Overview
- Miami suffered a 4-1 loss to Nashville on Saturday that extended their losing run to three matches and featured Lionel Messi missing a penalty.
- Messi is expected to start in Philadelphia after returning to the club following his father’s death and after playing the full match at Nashville.
- The Philadelphia Union bring momentum on a four-game MLS winning streak led by 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan, who provided two assists in the club’s most recent win.
- Miami have conceded nine goals in their last three games, their goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo has been singled out for poor form, the squad faces heavy fixtures with six matches in 19 days, and Rodrigo De Paul is suspended for yellow-card accumulation.
- Wednesday’s match at near-capacity Subaru Park is exclusive to Apple TV, has driven a sharp secondary-market ticket spike, and carries historical weight because the Union have never beaten Miami when Messi has been on the field.