⚽️ MLS Cup Final Rematch on Tap

Good morning. It’s been 321 days since the Union and LAFC last met in the MLS Cup final. Saturday’s game will be significantly less consequential but that won’t stop the what-if scenarios should the Union do what they typically do at home: win.

In the email today:

Though the match is way less consequential than the last time they squared off, Saturday’s rematch of the 2022 MLS Cup Final is still a big one. The game was the first many fans circled when the schedule was released, and while intra-conference battles late in the season don’t carry as much weight, Subaru Park will be rocking Saturday.

• The Union were one point away from getting to host the final last year. It’s hard not to play the what-if game. If they win Saturday it will be even harder.

• LAFC and the Union aren’t the teams they were when they met in November, but both teams are still the class of the league.

• The Union and LAFC have tied the last four games they’ve played. LAFC won the first meeting at home 4-1 in 2018.

Our take: This cross-country rivalry has delivered some unforgettable moments from El Brujo’s bloody jerseys and Jakob Glesnes’ wonder strike, to Jack Elliott’s brace and a substitute who shall not be named breaking the hearts of an entire city with a tap of his head.  

2) 📈 Grading the Performances in Charlotte

Overall the performance wasn’t great, but because of the two lates goals, the Union were able to salvage a performance that almost felt like a win. Here’s a look at the grades for the rotated lineup.

• 🅱️ Andre Blake 🇯🇲 - Andre did what he needed to do for the most part, but wasn't heavily troubled. I think he needed to do better on the second goal, however, his late save made up for it. Solid but not his best.

• C+ Olivier Mbaizo 🇨🇲 - Olivier was... fine. His inability to clear the ball in the first half almost caused huge problems, and his passing looked less than great. An overall lackluster outing, but for a defender, that isn't the worst label.

• C Jakob Glesnes 🇳🇴 - Jakob put out a handful of fires in the first half but was truly okay at best. The second goal was catastrophic on his end. Not horrific, but he was not up to the standards we expect.

• 🅱️+ Damion Lowe 🇯🇲 - I actually think Damion played quite well. His performance lacked some polishing, however, he put out countless fires in the second half. His best outing in months.

• 🅱️ Kai Wagner 🇩🇪 - Not much to say about Kai last night. He was solid defensively but not flawless. It was not his best night moving the ball, but put in quite a few dangerous crosses. One of those nights where he could have had 3 assists but had none.

• 🅱️ Jose Martinez 🇻🇪 - Brujo with a rare performance that didn't really stick out. Solid defensively but struggled to move the ball forward. An average Brujo outing is better than a good one from most at his position.

• D Alejandro Bedoya 🟨 - Utterly horrific. Ale added little to nothing moving forward and wasted his one shot. He was entirely at fault for the first goal, and his bad giveaway led to the second. The team looked so much better once he left the field.

• 🅱️ Jesus Bueno 🇻🇪 - Jesus struggled to get into the game. He didn't add much but also had no negative contributions. Did well to progress the ball a few times, but was simply not as good as his replacement.

• 🅱️- Daniel Gazdag 🇭🇺 - Struggled. Dani failed to get into the game, which is unacceptable for a 10. Cutting him some slack due to him playing underneath a new strike partnership, but I still expect more. Clinical from the spot when it mattered.

• 🅱️ Tai Baribo 🇮🇱 - For a player with limited fitness, chemistry, and playing on turf, Tai was promising. Really encouraged by his pressing, movements, and technique, but no end result. Excited about this signing, but didn't produce anything of note.

• 🅰️ Chris Donovan 🐉 - Dono's best performance in a Union shirt. Pressed like his life depended on it, made really really good runs, and was quite good on the ball. Probably should have taken one or two of his chances better, but very little to nitpick.

• 🅱️ (SUB) Julian Carranza 🇦🇷 - Very good assist on the first goal. Did quite literally nothing else. All of his other touches resulted in a very wide shot or losing the ball.

• C+ (SUB) Mikael Uhre 🇩🇰 - Didn't really see the ball at all. Did nothing wrong, but nothing noteworthy either. Made a fantastic run on the first goal to open up space for Quinn.

• 🅰️ (SUB) Quinn Sullivan 🤩 - Arguably his best performance in a Union shirt as well. Curtin called him the club's fittest player, and he proved that. Quinn was everywhere, scored a wonderful goal, and made a goal-saving tackle. Can't say enough good things about him.

• 🅱️ (SUB) Jack McGlynn 🛝 - Extremely solid, and was a huge upgrade from Bedoya. Didn't do much of note, but was considerably good for limited minutes.

3) ⏺️ Meme of the Day: How the Turntables…

4) 💧 Water Cooler: LAFC Rivalry

Have additional thoughts? Reply directly to this email to comment, and see if we include your response tomorrow.

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Results from our last poll Team to Avoid in Playoffs:

Atlanta United is the team currently below the Union in the playoff hunt that fans most want to avoid in the first round of the playoffs.

5) 🔗 Link Roundup:

• ✍️ LAFC comes to town Saturday after playing St. Louis City to a scoreless draw in St. Louis.

• 🤩 It’s no small feat making the Team of the Matchday coming off the bench but Quinn Sullivan was recognized with a spot on the Team of the the Matchday bench.

• 🇺🇸 Julie Ertz played her final match with the USWNT in Cincinnati on Thursday night. The U.S. won 3-0 over South Africa. Ertz was part of the bid committee that brought the 2026 FIFA World Cup to Philadelphia. Her husband Zach Ertz was on the Philadelphia Eagles team that won the Super Bowl.

• 💪🏾 Former Union Best XI defender and US international Mark McKenzie scored a late equalizer for Genk in their 2-2 draw with Fiorentina in Europa Conference League action on Thursday.

The newsletter today was written by: Matt Ralph @MattRalph_ and Evan Cohen @SOB_Evan

Thanks for reading!