw [the goaltender) go out, I expected something to happen in that corner,” he told the Daily News. “I moved up there, and the shot bounced off my chest.”
Affable and engaging off the field, Mr Borodiak became a favorite of teammates, fans, and sportswriters. He hosted instructional clinics for young players and, after learning English himself, served as a translator for other players and the media. He spoke Ukrainian, English, Spanish, and Italian.
In 1967, Daily News sports writer Dick Metzgar published his Christmas wish list and asked for “more hustling performers like little fullback John Borodiak.”
Mr. Borodiak (left) passed his athleticism on to his son and grandson.
He helped anchor a Spartans defense in 1967 that Metzgar called “impenetrable” and was known for his aggressiveness. He was ejected for fighting in a game against Baltimore that season, and he told the Delaware County Daily Times that his opponent hit him in the back. “Naturally,” he said, “I hit back.”
He was a team cocaptain in Cleveland and named a NASL all-star in 1968, and his Stokers lost a heartbreaking playoff game to Atlanta in overtime that season. After the game, a disappointed Mr. Borodiak told the Cleveland Plain Dealer: “I’m sorry.”
He rejoined the Spartans in 1970 when they entered the American Soccer League, and The Inquirer covered their big win over the Syracuse Scorpions. “A strong defensive cog, John Borodiak, was added to the Spartans lineup,” The Inquirer said, “and he played fullback in impressive style.”
In a 1969 story after the Bays tied the Dallas Tornado, the Baltimore Sun said: “Borodiak made one of the best saves of the day when he blocked a shot after [the goalie] had been pulled out of the net.” In 1966, he played briefly for Roma in the Eastern Canada Pro Soccer League, and a teammate told the Toronto Star: “Borodiak is a fine fullback and fits in well with our style of play.”
Mr. Borodiak (rear, third from left) and teammates on the Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals pose during the 1966 season.
He coached soccer teams after he retired, played with amateur teams into his 40s, and was active for years at the Ukrainian American Sports Center in North Wales.
He earned certification at Temple University in dental cosmetics in the 1960s and owned a lab in the Medical Arts Building in Center City until he retired in 2018. At 50 years, Mr. Borodiak was the longest-tenured tenant ever in that building, his son, Ivan, said.
“He was a wonderful person,” his family said in a tribute, “He was a best friend, a champion, and a legend of his sport and in life.”
Born July, 13, 1936, Ivan Gregorio Borodiak changed his name to John when he came to the United States. He met Betty Pilari in Argentina, and they married in 1962, and lived in Bensalem and Queen Village.
Mr. Borodiak and his wife, Betty, married in 1962.
Mr. Borodiak was generous and gentle, his son said. He enjoyed fishing and car shows, and he built his own Mercedes-Benz from the tires up.
Friends noted his “kindness, gratitude, and warmth” in online tributes. One said: ”He was always a people person, and his smile could light up the darkest room.”
His son said: “He was a great man. He never had an enemy, and he overcame every adversity.”
In addition to his wife and son, Mr. Borodiak is survived by four grandchildren, a great-granddaughter, and other relatives. A sister died earlier.
Mr. Borodiak (left) doted on his grandchildren.
Private services were held earlier.
Donations in his name may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave. Floor 17, Chicago, Ill. 60601.
Behind a 27th-minute goal from Maxi Moralez, New York City FC ended the Union’s 2025 season with a 1-0 win Sunday night in the Eastern Conference semifinals at Subaru Park.
The Union, who earned the Supporters’ Shield and hosting rights throughout the MLS playoffs after finishing with the league’s best regular-season record, were bounced out of the postseason earlier than expected. Matt Freese and the NYCFC defense kept the Union off the score sheet after Moralez’s goal.
Freese, a native of Wayne, finished with five saves. The Union were shut out at home for just the second time this season.
“We weren’t ourselves,” forward Milan Iloski said. “I think it was more on us than on them, to be honest. We were very prepared, we just didn’t play up to our standards.”
