Philadelphia Union wins 2025 MLS Supporters’ Shield, second in club history originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Mikael Uhre scored in the first half and Andre Blake made it stand up as the Philadelphia Union beat New York City FC 1-0 on Saturday night to win the Eastern Conference and the MLS Supporters’ Shield for the league’s best record.
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Uhre scored for the sixth time this season when he used an assist from Jovan Lukic in the 40th minute to find the net. It was the fourth assist for Lukic in his first season in the league.
Blake finished with two saves for his ninth clean sheet of the season and the 89th of his career in 265 starts — all with Philadelphia (20-7-6). He also led the Union to the best record in 2020.
Matt Freese finished with four saves for NYCFC (17-11-5), which beat the Union 1-0 at home on April 12. The two clubs split two matches last season with both winning on the road.
First-year coach Bradley Carnell has the Union back in the playoffs as the league’s top seed after they missed the postseason last year for the first time since 2017.
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Philadelphia has allowed a league-low 33 goals this season.
It marks the Union’s second Shield win in club history, the first time coming in 2020. Philadelphia did not go on to win the MLS Cup Final however, as Columbus Crew beat the Seattle Sounders 3-0.
Last season had Inter Miami, led by Lionel Messi and Co., winning the Shield for the first time in their club’s respective history. But despite Messi and fellow ex-European stars on the pitch, Miami was stunned by No. 8 Atlanta United in the first round of the playoffs.
Miami is pushing for a top-three finish in the Eastern Conference, while the Union may have a first-round matchup against either the Chicago Fire, Nashville, Orlando City or Columbus. The four teams are in the mix for the final two guaranteed spots in the conference, while the bottom two will compete in the wild card round to be the No. 8 seed.
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NYCFC began the day with 56 points, tied with Charlotte and Inter Miami in the battle for third and fourth place in the East and home-field advantage in the best-of-three first round. Inter Miami has a match in hand.
The Union, who have won five of their last six matches, close out the regular season at Charlotte FC on Oct. 18, while NYCFC will host the Seattle Sounders.
