Philadelphia Union and Los Angeles FC will meet in MLS in a highly-anticipated cross conference encounter at Subaru Park on Saturday night.
Philadelphia performed the exact reverse on Wednesday night against Charlotte as they turned in a superb show of fighting spirit at the Bank of America Stadium. The Union Zolos came from 2-0 down to salvage a point, exactly what FC Cincinnati did to the hosts last weekend.
Nevertheless, with that draw, Jim Curtin's men not only secured a berth in the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs, but have now gone unbeaten in six of their last seven matches MLS matches (4W, 2D), and will be looking to finish their regular campaign in a strong fashion.
Defending MLS Cup winners Los Angeles FC, meanwhile, will be looking to turn their post-Leagues Cup record around in order to prepare for the playoffs.
The Los Angeles outfit returned to the league action with a thumping 4-0 win over Colorado. However, later, they lost three straight games, losing 1-2 to Charlotte, 1-3 against Inter Miami, and 2-0 in their last away outing against Portland Timbers. They did register a 4-2 win over LA Galaxy in El Trafico, but could only eke out a goalless draw against Western Conference leaders St. Louis in their last fixture.
Here GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
Philadelphia vs Los Angeles kick-off time
| Date: | September 23, 2023 |
| Kick-off time: | 7:30pm ET/ 4:30pm PT |
| Venue: | Subaru Park |
How to watch Philadelphia vs Los Angeles online - TV channels & live streams
The game will be available to watch and stream worldwide on Apple TV, through the MLS Season Pass. Fans who cannot watch the game can follow the live updates on GOAL, while highlights of the game will be uploaded to the official MLS YouTube channel.
Team news & squads
Philadelphia team news
Philadelphia Union will be missing German midfielder Leon Flach, who has missed the last two games due to an abdominal issue. Jose Martinez was forced off with a hamstring pull midway through the game against Charlotte on Wednesday night and the Colombian midfielder is a doubt for this match.
After missing the trip to Charlotte, Jack Elliot is back from his one-game ban and could return to the starting XI straightaway alongside Jacob Glesnes at the heart of central defence.
Talismanic Hungarian attacking midfielder Daniel Gazdag and Argentine forward Julian Carranza will be looking to add more to the score tally after a prolific year for the club. Gazdag, in particular, has been the most valuable player for the club this season, and scored his 13th goal of the campaign via a 97th-minute penalty against Charlotte FC in the last game.
Philadelphia Union possible XI: Blake; Mbaizo, Glesnes, Elliot, Wagner; Bedoya, McGlynn, Bueno; Gazdag, Donovan, Baribo
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Blake, Bendik |
| Defenders: | Real, Mbaizo, Elliot, Glesnes, Lowe, Harriel, Wagner |
| Midfielders: | Gazdag, McGlynn, Perea, Odada, Bedoya, Rafanello, Flach, Bueno |
| Forwards: | Uhre, Carranza, Torres, Baribo, Donovan |
Los Angeles FC team news
Los Angeles FC's Steven Cherundolo has no new injury concerns and could name a full-strength starting XI against Philadelphia Union, with star striker Carlos Vela starting from the get-go here.
Gabonese winger Denis Bouanga has been a handful in the ongoing season. With 14 goals from 26 appearances to his name, he is the joint-leading goal scorer in the 2023 MLS season alongside Nashville SC’s Hany Mukhtar.
LAFC will also rely on Mexican forward Vela to produce the goods in the final third, having netted nine times and assisted seven goals in 29 appearances.
Los Angeles FC possible XI: Crepeau; Hollingshead, Murillo, Chiellini, Palencia; Acosta, Sanchez, Tillman; Olivera, Vela, Bouanga
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Crepeau, McCarthy, A. Romero |
| Defenders: | Long, Murillo, Chiellini, Maldonado, Leone, J. Romero, Dollenmayer, Palacios, Hollingshead, Avila, Rodriguez, Palencia, Gaines, Rosales |
| Midfielders: | Acosta, Sanchez, Crisostomo, Moyado, Cifuentes, Tillman, Duenas, Jaime, Bogusz, Malle, Batioja, Maia, Opoku |
| Forwards: | Gonzalez, Ordaz, Subah, Aguirre, Biuk, Vela, Torres, Olivera, Bouanga |
Head-to-Head Record
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 3/5/23 | Los Angeles FC 3-0 Philadelphia | CONCACAF Champions League |
| 27/4/23 | Los Angeles FC 1-1 Philadelphia | CONCACAF Champions League |
| 5/11/22 | Los Angeles FC 3-3 Philadelphia | MLS Play-Offs |
| 8/5/22 | Los Angeles FC 2-2 Philadelphia | MLS |
| 9/3/20 | Los Angeles FC 3-3 Philadelphia | MLS |