NYCFC advances to face Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami squad in the Eastern Conference final on Friday.
Moralez took advantage of a lapse from the Union’s backline to score the game’s only goal. NYCFC’s Agustín Ojeda attacked down the right sideline, shaking Olwethu Makhanya with a cut toward the center of the pitch. Ojeda passed the ball to Nicolás Fernández at the top of the 18-yard box, and he tapped a quick pass to Moralez.
The midfielder found himself one-on-one with goalkeeper Andre Blake and made the most of his opportunity, beating an outstretched Blake with a right-footed shot that found the left side of the net.
“They had a team out there that was hungry,” Union manager Bradley Carnell said. “And for the first couple of moments of the game, we didn’t really match that. That’s on me… Something just didn’t feel right, and we were a little bit slow to get into the game.”
The Union had several chances to level the game throughout the first half, but could not convert them. Tai Baribo whiffed on a point-blank attempt after a centering cross from Danley Jean Jacques in the 42nd minute. Bruno Damiani then got his head to a Kai Wagner free-kick cross in the 44th, but could not angle his attempt toward goal. Jakob Glesnes tried a shot from close range that forced Freese into a save in the 45th minute, but could not capitalize on the ensuing rebound.
Tai Baribo on the ball for the Union with New York City FC’s Kevin O’Toole defending him during Sunday’s MLS playoff game.
The Union outshot NYCFC, 9-3, in the first half, but trailed 1-0 at halftime. Freese made three saves to keep the Union off the score sheet over the first 45 minutes.
In the 55th minute, after stymieing a Union attack, NYCFC’s Fernández caught Blake off his line and punted a shot toward his goal from beyond the halfway line. Blake scrambled back to retrieve the shot and made a diving swipe to keep it from reaching the back of the net, but injured himself in the process.
The Union’s medical staff came on to attend to a grimacing Blake in the 56th, and Andrew Rick took his place in the net shortly after. Carnell made two other substitutions alongside Rick in the 60th, bringing in Mikael Uhre for Baribo and Frankie Westfield for Jovan Lukić. Carnell made his fourth substitution in the 69th minute, bringing on Jesús Bueno for Indiana Vassilev.
Westfield almost drew the Union level with a back-post shot in the 75th minute, but Freese stopped Westfield’s point-blank attempt with his knee. The Union made a case for a penalty in the 77th minute after Nathan Harriel was brought down in the box, but the referee did not deem NYCFC defender Raul Gustavo’s tackle as worthy of awarding the Union an attempt from the spot.
Carnell brought on Cavan Sullivan for Jean Jacques in the 83rd minute, hoping the 16-year-old could provide the offensive spark the team needed. The team pressed on, and Westfield almost became the hero again in the 87th minute with a volley attempt from close range, but it soared over the net.
“[It’s] just unfortunate,” Carnell said. “We got ourselves into that spot so many times. We could have got ourselves two goals at the end there.”
The Union finished the game with a 20-6 advantage in shots but were unable to tie it.
The Union’s Mikael Uhre and Bruno Damiani walk off the field after losing 1-0 to NYCFC.
Season’s end
The Union will take close to a three-month hiatus before the team embarks on its 2026 campaign. By finishing with the most points in MLS, the Union qualified for the Concacaf Champions Cup. The tournament, which features top clubs from North and Central America, is scheduled to begin in early February. The Union’s schedule for the tournament is yet to be determined, but groups will be decided at the Champions Cup draw on Dec. 9.
The Union’s 2026 MLS schedule will begin with a road match against D.C. United on Feb. 21. The team’s home opener will be against NYCFC at Subaru Park on March 1.
In one kind of ideal world, Cavan Sullivan wouldn’t be with the Union right now.
He’d be with the U.S. under-17 national team, which took one of its strongest squads in program history to this month’s World Cup in Qatar.
