The Seattle Sounders are visiting the Philadelphia Union on Saturday in their first and only meeting in the regular season. Here is everything you need to know:
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 4:30 p.m. PT (7:30 p.m. local time) at Subaru Park in Chester, Pa.
WHERE TO WATCH: The match will be available to watch on Apple TV.
WHERE TO LISTEN: The match will air on iHeartMedia Seattle and in Spanish on El Rey 1360AM.
2026 MLS STANDINGS: Sounders: 7-5-3 (24 points, 6th West), Union: 2-10-4 (10 points, 15th East)
FORM GUIDE (all competitions, most recent first): Seattle: LLLLW, Philadelphia: WLDLL
PREVIOUS MEETING: The Sounders defeated the Union 3-2 at Subaru Park on April 30, 2024, behind a brace from Raúl RuidÃaz and a goal from Obed Vargas. Jack McGlynn and Dániel Gazdag scored for the hosts.
RAGEN SUSPENDED: Sounders center back Jackson Ragen will be suspended for Saturday’s match due to yellow-card accumulation. The former Sounders Academy product earned his first MLS All-Star selection in 2026.
ROAD TRIP: Saturday is the second of four consecutive road matches for Seattle after falling on the road at Austin FC midweek. The Sounders will next head to Portland before visiting reigning Concacaf Champions Cup winners Toluca in the first match of the 2026 Leagues Cup.
INTERIM COACHES: The Sounders coincidentally will face their third of three consecutive interim coaches this weekend. The Portland Timbers, Austin FC and the Philadelphia Union all parted ways with their head coaches earlier this year.
Bring the Noise
Enjoy the Rave Pack —a three-match offering filled with high-energy, high-stakes matches at Lumen Field. Open with our August 19 battle against Austin FC, and finish with a Saturday-night showdown vs. Eastern Conference foe CF Montrêal.
ROUGH FIRST HALF: The Union entered the 2026 FIFA World Cup break dead last in MLS in points, having lost their first six matches to begin the year and winning just once in 15.
UNDERLYING NUMBERS: The Union have not been as bad as their record, however, and have been especially snakebitten. Philadelphia has a league-leading Goal Difference-Expected Goal Difference of -11.98, meaning they’re underperforming in front of net by nearly 12 goals, nearly three goals higher than any other team. According to American Soccer Analysis, their Expected Points is 23.18, good for 12th in the league vs. their current position in last.
UNCHARACTERSTIC BLAKE: For the last decade, Union goalkeeper Andre Blake has been one of, if not, the best goalkeepers in MLS, having won MLS Goalkeeper of the Year a league-record three times. The 35-year-old Jamaican international is last in MLS in Goals-Expected Goals this year and is sporting a career-low 57.8% Save Percentage.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Kai Wagner, D
After joining English Championship side Birmingham City in January, the Union brought back Wagner as a Designated Player last week. Wagner is the Union’s all-time assist leader and added another in his MLS return midweek in a win over Red Bull New York.
