Venue: Subaru Park — Chester, Pennsylvania
Kickoff: 7:30 PM ET
Surface: Natural grass
Capacity: ~18,500
Venue profile — Subaru Park
Subaru Park sits on the Delaware River and is traditionally one of the more difficult places to visit in MLS when the Union are in form. Even in a down year, the stadium offers:
Tight, compact sightlines that amplify crowd noise.
Wind influence off the river, which can affect long balls and crosses.
Good grass surface that supports both pressing and possession styles.
For this matchup, the Union’s poor form shifts the psychological edge toward the Red Bulls, but the venue still offers a subtle home advantage.
Weather forecast — Chester, PA
Temperature: 80–83°F
Humidity: 60–70%
Wind: 8–12 mph from the southwest (river influence)
Conditions: Partly cloudy, low chance of rain
Impact: Mild conditions, slightly breezy—good for high‑energy pressing and transitions.
Team Form & Statistical Profile
New York Red Bulls (6‑5‑4)
Record: 6 wins, 5 draws, 4 losses Last 5 Matches: W‑D‑L‑W‑D Goals For: 21 Goals Against: 18 Home Record: 4‑2‑1
Team Identity
High press
Vertical transitions
Strong defensive structure
Young, energetic midfield
Excellent home form
Philadelphia Union (1‑10‑4)
Record: 1 win, 10 draws, 4 losses Last 5 Matches: L‑D‑L‑D‑L Goals For: 14 Goals Against: 29 Away Record: 0‑5‑2
Team Identity
Struggling defensively
Poor midfield cohesion
Heavy reliance on Julian Carranza & Daniel Gazdag
Vulnerable to high press
Worst form in MLS 2026 so far
Injury Reports
New York Red Bulls
Lewis Morgan (FW): Day‑to‑day — groin
Emil Forsberg (MF): Questionable — calf
Sean Nealis (CB): Out — knee
Cameron Harper (WB): Day‑to‑day — ankle
Philadelphia Union
Andre Blake (GK): Out — shoulder
Jack Elliott (CB): Out — hamstring
Kai Wagner (LB): Day‑to‑day — hip
José Martínez (DM): Suspended
Quinn Sullivan (MF): Out — ankle
Philadelphia’s absences are severe, especially Blake, Elliott, and Martínez.
Projected Starting Lineups
New York Red Bulls (4‑2‑3‑1)
GK: Carlos Coronel
DEF: Duncan – Reyes – Risa – Tolkin
MID: Edelman – Amaya
AM: Morgan* – Forsberg* – Manoel
FW: Vanzeir
(*If Morgan or Forsberg sit, Wiki Carmona and Peter Stroud start)
Philadelphia Union (4‑3‑1‑2)
GK: Oliver Semmle
DEF: Harriel – Glesnes – Lowe – Wagner*
MID: Bedoya – Flach – Bueno
AM: Gazdag
FW: Carranza – Uhre
(*If Wagner sits, Real starts at LB)
Key Player vs Player Matchups
1. Daniel Gazdag (PHI) vs Frankie Amaya (RBNY)
Gazdag is Philadelphia’s most dangerous creator; Amaya is Red Bulls’ best ball‑winning midfielder.
Gazdag thrives in half‑spaces
Amaya excels at disrupting play
Red Bulls’ press can suffocate Gazdag
Edge: Amaya — matchup heavily favors RBNY.
2. Tolkin (RBNY) vs Carranza (PHI)
Carranza is Union’s top scorer; Tolkin is one of MLS’s best defensive fullbacks.
Tolkin’s recovery speed neutralizes Carranza’s diagonal runs
Carranza struggles when isolated
Edge: Tolkin
3. Vanzeir (RBNY) vs Glesnes (PHI)
Vanzeir’s movement vs Glesnes’ physical defending.
Vanzeir thrives in chaos created by the press
Glesnes must cover more ground without Elliott
Edge: Vanzeir
Recent Team Trends
New York Red Bulls
2‑2‑1 in last five
Scoring 1.6 goals per match
Conceding 1.2 goals per match
4‑2‑1 at home
Pressing metrics among top 5 in MLS
Philadelphia Union
0‑3‑2 in last five
Scoring 0.8 goals per match
Conceding 2.0 goals per match
0‑5‑2 away
Worst defensive form in MLS
Series History
All‑time MLS meetings: Philadelphia leads 17‑10‑8
At Red Bull Arena: RBNY leads 7‑6‑4
Last 5 meetings: PHI 3‑1‑1
However: Philadelphia has never entered this fixture with such poor form
Betting Trends
Red Bulls home ML: 6‑2 in last 8
Union away ML: 0‑7 in last 7
Over 2.5 goals:
RBNY home: 6 of last 10
PHI away: 7 of last 10
BTTS:
RBNY: 5 of last 10
PHI: 4 of last 10
MATCH ODDS
New York Red Bulls + 345
Philadelphia Union – 140
Draw + 340
Over 3 – 135 Under 3 + 115
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Tuesday, July 21, 2026
