From Last Place to the Playoffs: Philadelphia Union's Surprising Turnaround

During the World Cup break, Philadelphia Union sat at the very bottom of the Eastern Conference and MLS with just seven points. Soon after, the club parted ways with Bradley Carnell, and the task of rescuing the season was handed to 36-year-old Ryan Richter.

After the break, the team won 12 matches, drew 4 and lost only 1. Over that stretch, Union collected 40 points and finished five points clear of Nashville SC, who were second in the same period. In the final match, Union drew 0-0 away at Nashville and secured their playoff place. 17-year-old Cavan Sullivan was unavailable for the match, and despite the absence of Bruno Damiani and Milan Iloski, the team showed solid resistance.

Sullivan has been one of the most important players for the team, with 7 goals and 11 assists. Milan Iloski has 19 goals and 7 assists and is third in the league's scoring charts. Bruno Damiani's 12 goals also show the depth of the attack. At the back, with the contributions of Neil Pierre and Nathan Harriel, Richter moved away from the team's earlier high pressing approach and adopted a more controlled pressing system.

Two matches remain in the season. Based on the current standings, Union would face Inter Miami in the first round. However, if the team gets poor results in the last two matches, Union could drop into a nine-versus-eight play-in match.