Charlotte Defending the Queen City
Off to the strongest start in club history, Charlotte FC (19 points, 6-2-1) sits atop the Eastern Conference through Matchday 9 and has become one of the league’s hardest teams to beat on their home turn. Last week, Charlotte became the first team since 2023 FC Cincinnati to win each of their first five home matches of a season and are owners of an eight-game home winning streak dating back to Sept. 21, 2024.
With a win over the New England Revolution on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV / Apple TV+), Charlotte would become ninth team in the post-shootout era to win at least nine consecutive home matches and the first since 2023 Cincinnati, who went on to capture the Supporters’ Shield in that season after winning their first 10 home matches of the season.
The longest home winning streaks in MLS history (excluding the shootout era):
Philly’s Blake Chasing Clean Sheet History
One of the longest tenured athletes in Philadelphia professional sports, Union goalkeeper Andre Blake has been one of the top ‘keepers in the league since his arrival in 2014. The Jamaican international has recorded 79 clean sheets in 252 career matches, including his third shutout of the season last week against Atlanta United.
With a clean sheet against D.C. United on Saturday (4:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV / Apple TV+), Blake would become the second fastest player to reach 80 career shutouts in MLS history, trailing only current Atlanta United goalkeeper Brad Guzan, who reached the milestone in his 251st career regular season match. Blake would become the ninth goalkeeper in league history to reach 80 career shoutouts.
The goalkeepers to reach 80 career shutout in the fewest games in MLS history:
Sullivan Contributing at Record Rate for Union
With two goal contributions on Matchday 9, including his AT&T Goal of the Matchday strike (Watch Here), Philadelphia Union midfielder Quinn Sullivan joined Union forward Tai Baribo as the sixth pair of teammates to notch at least six goal contributions this season. Sullivan is tied for third in MLS in assists this season with six and sits on 29 career goal contributions in 103 career appearances.
With his next goal contribution, Sullivan (21 years old) will pass Jack McInerney for the contributions by a Union player prior to turning 22 years old. Sullivan’s 29 goal contributions prior to turning 22 are already more than Danny Mwanga (21), Jack McGlynn (20), and Brenden Aaronson (16) at the same age.
The most goal contributions by a player under 22 years old in Philadelphia Union history:
Evander Continues Early-Season MVP Push
With five goals across his last three MLS matches, FC Cincinnati midfielder Evander (six goals, one assists) continues to make an early season push for the 2025 Landon Donovan MLS MVP award, along the likes of Charlotte’s Pep Biel, Philadelphia’s Tai Baribo, and others. Since the start of the 2024 season, only Evander (41 goal contributions) and Inter Miami CF’s Lionel Messi (41) have accumulated more than 40 goal contributions, with the duo sitting five contributions ahead of the next closest players.
Even more impressive for the Brazilian midfielder has been his expected goals efficiency rate, as he is currently outpacing his expected goals (1.99) by 4.01 goals through Matchday 9. The next-highest expected goals efficiency is owned by Inter Miami’s Telasco Segovia (+2.32), and no other MLS player is outperforming their xG rate by more than two goals.
The highest expected goals efficiency rates by MLS players through Matchday 9:
