Philadelphia Union Prep for Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Semifinals

The Philadelphia Union became the first Eastern Conference club to secure a 2025 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs berth after defeating FC Cincinnati two weeks ago. The win marked the seventh time in eight years that the Union will appear in postseason play, becoming the second team in Major League Soccer to clinch a postseason berth alongside its Western Conference rival, the San Diego FC.

Featuring a rotated squad in preparation for the U.S. Open Cup Semifinal on Tuesday, Sept. 16, the Philadelphia Union fell to the Vancouver Whitecaps FC, 7-0, on Saturday, Sept. 13.

"We have enough reps of the 29 previous occasions where we've been very competitive," Head Coach Bradley Carnell said during the postgame press conference. "Today, we lost the battle. It's one of those days where the sun sets and tomorrow the sun rises again. We move on. You know, no time to dwell on it. We have a game on Tuesday. Just unfortunate, but we'll accept this in the right way. We'll learn from this in the right way. And we'll make sure we'll bounce back."

Saturday's matchup was an unforgettable one for Union homegrown Neil Pierre. The 17-year-old center back entered in the 70th minute of the match for his MLS debut.

The Boys in Blue turn their attention to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Semifinals in a battle with Nashville SC on Tuesday. Kickoff from Nashville is set for 8 p.m. Eastern with coverage on CBS Sports Network and Paramount Plus.