The Americans won their group with a perfect record for the first time since 1991, with Sullivan in a starring role. He had two goals, both game- winners, and an assist in those three games.
However, their luck ran out after that. Morocco edged them in the round of 32 last Friday, scoring a late equalizer for a 1-1 draw and then winning a penalty kick shootout. Sullivan assisted on the U.S. goal and scored his penalty attempt, but he could do no more.
“It’s going to be an electric night,” Sullivan told The Inquirer. “It’s probably going to be a little chilly, but our fans don’t care and us players don’t care. We’re ready to battle, show up for the city, and on a personal level, I just want to be ready to come into the game and make a difference. Yeah, I’m excited.”
Union manager Bradley Carnell said it was “a real shame” that the U.S. went out of the tournament early, but that Sullivan “has incorporated well into the group again.”
The lessons that Sullivan learned at the World Cup were the kind that should pay off as the 16-year-old develops, whether with the Union, his future club home at England’s Manchester City, or with future U.S. national teams.
“You learn what a World Cup’s all about,” Sullivan said. “Got to understand the experience, the atmospheres, what it’s like representing your country at the highest level.”
“MVP,” Vassilev said, before offering the real answer: “Don’t play with your food, just finish it up.”
That indeed was the lesson from a game that the U.S. was on the cusp of winning. Had the Americans held on, they’d have advanced in an under-17 World Cup knockout round for just the third time in program history.
“ … Don’t play with your food,” Sullivan continued. “I wish we just did things differently and closed out that game, but that’s reality. And I’m back here now, and my focus is on the game Sunday.”
Coincidentally, the U.S. under-17s, last month’s under-20s (including Frankie Westfield), and last year’s under-23s at the Olympics (with many Union ties) all got knocked out of their championships by Morocco. That created some chatter back home, and Sullivan said his team talked about it too.
“Yeah, people were definitely talking about it, but [it was] not in my mind,” he said.
What was in his mind was getting to play with three close friends who are currently in the Union’s academy: forwards Kellan LeBlanc, Jamir Johnson, and defender Jordan Griffin.
“I’ve played with those guys for over five years now apiece — Jordan since I was, like, 7; Kellan since I was, like, 9; and Jamir since I was, like, 10,” Sullivan said. “So we know each other really well, and we definitely stick together. And I’m really proud of those guys.”
With the U.S. under-17 World Cup in the rearview, Cavan Sullivan says he’s focused on helping the Union anyway he can in the MLS playoffs.
The Union’s total of four players on the 23-man squad was the most of any club, another endorsement of its strength at developing American prospects.
Sullivan also knew well that while he was away, four more Union products were with the senior U.S. team at Subaru Park. And earlier this year, his oldest brother Quinn made his senior-squad debut.
“It’s definitely pretty special to have the Union produce players that are now abroad and getting called into the national team regularly,” he said. “For my own brother to make a few caps as well was pretty special for my family.”
Quinn Sullivan earned his senior U.S. men’s national team debut over the summer.
For all that went into the tournament buildup, does the sting of an early departure now motivate Sullivan to push harder with the Union?
“I wouldn’t say it’s anything to really dwell on too long or use it as — like, it’s not going to fuel me Sunday night,” he said. “But I definitely want to build off the performances I had, and continue to finish out this year on a good note. And what are we two games ‘til a final?”
Yes, that’s the number.
“Big games,” Sullivan said. “But no matter what it’s at home, so that’s a benefit.”
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Rose Lavelle scored in the 80th minute and the eighth-seeded Gotham FC beat the Washington Spirit 1-0 on Saturday night to win their second National Women’s Soccer League championship.
Second-half substitute Bruninha drove into the box on the left wing and sent the ball across to Lavelle, whose left-footed shot sailed past Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury into the bottom corner of the net.
“It was maybe the one moment I had in the game to step up,” Lavelle said. ”I keep saying Bruninha did the heavy lifting on that.”
