Philadelphia Union vs. New York Red Bulls | 2016 MLS Match Preview

PHILADELPHIA UNION vs. NEW YORK RED BULLS
Talen Energy Stadium | Chester, Pennsylvania
Sunday, Oct. 23 | Week #34 | MLS Game #334
4 pm ET (MLS LIVE, The Comcast Network, MSG)

The Philadelphia Union will try to arrest a late-season swoon as the surging New York Red Bulls – who haven't lost since July 3 – make the short trip down I-95 for a Decision Day clash. RBNY are all but assured of a first-place finish in the Eastern Conference standings, while Philly have effectively (if not officially) clinched their own postseason place. Yet both sides are eager for a positive result to carry into the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, and Red Bulls hitman Bradley Wright-Phillips will be hunting for another goal or two to lock up the MLS Golden Boot title. 

• Union saw their winless streak extended to six games with a fourth defeat in that time, falling 2-0 to Orlando City SC on Sunday afternoon at Talen Energy Stadium.
• Bradley Wright-Phillips scored a pair of goals – his seventh multiple-goal game this season, now leading the MLS Golden Boot standings with 23 goals – as the Red Bulls won their third game in a row and extended their league undefeated streak to 15 games in a 3-2 win against Columbus Crew SC on Sunday afternoon at Red Bull Arena. Sacha Kljestan recorded two assists to give him 19 for the season – tied for the second-most in a season in MLS history.
• The teams are meeting for the third time this season, the second in the final three weeks of the season. Dax McCarty scored a goal and added a pair of assists and Bradley Wright-Phillips added yet another goal in the 3-2 Red Bulls win Oct. 1 at Red Bull Arena. C.J. Sapong and Chris Pontius scored a minute apart midway through the second half as Union overcame a pair of first-half goals from the Red Bulls’ Sacha Kljestan, leaving the teams in a 2-2 draw July 17 at Talen Energy Stadium.
• The teams also met earlier this year in a U.S. Open Cup fifth-round match, Chris Pontius scoring a pair of goals to lead Union to a 2-1 win June 29 at Talen Energy Stadium. It was the third time the clubs have met in the Open Cup with the Union advancing in each of the last two seasons.
• Union won 2-0 on May 24, 2015 at Red Bull Arena, their first-ever win in Harrison; the Red Bulls had gone 5-0-1 in their first six home games vs. Philadelphia, and also won a U.S. Open Cup tie there. Last year’s Red Bulls win in Chester was their first there since the 2012 season.

REFEREE: Kevin Stott. AR1 (bench): Kermit Quisenberry; AR2 (opposite): Craig Lowry; 4th:Sorin Stoica
MLS Career: 294 games; FC/gm: 25.2; Y/gm: 3.2; R: 71; pens: 77

SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
FINED NEXT YELLOW CARD: PHI: Tranquillo Barnetta, Brian Carroll, Raymon Gaddis • NYR: Connor Lade, Felipe Martins
DISABLED LIST: NYR: Gideon Baah (season-ending injury)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME [MLS] (18 meetings): Union 5 wins, 24 goals • Red Bulls 10 wins, 31 goals • Ties 3
AT UNION (9 meetings): Union 4 wins, 16 goals • Red Bulls 3 wins, 15 goals • Ties 1

2016 (MLS)
7/17: PHI 2, NYR 2 (Sapong 67; Pontius 68 • Kljestan 27, 44)
10/1: NYR 3, PHI 2 (Kljestan 44; B. Wright-Phillips 47; McCarty 66 • Herbers 15; Pontius 55)

Coaches record: Jim Curtin vs. NYR: P7 W2 L3 D2 • Jesse Marsch vs. PHI: P7 W4 L2 D1