Following a 1-0 midweek win over D.C. United on Wednesday night, the New York Red Bulls enter Saturday’s tilt with Philadelphia in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with a 9-8-10 record and 37 points. The Union sit just outside the playoff picture in sixth place with a 9-9-9 record and 36 points.
Saturday’s game kicks off at 3:00 PM ET with NBC Sports Network televising the game nationally. New York has two straight entering the match while Philadelphia has won three straight.
- MLS Eastern Conference Standings
1. D.C. United
2. Sporting Kansas City
3. New England Revolution
4. New York Red Bulls
5. Columbus Crew
----------------------------
6. Philadelphia Union
7. Toronto FC
8. Houston Dynamo
9. Chicago Fire
10. Montreal Impact
The Red Bulls and Union have met twice this season with both teams earning wins at home. Thierry Henry and Lloyd Sam each scored a goal at Red Bull Arena on April 16 to lift New York to a 2-1 win. The Union earned a 3-1 win at PPL Park when the teams last met on July 16.
Coming off a midweek game, New York Red Bulls head coach Mike Petke shared his thoughts on his team ahead of the Philly match:
“The guys feel good, they’re up for it. We expect a good game. They’re a much better team than the last time we played them, but I’d say so are we as well. It’s going to be a tough game, challenging game.”
The two teams enter Saturday’s match with a combined win streak of five games. The Red Bulls are winners of two straight, earning wins over Sporting Kansas City (September 6) and D.C. United (September 10) while Philadelphia has won three straight.
Both teams have been solid defensively during their modest win streaks. New York has allowed just one goal through two games while Philly has allowed just two through three games.
- Player to watch: Andrew Wenger
If New York wants to capture the regular-season series with Philadelphia, they’ll have to watch out for Union forward Andrew Wenger. Wenger has scored three goals over his last three games with his club posting an undefeated 3-0-0 record during that stretch.
Since being traded to Philadelphia from Montreal in early April, Wenger has scored five goals and added four assists in 21 appearances. Wenger is third on the team in scoring behind Sebastien Le Toux (11) and Conor Casey (eight).
Saturday’s game at PPL Park in Chester, Pa. will be played at 3:00 p.m. ET (TV: NBC Sports).