It is the first NWSL championship title for Lavelle, who had scored in the 2023 final when she was playing for the Seattle Reign against Gotham in a 2-1 loss.
“This was such a roller coaster of a season for us. We had injuries. We had a really daunting schedule with the amount of games that we were playing, the travel. I think just like the way that every single individual stepped up in the moments, did what they were asked to, was so huge,” Lavelle said. “I think you learn the most about yourself in the toughest moments. And so, I think what we faced throughout the season really helped set us up.”
After a strong opening 10 minutes of the match for Gotham, with three shots from Jaedyn Shaw, the final began to mature into a tense affair.
There were few chances and the best of the first half came when Spirit midfielder Hal Hershfelt perfectly timed a slide tackle and cleaned out Midge Purce with the follow through.
Not long after the half, Trinity Rodman was brought off the Spirit bench for Sofia Cantore, bringing the crowd to its feet. The U.S. women’s national team star was on limited minutes after suffering a knee sprain in October.
Saturday’s game might have been Trinity Rodman’s last for the Spirit.
Even with the introduction of Rodman, the Spirit continued to struggle to create chances. They had marginally more control of the ball, 53%, but were outshot by Gotham 12-6 and finished the game without a single shot on target. Rodman had zero shots and zero chances created.
“As much as I don’t want to admit it, I still don’t feel like I was my full self tonight, which sucks, because I feel like it’s the second year I’ve gone into a final not feeling like myself,” Rodman said.
The second-seeded Spirit (14-6-8) suffered a second consecutive defeat in the NWSL final, having lost last year to the Orlando Pride in Kansas City, Missouri.
The Spirit reached this year’s final by overcoming Racing Louisville 3-1 in a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals and then beating the Portland Thorns 2-0 in the semifinals.
Gotham’s trophy celebration.
Gotham (11-8-9) had defied the odds to make the final, going on the road twice to defeat the top-seeded Kansas City Current 2-1 in the quarterfinal and the defending champions the Pride, 1-0.
Gotham is the first eighth-seed to win the NWSL Championship. In 2023, when there were only six playoff spots, Gotham became the first sixth seed to lift the trophy.
Coach Juan Carlos Amoros has seven NWSL playoff wins in his career and two championships.
Union manager Bradley Carnell said at his weekly news conference Friday that he has “never personally experienced” the discriminatory behavior alleged against sporting director Ernst Tanner.
“I’d be remiss to not briefly to address the reports that surfaced earlier this week and the subsequent announcements from the club,” Carnell said of the allegations published by the Guardian. “First of all, on a professional level, I want to say that I’ve never personally experienced anything like what’s been reported in my time with Ernst. But as an organization, we fully recognize the seriousness of the situation, and that’s as far as I’ll go to discuss the topic that’s ongoing during this investigation.”
Asked if the investigation has been a distraction to the team this week as it prepares for Sunday’s Eastern Conference playoff semifinal against New York City FC (7:55 p.m., FS1, Fox Deportes, Apple TV), Carnell said it has not been.
“The players have been amazing,” he said. “Over the last three weeks, 20 days [since the Union’s last game], whatever it’s been, [they] have been incredible. And then, obviously, we were informed about the situation, but for the players on the ground and the day-to-day organizational operations, we haven’t skipped a beat. The train is moving, and the players are engaged and excited about the prospect of playing on Sunday.”
Union head coach Bradley Carnell said he has “never personally experienced” the discriminatory behavior alleged against sporting director Ernst Tanner.
Longtime captain Alejandro Bedoya said the same.
“Yeah, of course everybody knows what’s happening on the outside, but the team is focused on this weekend’s game,” he said. “And we control what we can control as players, and we’re focused on that.”
Sunday’s game will be Danley Jean Jacques’ first action at Subaru Park since his Haiti team qualified for next year’s World Cup for the first time since 1974.
