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New York Red Bulls vs Philadelphia Union match preview: date, venue & prediction

The next New York Red Bulls match is a high-stakes Eastern Conference clash against Philadelphia Union in the Major League Soccer Regular Season. The two sides meet at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison on 29 August 2026, with kick-off scheduled for 23:30 UTC. This New York Red Bulls vs Philadelphia Union preview looks at kick-off time, venue, standings, form, head to head and prediction.

With the season into the later rounds, this fixture matters for both clubs’ playoff ambitions. New York Red Bulls sit 8th in the Eastern Conference, currently in a position described as “Promotion - MLS (Play Offs: 1/16-finals)”, while Philadelphia Union are down in 13th and chasing ground. Recent form trends and a strong head-to-head record for Union add extra edge as fans look ahead to when New York Red Bulls play next at home.

Match details: date, kick-off & venue

  • Competition: Major League Soccer, Regular Season - 22
  • Date / Kick-off: 2026-08-29T23:30:00Z
  • Venue: Sports Illustrated Stadium, Harrison
  • Status: Not Started (Fixture has not started yet)

Standings & form

New York Red Bulls come into this game ranked 8th in the Eastern Conference with 26 points from 21 matches. Their overall record stands at 7 wins, 5 draws and 9 defeats, with a goal difference of -12 (31 scored, 43 conceded). At home, they have played 11 times, recording 4 wins, 3 draws and 4 losses, scoring 17 and conceding 20. Their recent form line in the league reads DLLWL, underlining an inconsistent run heading into this showdown.

Philadelphia Union are currently 13th in the Eastern Conference on 21 points after 21 games. Their record is 5 wins, 6 draws and 10 defeats, with a goal difference of -7 (31 scored, 38 conceded). Away from home, Union have played 11 matches, posting 2 wins, 2 draws and 7 losses, scoring 19 and conceding 27. However, their recent form string of DDWWW shows a clear upturn, with an unbeaten five-game stretch that contrasts sharply with their earlier struggles.

From the broader season statistics, New York Red Bulls have managed just 1 clean sheet in league play and have failed to score 5 times, highlighting defensive vulnerability and some attacking inconsistency. They have converted 1 penalty from 1 this season. Discipline-wise, they have picked up multiple yellow cards across all phases of matches and have received 2 red cards.

Philadelphia Union have been slightly more solid defensively at times, with 3 clean sheets recorded. They have also failed to score 5 times. From the spot, Union have taken 4 penalties, scoring 3 and missing 1. They consistently line up in a 4-4-2 formation across their 21 league games and, like Red Bulls, have accumulated a notable number of yellow cards plus 4 red cards, underlining how physical and intense their matches can be.

Head-to-head

  • 2026-07-22: Philadelphia Union 3–1 New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)
  • 2025-08-16: New York Red Bulls 1–0 Philadelphia Union (Major League Soccer)
  • 2025-08-13: Philadelphia Union 3–2 New York Red Bulls (US Open Cup)
  • 2025-07-12: Philadelphia Union 2–0 New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)
  • 2024-08-31: New York Red Bulls 0–2 Philadelphia Union (Major League Soccer)
  • 2024-07-06: Philadelphia Union 0–0 New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)
  • 2023-09-03: Philadelphia Union 4–1 New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)
  • 2023-08-09: Philadelphia Union 1–1 New York Red Bulls (Leagues Cup)
  • 2023-05-06: New York Red Bulls 0–1 Philadelphia Union (Major League Soccer)
  • 2022-09-03: New York Red Bulls 0–2 Philadelphia Union (Major League Soccer)

The head-to-head record heavily favors Philadelphia Union across these ten meetings. Union have taken multiple league wins both home and away, including the most recent clash, a 3–1 home victory in July 2026. New York Red Bulls have managed just one win in this sequence, a narrow 1–0 home success in August 2025, while there have been a handful of draws, including a goalless encounter at Subaru Park in July 2024 and a 1–1 draw in the Leagues Cup in 2023. Overall, Union’s dominance in this rivalry adds extra psychological weight heading into the latest showdown in Harrison.

Team news & absences

For New York Red Bulls, there are several key team news and injury updates ahead of kick-off. A. Marcucci is listed as Missing Fixture due to a Knee Injury, ruling him out of this match. In addition, C. Cowell is Questionable with an Injury, and R. Mosquera is also Questionable because of a Thigh Injury. Their availability will be important to monitor closer to match day, as Red Bulls look to strengthen their squad options against a Union side in good form.

Key players to watch

  • M. Iloski (Philadelphia Union) — 10 goals, 2 assists in Major League Soccer 2026

Prediction

The data-driven New York Red Bulls vs Philadelphia Union prediction leans towards the visitors avoiding defeat. The model’s percentages give New York Red Bulls 10%, draw 45%, and Philadelphia Union 45%. The recommended advice is a “Double chance: draw or Philadelphia Union”, reflecting Union’s stronger recent form, superior head-to-head record and improved performances over their last five matches. While Red Bulls have home advantage and a playoff-position standing, the analytics suggest that Philadelphia Union are well placed to take at least a point from Sports Illustrated Stadium.

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