Philadelphia Union vs St Louis City Sc Picks and Predictions March 22nd 2025

Former St. Louis Boss Bradley Carnell Leads Union Against Old Squad

Saturday’s MLS clash between the Philadelphia Union and St. Louis City FC carries more weight than just three points—it’s a reunion marked by familiarity and a few mixed emotions. Union head coach Bradley Carnell, once the guiding hand behind St. Louis’ expansion success, now faces his former club for the first time since being let go.

Carnell was dismissed in July after struggling to match the club’s surprising inaugural-season success. Six months later, he landed the top job in Philadelphia, where he’s quickly injected life into the squad and led them to a strong start in 2024.

“I’m going to welcome a lot of the faces and people I keep in contact with all the time,” Carnell said. “It’s special memories for sure, but at the end of the day it’s three points on the line and another game.”

Philadelphia (3-1-0, 9 points) is thriving under Carnell’s direction, boasting a league-best 11 goals in the opening four weeks. While last weekend’s 3-1 loss to Nashville snapped their unbeaten streak, the Union remain one of the most dangerous attacking teams in MLS.

Missing Stars, But Union Still Threatening

The Union will be without several key players due to international duty, including red-hot striker Tai Baribo, who leads the league with six goals. Joining him on the sidelines are Jesus Bueno, Daniel Gazdag, Danley Jean Jacques, Neil Pierre, Frankie Westfield, and goalkeeper Andre Blake. Despite the absences, Philadelphia still has the tools to put pressure on St. Louis.

Jovan Lukic scored the Union’s lone goal in last week’s defeat, and with Baribo out, he’ll be one of the players counted on to lead the attack.

St. Louis Riding Defensive High

St. Louis (2-0-2, 8 points) may be unbeaten, but they’ve earned that status with grit rather than flair. With just four goals scored so far this season, it’s been the backline that has taken center stage—tying the MLS record for the longest shutout streak to start a season (427 minutes).

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If St. Louis can keep the Union off the scoresheet for at least 68 minutes, they will set a new league mark.

“We’re really focused on us,” said defender Kyle Hiebert. “There’s a sense of familiarity between what we’re going to do, and we know what he’s going to try to do, too.”

After a slow offensive start, St. Louis finally broke out with a 3-0 win over the Galaxy and added a 1-0 win over Seattle last weekend. Eduard Lowen scored the game’s only goal, while backup keeper Ben Lundt kept a clean sheet in place of injured starter Roman Burki.

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This matchup will test St. Louis’ defensive resilience against the MLS’s most prolific offense—albeit a shorthanded one.

Want to gain an edge in this intriguing East vs. West battle? Stay sharp with expert MLS picks and up-to-date soccer predictions tailored to every matchup.