Jean Jacques missed Tuesday’s clinching game because of yellow card accumulation, which unintentionally gave him a bit more rest before Sunday. Carnell said the midfielder is “fit, he’s healthy, he’s strong, he’s happy with the emotions of qualifying for a World Cup.”
Cette équipe le mérite tellement, on a tout donné. Ce qu’on vit, c’est pour vous, pour tout notre pays ! 🙌🏽
It also will be goalkeeper Andre Blake’s first game since Jamaica’s heartbreaking failure to finish the job on home turf. Friday was Blake’s 35th birthday, and Carnell said the Union held a celebration to lift his spirits.
“I think ’Dre carried Jamaica on his back — he made some crucial saves, he kept them in the game, he made big, big plays,” Carnell said. “We’re celebrating his birthday and making sure he has all the mojo around him, and the good feeling of being back around our group. I think he’s excited to hopefully have a good experience on Sunday and lead his team to a winning game.”
Gio Reyna (left) had the opening goal and the assist on the game-winning goal against Paraguay at Subaru Park.
“I think you’re slowly seeing, and based on all the quotes and what the guys on the team have been saying, it’s Poch’s team now, and he’s definitely put a stamp on it,” Bedoya said, referring to U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino. “I think it took a little bit — and it takes time, right? To change a little bit of the culture inside and out — but you have to be pleased with the effort and the intensity and the way the guys played. Especially with kind of new faces back in the team, and different guys being put in different positions.”
Bedoya noticed, as many people did, how Pochettino took exception to being asked Tuesday night about winning that game without many “regulars” — not just absent stars like Christian Pulisic and Tyler Adams, but a lineup with nine changes from the starters vs. Paraguay.
Pochettino was adamant that he doesn’t believe in such a hierarchy, even if the valid part of asking about winning with so much rotation got lost in the moment.
“When you instill a certain culture, and you talk about putting your stamp on a team with your principles [and] the philosophy, whichever player comes in and takes a certain role, they already have a good understanding of what it takes and what’s expected out of them,” Bedoya said. “So it was great to see some of these other guys come in and perform very well. And you have to say, I mean, whenever you beat a national team like Uruguay, 5-1, there’s a lot to get excited about and a lot of optimism.”
Mark McKenzie (left) celebrates with Tanner Tessmann after Tessmann scored the U.S.’s fifth goal against Uruguay.
Bedoya also praised former Union teammate Mark McKenzie, who wore the captain’s armband for the first time against Uruguay.
“That was awesome — I texted him on the side after the game, being happy for him,” he said. “Knowing him from his early years here in Philly, I mean, the guy was always mature beyond his years … It just shows the trust and the faith that Pochettino has in him, which is amazing, and he’s been playing well in Europe since he left, especially now at Toulouse [in France], getting a good run of games.”
After Tuesday’s game, McKenzie called being captain “a huge honor, a real blessing, [and] also a great moment because it shows the level of trust that the group has in me, but also Mauricio and the staff.”
If there was anything to learn about Matt Freese, it’s that he’s a really serious individual.
Last week, in his return to the Philly area with the U.S. men’s national soccer team, the former Union goalkeeper and Wayne native said he spent the bulk of the week inside the team hotel instead of visiting family and friends.
He wasn’t a complete recluse. He visited a few old friends from the Union, who were training on fields adjacent to the USMNT at the WSFS Bank Sportsplex in Chester. He even took time to speak to classes at YSC Academy, the school created specifically for soccer players aspiring to be in Freese’s shoes.
Other than that? Freese treated the homecoming as a business trip, which was clearly conveyed in refusing all requests for interviews the day before a game and the serious gaze on his face even after the USMNT’s 2-1 win over Paraguay last Saturday.
He returns on Sunday when the Union host New York City FC in MLS’ Eastern Conference semifinal (7:55 p.m., FS1, Apple TV, MLS Season Pass).
“I actually didn’t see my family. I didn’t do anything,” Freese said. “[This week], I just stayed in the hotel. [Chuckles], I’m a bit of a loser, but when I’m in camp, I’m locked in. I’ll see my family in the offseason at some point.”
