Philadelphia Union might have clinched an Audi MLS Cup Playoffs spot with their draw at Charlotte on Matchday 32, but Jim Curtin’s men will be looking to secure a home tie in the postseason and to go second in the Eastern Conference with a win over Dallas at Subaru Park.
Their opponents are in a slightly more precarious situation, sitting in the 9th spot in the West, but have a couple of games in hand to try and make their play-in spot into an automatic one.
Jack Collins here from The Game Day to look at a matchup between two sides who haven’t met in Philadelphia since the 2019 season on a rescheduled Matchday 27 in Major League Soccer, happening on Wednesday, Sept. 27.
Philadelphia Union vs FC Dallas Odds
Philadelphia Union vs FC Dallas betting lines are current as of Monday, Sept. 25, at 10 a.m. ET at bet365 Sportsbook.
- 3-Way Moneyline: Philadelphia (-150) • Tie (+275) • Dallas (+400)
- Total Goals: Over 2.5 (-134) • Under 2.5 (+105)
- Both Teams To Score: Yes (-134) • No (+100)
Philadelphia Union vs FC Dallas Match Prediction
Philadelphia Union 2:0 FC Dallas
Some people will look at Philadelphia Union’s three draws in their last three games and say that they’re four unbeaten in MLS. Others will point to them as three games without a win. That’s the two sides of the coin in this game, but nobody can say that Subaru Park is an easy place to come.
Philly have lost just once on home soil in this campaign, and that was back in March to Orlando City, when they went down 2-1 after the Lions scored twice in the opening ten minutes of the game.
Otherwise, Subaru Park has been something of a fortress, with Philadelphia Union picking up 31 of their 49 points this season at home. They’ve conceded just 10 times in 14 home matches whilst scoring at a rate of over two goals a game, so earning a home playoff spot will be high up on manager Jim Curtin’s wishlist for his team.
The form of attacking trio Mikael Uhre, Dániel Gazdag, and Julián Carranza is key to making that a reality. The three Designated Players have combined to produce 33 goals and 18 assists this season, and so much of Philly’s attacking prowess is unleashed when the three are able to combine effectively.
But with Philadelphia Union’s schedule looking incredibly difficult as the run-in hits its peak - they travel to Columbus after this before hosting Atlanta United and Nashville SC, before finishing away at New England Revolution - this will be a game they have to target in order to try to lock in their spot in the East’s top four.
And FC Dallas are fundamentally not great on their travels, even if they picked up a huge win over Real Salt Lake the last time they hit the road. They’ve picked up just three wins and four draws from their 14 away games this season, keeping just three clean sheets in that time.
Goalkeeper Maarten Paes has conceded at least once in each of his last eight MLS away games with Dallas, so even with Philly drawing a blank on the scoreboard against LAFC at the weekend. You would be hard-pressed to imagine them going back-to-back games without getting themselves a goal.
Dallas does, though, often get on the scoresheet - the last time anybody shut FC Dallas out was back in Georgia at the start of July when Atlanta United kept them at arm’s length. The ability and form of Jesús Ferreira, who has registered four goal contributions in four games since coming back from international duty at the start of September, has kept them in the postseason hunt.
They currently sit above the line for the play-in spots, in ninth, and this will be the first of two games in hand on San Jose Earthquakes above them, who are two points ahead and level with Vancouver in the final automatic qualification spot.
But, with Sporting Kansas City just a point behind, and Minnesota United breathing down their necks, too, there’s nothing guaranteed in the West.
Every game matters and Dallas will have to turn their road form around at an incredibly difficult ground in order to give themselves some breathing space.
There’s too much at stake for Philly to allow them to do that freely, so another home win for Philadelphia Union looks like it might well be on the cards.
Philadelphia Union vs FC Dallas Best Bets
Both Teams To Score: No (+100) • bet365 Sportsbook
Against LAFC at the weekend, the Philadelphia Union didn’t allow the Black & Gold a single shot on target, and just two efforts at all, contributing to Andre Blake’s first clean sheet in MLS since the start of June. While LAFC are not quite the force they were last season, it’s still an impressive shutout and an indicator of Philly’s improving defensive solidity.
Philadelphia Union to Win (-150) • bet365 Sportsbook
The Playoff spot might be secure, but Philadelphia Union have a chance to go second in the East and start to get a really firm grip on a home tie in the MLS Audi Cup Playoffs. That’s an opportunity that you’d back them to take, especially with their home record at Subaru Park.
