Bradley Carnell and the Philadelphia Union claim second Supporters' Shield in franchise history with win over rival NYCFC

This is the second Shield in the Union's history, with the first coming in the pandemic-impacted 2020 campaign. The team picked up its 66th point of the season with one match remaining, creating a insurmountable lead. Bradley Carnell’s side will enjoy home-field advantage through the MLS Cup Final on Dec. 6 - should they reach that stage.

The Union will open their playoff campaign against the East Wild Card winner (No. 8 vs. No. 9 seed). Their Round 1 best-of-three series begins in late October, with the full postseason schedule to be announced at a later date.

Philadelphia will also play in the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup.

The Union's win also pushed their rival NYCFC out of the home playoff spots, as the Pigeons now sit fifth. 

Not much was expected from Philadelphia when they kicked off the season. They fired successful manager Jim Curtin after the 2024 season and moved on from stars and veterans who had helped them in previous campaigns. Yet, the hire of Carnell proved to be instrumental.

He got the best of players who previously struggled, including Tai Baribo, who became an All-Star this year.  He also installed a successful defensive approach for the team. The Union have conceded 33 goals this season, the fewest in MLS. 

There are some similarities between the Union's 2020 and 2025 sides, yet some major differences. Philadelphia's average points per game in 2020 was 2.04, nearly identical to their two points per game this season. 

The 2020 side played 11 fewer matches than the 2025 squad, though. Baribo was this year's top scorer with 16 goals, while Kacper Przybyłko was the 2020 leader at eight. Several current USMNT players were on that 2020 team, including Brenden Aaronson, Matt Freese, and Mark McKenzie.