Freese being locked in isn’t because he’s being standoffish. Instead, it’s his effort to prove to himself that he belongs. He has made sacrifices — particularly whenever he receives that call from the men’s national team.
See, it was roughly around this time last year that Freese was a bit of an afterthought. Incumbent goalkeeper Matt Turner was on a tear for club and country and looked to be a shoo-in for being first up on USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino’s roster.
But amid a lack of playing time with Crystal Palace, Turner’s club team, he fell down the depth chart, as Pochettino told reporters in May that “it’s open for another player maybe to challenge in between [the goalkeepers] and maybe to try to give the possibility to play [to] another player,” according to an ESPN report.
Enter Freese, who has had several call-ups since Pochettino’s remarks and has impressed, notably his performance in the U.S.’s shootout win over Costa Rica the Gold Cup quarterfinals in June. He made three saves in the penalty kick portion of the match, which helped the U.S. vault into the semifinal, and earned soccer’s version of the nickname “Matty Ice.”
From that moment, he’s been a mainstay with the national team. Now, with the last games of the November cycle wrapping up earlier this week, it’s a waiting game to see if he’ll be called into camp for Pochettino’s World Cup squad.
From being an unknown to being No. 1 — the opportunity arguably has never been bigger for Freese.
“What’s driving me is this chance to represent my country,” Freese said. “Having that opportunity is one that I dreamed about but didn’t know if I was ever going to get. So every time I’m called up, I want to make the most of training, and then every time I get to play in a game, I want to make the most of that as well.”
One thing that stood out in a conversation with Freese was his reply that when it came to visiting family, he’d do so “in the offseason at some point.”
Coincidentally, if the Union have their way, he might not have to commute too far. A week removed from being the hero against Paraguay, Freese returns to Subaru Park as the villain in his role as the starting goalkeeper for NYCFC.
Matt Freese (49) guided NYCFC past fourth-seed Charlotte FC to set up an Eastern Conference semifinal date against the Union.
The meeting is the fourth time the teams will battle in the postseason and the second time for Freese, who was released from the Union in 2022 following the team’s run to the MLS Cup final.
Instead of looking at his ouster from the Union as being on the outside looking in at a professional career, which started in the team’s youth academy, Freese locked in. Just a year after joining NYCFC was named the team’s MVP last season.
Now, he leads NYCFC as the fifth seed in the East looking up at the No. 1 team and Supporters’ Shield winner — on its home field.
Matt Freese (right) shown as a member of the Union against his current team, New York City FC during a game in 2021.
“It’s a really exciting time in my career right now,” Freese said. “It’s important however to stay humble and be thankful that I’m in this situation. I have a job to do, and our goal as a team is to be the last team standing. We have to beat the best. That’s what it comes down to.”
Fellow U.S. national team member Max Arfsten notes that mentality as the reason Freese has arrived at this moment. Arfsten, whose Columbus Crew side recently fell out of the Eastern Conference playoffs following a loss to rival club FC Cincinnati, gets a routine look at Freese firsthand over the course of the season and sees something special in the goalkeeper.
“He’s my guy,” Arfsten, a midfielder, said following last week’s USMNT win in Chester. “His ability to control our back line and his communication is big. It allows us to do our job because we know he’s got it covered back there. He’s locked in right now, and that’s really good as we continue to push forward toward the World Cup.”
U.S. men’s national team goalkeeper Matt Freese dives for a save during a training session earlier this month at the WSFS Sportsplex in Chester.
On his way out of the Union’s locker room last Saturday, Freese briefly struck up a conversation with a security guard stationed just outside the main doors. What was said was muffled, but what was distinctly heard was the security guard ending the conversation in jest with “see you on Sunday.”
Given what’s at stake, and having an obvious familiarity with Philly banter, it might have been one of the few times Freese let his armor down and cracked a smile.
