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The Union visits Foxborough with an eye on Mexico City

The CCL match this week takes some edge off the current Supporters’ Shield winners hosting the shield holders

By Matthew Ralph
Morgan Tencza / SPP

It’s Concacaf Champions League week for the Philadelphia Union, but first they need to visit Foxborough to take on the current Supporters’ Shield leaders.

Ordinarily a game like this in August would have major billing, but with the priority being a respectable showing in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal against Club America in Mexico City on Thursday it’s understandable that head coach Jim Curtin isn’t treating it as such.

“Champions League is priority number one but we’re certainly going to put a very strong team out on the field against New England to try to get points,” Curtin said.

That hints to at least a couple regulars be dropped from the starting XI like he did when Kacper Przybylko, Kai Wagner and Leon Flach in the game before the first leg at Atlanta in the quarterfinals.

Stuart Findlay, who has played just once this season, would be a strong candidate to start along with one of the homegrown midfielders — Quinn Sullivan and Jack McGlynn — who have made spot starts this season.

While it’s understandable the desire some fans have to see Curtin throw in a lineup of mostly reserves, getting a result in New England would still serve a couple purposes: improving their position in the standings and continuing the momentum in the team after a 3-0 shellacking of Toronto at home on Wednesday night.

“Regardless of who’s on the field (in New England), whether we rotate a couple guys here or there we want to play the same way and look the same in that game, and then build even more confidence going into a huge game at the Azteca,” Curtin said.

How to Watch

The match kicks off at 6:08 p.m. and will be broadcast live on PHL17 and PhiladelphiaUnion.com locally and on ESPN+ for out of market fans.

Officials

Referee: Armando Villarreal
Ast. Referee 1: Kevin Klinger
Ast. Referee 2: Matthew Nelson
Fourth official: Joshua Encarnación
VAR: Jorge Gonzalez
Ast. VAR: Jonathan Johnson

Injury Report

New England Revolution

  • OUT: Luis Caicedo (lower body)
  • QUESTIONABLE: Jon Bell (lower body)
  • QUESTIONABLE: Carles Gil (undisclosed)

Philadelphia Union

  • OUT: Alves Powell (hamstring)
  • QUESTIONABLE: Jack de Vries (concussion protocol)
  • QUESTIONABLE: Anthony Fontana (concussion protocol)
  • QUESTIONABLE: Cory Burke (hamstring strain)

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