New York City Football Club are in the Bronx this weekend for a game against Philadelphia Union.
For this edition of 'The Away End' presented by Berkeley College & Rennert International, we spoke to Matthew Ralph, a writer with Union blog the Brotherly Game.
What have you made of the Club's start to the 2022 season?
The Union are off to their best start in club history and while it’s only three games the fact that they have seven points not playing their best soccer (and not having Mikael Uhre available to start) is a positive sign that the momentum they took into the playoffs last year is continuing. If they’re able to keep rolling and get a result in the Bronx it will serve as notice to the league.
Last season, the teams met four times, what did you make of those match ups?
They were all entertaining and hard fought matches between two of the top teams in the league. Playing at Yankee Stadium is always a tough test so closing out the season with a draw wasn’t the worst result and I thought the Union played one of their best games of the season in the 1-0 win at home. Even with a lot of absences the Eastern Conference final was a tight battle.
What are you expecting from Saturday's game?
The Union are playing really well even without their biggest off-season acquisition and Julian Carranza coming back from suspension will be a chance to watch him go up against fellow countryman Taty Castellanos. Both teams defend so well and have dangerous attackers going the other way so it will likely come down to who is best able to break down the other team’s defense and finish off chances.
Finally, for anyone visiting Philly this season are there any spots you'd suggest checking out?
Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens and the South Street neighborhood are both great places to visit for out of towners looking for something a little more eclectic.
