By Jawn Kruk | Side Jawn Sports
October 14, 2026
Philadelphia loves to call itself a sports town. We can spend an entire afternoon arguing about one Eagles play, one Phillies pitching change, or whether somebody looked miserable walking to the bench.
Meanwhile, the Union are making club history, and it still feels like we aren’t making nearly enough noise about it.
Thirteen straight MLS matches without a loss. Seven consecutive wins. An 11-0-2 record during the unbeaten run.
What the hell else do they have to do to get our attention?
This isn’t me saying there’s literally no coverage. It’s me saying this story deserves a much bigger place in the Philly sports conversation. A team pulls itself out of the basement and starts stacking wins like this, we should be talking about it with some damn excitement.
This turnaround deserves more respect
The Union were last in the league at the World Cup break. Now they head into tonight’s match sixth in the Eastern Conference with 42 points.
During the 13-match streak, they’ve outscored opponents 38-15. That’s a plus-23 goal difference, and 35 points out of a possible 39.
They aren’t just surviving. They’re giving themselves a chance to turn a miserable start into a season people remember for something much better.
Interim head coach Ryan Richter deserves serious credit. He became the first coach in MLS history to start his head coaching career unbeaten through 13 regular-season matches.
Keep the distinction straight: this is the Union’s club-record unbeaten streak, with a separate MLS record for Richter’s start. It isn’t the league’s longest unbeaten run ever.
But it’s still historic. And if Philly wins tonight, the Union become only the third club in the post-shootout era to win eight straight matches in a single MLS season.
That deserves more than a quick mention between arguments about the other teams.
The guys driving this thing:
Cavan Sullivan is giving people plenty of reasons to watch. At 17, he’s already September’s MLS Player of the Month and has earned eight Team of the Matchday selections this season. My favorite part is that he’s producing while this team is chasing meaningful points. The hype is fun. Helping your club win is better.
Milan Iloski is the finisher this run needs. He has 17 league goals and six assists, with five goals in his last three matches. When your striker is rolling like that, every decent attacking move feels like it could become a problem for the other team.
Bruno Damiani deserves his share of the spotlight, too. His opener against Real Salt Lake was his ninth goal of the season and eighth since play resumed after the World Cup break. Having another scorer alongside Iloski makes this attack a hell of a lot more interesting.
Frankie Westfield and Neil Pierre also belong in this conversation. Both have made their USMNT debuts, and both started in the back line against Salt Lake. Watching academy players become important first-team contributors is one of the best reasons to follow this club.
And Andre Blake still matters. He made an important second-half save against Salt Lake while the Union were protecting a one-goal lead. For all the excitement up front, somebody has to handle the moments when the other team punches back.
Tonight: a real test in Chicago
The Union visit Chicago Fire at Soldier Field tonight, Wednesday, October 14, at 8:30 p.m. Eastern on Apple TV.
Chicago sits third in the East with 48 points, six ahead of Philly, and has won three straight. The Fire can clinch a playoff berth with a victory tonight.
So forget the idea that the Union are walking into an easy eighth straight win.
Robert Lewandowski gives Chicago a dangerous target in the box. Maren Haile-Selassie has 10 goals and 10 assists, and former Union defender Jack Elliott is now a leader in the Fire’s defense.
My three keys are pretty simple…
First, make Lewandowski work for everything. Pressure the service and track his movement. Letting a striker like that find comfortable space is asking for a long night.
Second, keep attacking with purpose. I want Sullivan involved and Iloski and Damiani getting opportunities. Respect Chicago, but give their defense something to worry about.
Third, stay composed when the match gets ugly. A road game against a playoff contender will bring stretches where Philly has to defend, slow things down, and make smart decisions.
My pick is a 2-1 Union win. That’s a prediction, not a promise. Chicago can absolutely test them.
But I’m backing this team to keep the run alive.
And whether you watch every week or haven’t paid much attention yet, tonight is a good time to tune in.
The Union have earned a louder conversation in this city. Let’s give them one.
DOOP.
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