Match Preview: Union Seek First Points of 2026 Against Unbeaten San Jose Earthquakes

Carnell praises San Jose's organization and transition threats while noting returning players and potential debut for new signing Philippe Ndinga

(Credit: Philadelphia Union)

The Philadelphia Union (0-2-0, 0 points) are coming off a 2-1 loss to New York City FC, marking their second defeat of the early MLS season. This is the first time since 2019 that the Union have started 0-2-0. They will welcome the San Jose Earthquakes (2-0-0, 6 points) to Subaru Park this Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET / Apple TV), with the visitors entering as one of four teams yet to concede a goal this season.

Against D.C. United, the Union were shut out 1-0 and managed only three shots on target from 12 attempts overall. None seriously troubled the opposition, and clear chances were scarce. In the loss to NYCFC last weekend, the Union generated more volume: 16 shots, including five on target—improvements over the opener. The game featured several promising transition moments where the team was just a pass or two away from capitalizing, but those opportunities ultimately went unrealized.

“We’re just missing a little bit of that—final third creativity, chemistry, alignment,” said head coach Bradley Carnell regarding the team’s offensive production. “I’d rather be in a good spot and not get that result right now but knowing that the process is in motion that we like. If I was scratching my head at midfield and thinking how do we get progress forwards, this would be a way that makes me more concerned. But looking the other way, I do see a lot of positive things we are doing now and I think about the momentum shifts that we had in terms of final third entries against NYC.”

It remains very early in the season for the Union, who have been hampered by injuries and a congested schedule. Bruno Damiani missed two preseason games while securing his green card, and the team has had limited training days to build chemistry and integrate new pieces amid back-to-back matches in the Concacaf Champions Cup and MLS. This week marked the first full training week, and Carnell highlighted preparations for San Jose, including targeted video sessions to address transitional vulnerabilities and the team’s dedicated Wednesday philosophy sessions—which consistently deliver high-quality, competitive training. After glimpses of strong play in closed environments during preseason camps in Spain and Clearwater, the focus now shifts to translating that into consistent, accountable matchday performances amid the ongoing learning curve.

“We’ve seen so many things in training and now it’s just about the group bringing it to life, bringing it together and putting it on display for everyone to see because we’ve seen it in abundance in closed training environments, closed game environments in Spain and in Clearwater and what have you, but we just want to make sure we step up onto the page and everyone assumes and takes that responsibility. And ready for that challenge. But we’ve had some great learning moments, which is good because when we get under pressure, that’s the time when we’re learning, when we train in a really tough environment. And it’s great watching the guys go through moments where struggle happens, but then you see learning happening too, which is really good as a development club and as a development team right now. We’re in a phase of really learning, and that’s the enjoyable part.”

The Union have an opportunity to apply those sessions against the Earthquakes, who have started the season strongly with wins in their first two matches. San Jose has scored five goals (two from set pieces) while conceding none. It’s somewhat surprising given the departures of key players like Cristian Arango, Josef Martínez, and Cristian Espinoza, though the club hasn’t added a massive influx of new faces. Most notably, they signed former RB Leipzig forward Timo Werner, who made his debut last week with an assist against Atlanta United.

Carnell praised San Jose’s acquisition of the 30-year-old German but wasn’t fixated on whether Werner would start. Instead, he highlighted the Earthquakes’ dangers in transition and on set pieces.

“They’re very dangerous in transition with Ricketts and Bouda. And then I think Preston Judd has a bit of versatility,” Carnell said. “He can hold up the play or he can run in behind. Whether Werner plays or not, I’m not sure. That’s something I can’t control. But they’re a lot more organized. They conceded a ton last year and now they’re one of the lowest shot-conceding teams in the league. So they have a good structure. They have a solid centerback pairing with Roberts and Daniel Munie. And then set pieces—from the first game, 3-0 against Sporting, they scored two set pieces. So there’s a lot of that that we have to look at and, they do possess certain qualities in transition. They’re right now a very organized team and we shouldn’t expect anything less from Bruce.”

Last season, San Jose tied Atlanta United for the third-most goals conceded in MLS (63). They also started 2-0 last year, outscoring opponents 6-1, before things cooled off. It remains to be seen whether history repeats itself after this Saturday.

Carnell provided a positive injury update: Jovan Lukic, Frankie Westfield, and Finn Sundstrom—all sidelined recently—have trained without issues this week, bolstering the squad’s depth and fitness. The only confirmed absence is Olwethu Makhanya, who received a red card (double yellow for dissent) against NYCFC. Carnell has flexibility at centerback, with Nathan Harriel an option having experience there, or natural centerback Geiner Martínez. He declined to reveal his starting choice.

Carnell also noted that left back Philippe Ndinga would arrive in Chester later Thursday for medicals and paperwork. There’s potential for him to join the matchday squad Saturday.

“He’s raring to go, but there’s a bit of paperwork to get through. There’s a bit of medical stuff to get through, but it’s all in the right process and in the right direction. And, if push comes to shove, we can get him squad ready potentially. But I don’t want to just make a claim like that just yet.”

With a full week of training under their belt, returning players, and a new signing potentially available, the Union are positioned to turn the page. A strong home performance against a confident but unfamiliar San Jose side could spark the momentum needed to climb out of this early slump for a team who are looking to get back to their Supporters’ Shield standards.

Video Credit: Philadelphia Union