Philadelphia Union vs. New York Red Bulls | MLS Match Preview

#PHIvNY: Red Bulls going for revenge after Open Cup loss | 7 pm ET, MLS LIVE

Philadelphia Union vs. New York Red Bulls, August 1, 2015

Philadelphia Union vs. New York Red Bulls
PPL Park, Chester, Pa.
Aug. 1, 2015 (MLS Game #215)
7 pm ET (MLS LIVE, CSN-PHI, MSG)

The Philadelphia Union and the New York Red Bulls renew their I-95 rivalry for a third time this season when the clubs face off at PPL Park on Saturday evening. The Union fell to a second loss in a row last weekend when D.C. United came back for a 3-2 win at RFK Stadium, leaving Philadelphia two points out of the final playoff position. The Red Bulls return to action after a weekend away from league play, their last MLS match a 2-0 win at Orlando City.


  • C.J. Sapong scored the fastest goal in Union club history at 20 seconds, and their two goals in the opening four minutes matched the fourth-fastest pair of goals from the start of a game in MLS history, but Philadelphia still went down to a second consecutive defeat in a 3-2 loss at D.C. United.
  • The Red Bulls have won back-to-back league games and four of their last five MLS contests after a 2-0 win at Orlando City on July 18.
  • The teams are meeting for the second time this season in league play. Vincent Nogueira and C.J. Sapong scored goals five minutes apart to lead the Union to a 2-0 win May 24 at Red Bull Arena.
  • The teams also met in an epic US Open Cup quarterfinal on July 21 at Red Bull Arena. Mike Grella scored for the Red Bulls deep in stoppage time to cancel out an Eric Ayuk goal and eventually send the match to a penalty shootout, but Philadelphia advanced despite playing 80 minutes a man down.
  • Both teams have added signings with World Cup experience, with Philadelphia's Tranquillo Barnetta (Switzerland) and the Red Bulls' Shaun Wright-Phillips (England) both available to make their MLS debuts on Saturday.


DOWNLOAD FULL GAME GUIDE (PDF)

REFEREE: Armando Villarreal. AR1 (bench): Craig Lowry; AR2 (opposite): Scott Kachmarik; 4th: Nima Saghafi
Villarreal MLS Career: 56 games; FC/gm: 22.8; Y/gm: 2.7; R: 16; pens: 13


SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: NYR: Felipe Martins, Damian Perrinelle
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: PHI: Vincent Nogueira, Eric Ayuk Mbu … NYR: Sacha Kljestan, Chris Duvall
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none


HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (14 meetings): Union 5 wins, 18 goals …Red Bulls 7 wins, 19 goals … Ties 2
AT PPL PARK (7 meetings): Union 4 wins, 13 goals … Red Bulls 2 wins, 10 goals … Ties 1


Related content:

Union lose influential Nogueira to injury: "This is the worst moment of the season"
Biggest signing in club history? Union land their high-profile center mid in Barnetta
Red Bulls happy to add to attack with Shaun Wright-Phillips: "It became an easy decision"
CHECK OUT THE INJURY REPORT HEADING INTO THE MATCH
CHECK OUT THE DISCIPLINARY REPORT HEADING INTO THE MATCH