The Philadelphia Union resume their 2023 Concacaf Champions League campaign Tuesday evening when hosting Liga MX side Atlas FC for a quarterfinal leg-one matchup before the return fixture arrives April 12 in Guadalajara, Mexico.
How to watch and stream
- English: FS1
- Spanish: TUDN
When
- Tuesday, April 4 | 8 pm ET/5 pm PT
Where
- Subaru Park | Chester, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, the 2022 MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield runner-up, are looking to become the second consecutive MLS team to win a CCL title after Seattle Sounders FC’s historic conquest last spring. Should the Union accomplish that, they’ll book a spot in the expanded 2025 FIFA Club World Cup that’ll include four Concacaf representatives among the 32 teams overall.
The winner of this series matchup will face either LAFC or Vancouver Whitecaps FC, potentially leading to an all-MLS semifinal series in late April and early May. Three of the league's five 2023 CCL entrants are left standing.
Round of 16
Need to know
Philadelphia, a CCL semifinalist in 2021, took care of business during their Round of 16 second leg. Now a step up in competition awaits, and they'll need to shake an uncharacteristic 0W-2L-1D stretch in league play while entering on short rest. They're eighth in the Eastern Conference table with a 2W-3L-1D record through Matchday 6.
The Union received a big boost in last weekend's 0-0 draw with Sporting Kansas City, as 2022 MLS Allstate Goalkeeper of the Year Andre Blake returned from a groin injury. So while there's an injury question mark around 2022 MLS Best XI presented by Continental Tire left back Kai Wagner, the Jamaican international shot-stopper's health considerably boosts Philly's continental aspirations.
Head coach Jim Curtin has indicated the Union will implement a "couple of changes" against Atlas, perhaps a nod to their wintertime roster-building strategy of acquiring MLS-experienced pieces. The homegrown and club-developed lanes are also calling cards of a Union side that punches above their weight budget-wise.
If the attacking trident of midfielder Dániel Gazdag and strikers Julián Carranza and Mikael Uhre kicks into gear, the Union could set themselves up nicely for next week's away leg.
Round of 16
Need to know
Atlas needed a heroic second-leg performance from Julián Quiñones to avoid a historic Roud-of-16 upset vs. Olimpia, as the Colombian forward scored twice to help book their CCL quarterfinal ticket. That came after Julio Furch's leg-one penalty kick offered an air of respectability despite the 4-1 hole Atlas had to overcome.
Currently 12th in the Liga MX Clausura table, Atlas haven't fully rebounded after a 17th-place finish in the Liga MX Apertura table. They've regressed from the heights of their trophy-filled 2021-22 campaign, which preceded former manager Diego Cocca taking over the Mexican national team after he briefly led Tigres UANL.
Despite their struggles, Philadelphia certainly won't overlook Atlas – especially the final-third threat that Quiñones and Furch bring. They've also got left back Luis Reyes on the fringes of El Tri, and goalkeeper Camilo Vargas has boatloads of experience.
Atlas, who lost the 2022 Campeones Cup to New York City FC, are hoping to keep the scoreline close or even snatch an away goal. CCL series are determined first by aggregate score, then by away goals and then by penalty kicks (if needed).
