MLS Cup playoff race: FC Cincinnati seeking first-ever road win at Philadelphia Union

FC Cincinnati's played hard, tight matches against Philadelphia Union over the last two years but the next game between the clubs takes place at Subaru Park.

The problem with that is the Union's home venue in Chester, Pennsylvania is one of the toughest in Major League Soccer for visiting teams.

Philadelphia is a standard-bearer in MLS, and in recent years established itself as a mainstay in other club competitions. Its home record at Subaru Park reflects that standard as the club has only lost there four times in league play since 2020.

"I would say their record probably supports that. It's not an easy place to go in and win. I think the only team that's done that in maybe the last (18 games) . . . is Miami, if I'm not mistaken," said FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan, a former Union assistant coach. "They know how to win at home. The environment's great, crowd's great, very strong team. So you know, there's a reason that teams aren't going there and getting results. I think certainly our guys understand the challenges ahead of us."

None of those four wins belonged to FC Cincinnati, which has never won at Philadelphia.

More: Making sense of FC Cincinnati's first loss at TQL Stadium in 2023

More: FC Cincinnati falls to Orlando City in first TQL Stadium loss of 2023 | Replay

A draw is slightly easier to come by. Ten of those have occured in Chester since 2020 and FCC lays a claim to one − a come-from-behind, 1-1 tie on June 18, 2022.

FC Cincinnati, which leads the race for the Supporters Shield with seven matches to play, is in store for one of its biggest tests of of the 2023 regular season when it visits the Union and Subaru Park on Saturday (7:30 p.m.)

The playoff implications for FC Cincinnati, Union

FC Cincinnati has a nine point lead in the Supporters Shield race − a healthy margin by any measure at this stage of the season − and is 11 points up on Philadelphia. But the Union still pose a direct threat in the Shield chase.

Philadelphia has a slim margin for error but could use Saturday's head-to-head with Cincinnati and a Sept. 27 home match against FC Dallas − that's the Union's game in-hand on FCC − to put real heat on Cincinnati in the closing weeks of the season.

The Union basically have to start the assault on FC Cincinnati's Shield lead by winning the head-to-head meeting, though. Dropped points, and especially a rare home loss, could by the beginning and end of Philadelphia's long-shot Shield hopes.

If FC Cincinnati can fend off the Union with a road result, it might well have fended off the final credible threat to its pursuit of the Supporters Shield, the regular-season title, which carries with it a 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup berth.

FC Cincinnati will be without Lucho

As if getting points on the road in Chester wasn't already difficult enough, FC Cincinnati will play without Luciano Acosta, its captain and goals and assists leader.

Acosta is suspended for the match due to yellow-card accumulation.

More: FC Cincinnati's Luciano Acosta brings a statue of Jesus Christ on the road. Here's why

Cincinnati could also be without another key player due to his recent stay abroad. Aaron Boupendza (Gabon) hadn't returned to the Mercy Health Training Center through Friday. General Manager Chris Albright said Boupendza was expected to join up with the team Saturday, and Noonan indicated Boupendza could still play in that circumstance. However, no guarantees were made about Boupendza's availability.

"It's realistic for him to play," Noonan said. "You know, the challenges of the return and it's not easy travel where he's coming from. So you just have to assess when he gets in, what it looks like in terms of the sleep, the recovery, the timing. So you know, hopefully he's back in enough time where we know we have him available for selection in the starting group and/or in a reserve role. But the hope is that he returns in a way where we can think about him and in the starting XI."

Junior Moreno (Venezuela) and Santiago Arias (Colombia) didn't train with the club until Thursday after playing with their respective national teams.

Missing Boupendza would deprive FCC of goal-scoring potential and dangerous movement in the attacking third. Moreno makes up one-third of the club's midfield trident and Arias, a celebrated Colombian international, is Cincinnati's preferred right back.

Meanwhile, the Union's personnel availability report released Wednesday confirmed the hosts would be at full strength except for the absence of Leon Flach, which was expected.

Flach suffered what was thought to be a potential season-ending injury Aug. 30 against Toronto FC but has sought second opinions, according to Union head coach Jim Curtin.

The Union's recent results

After finishing a respectable third place in Leagues Cup, which earned Philadelphia a place the 2024 continental championship tournament known as the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the Union went 2-1-0 in league matches.

They defeated Northeast Corridor rivals D.C. United and New York Red Bulls but were trounced at Toronto FC in a 3-1 loss.

Philadelphia is chasing a top-four finish in the east for the fifth consecutive season.

The game

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m., Saturday | Subaru Park; Chester, Pennsylvania

TV/radio: Apple TV/Fox Sports 1360 and Sirius XM FC 157

All-time series: Philadelphia leads the all-time series against Cincinnati with six wins, two ties and two losses (6-2-2).

Cincinnati.com prediction: Philadelphia Union 2, FC Cincinnati 0

FC Cincinnati

Record: 17-4-6, 57 points; First place in MLS Eastern Conference

Goals for: 44 (No. 5 in east)

Goals against: 30 (No. 2 in east)

Coach: Pat Noonan - second year at FC Cincinnati

Projected starting XI:

Roman Celentano, goalkeeper

Alvaro Barreal, left back

Yerson Mosquera , center back

Matt Miazga, center back

Nick Hagglund, center back

Bret Halsey, right back

Obinna Nwobodo, midfielder

Junior Moreno, midfielder

Yuya Kubo, midfielder

Brandon Vazquez, forward

Aaron Boupendza, forward

Philadelphia Union

Record: 14-8-4, 46 points; Fourth place in MLS Eastern Conference

Goals for: 47 (No. 3 in east)

Goals against: 31 (No. 3 in east)

Coach: Jim Curtin - ninth season as first-team head coach

Projected starting XI:

Andre Blake, goalkeeper

Jakob Glesnes, center back

Jack Elliott, center back

Damion Lowe, center back

Nathan Harriel, right back

Kai Wagner, left back

Alejandro Bedoya, midfielder

Jose Martinez, midfielder

Dániel Gazdag, midfielder

Julián Carranza, forward

Mikael Uhre, forward

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: MLS Cup playoff race: FC Cincinnati seeking road win vs. Philadelphia