Philadelphia Union crushes D.C. United 6-0

The last team in the East, D.C. United, hosted the conference-leading Philadelphia Union on a cool evening at Audi Field. Expectations were cautiously optimistic for the Black-and-Red, who entered the match unbeaten at home under head coach René Weiler, with recent draws against Inter Miami and Orlando City. What unfolded, however, was a harsh reminder of the gap between the top and bottom of the table.

A Surprising Call in Goal

One of the most notable pre-match decisions was the selection of Jordan Farr in goal, replacing the in-form Luis Barraza. The move raised eyebrows after Barraza’s recent standout performances, but Weiler later clarified it was part of a broader evaluation process, emphasizing the need to test different players in competitive environments.

Early Promise, Then Collapse

D.C. started the match with intensity and energy, and the first half wasn’t entirely without hope. The home side struck the post and crossbar multiple times, and for stretches, looked capable of matching their high-flying opponents. But those near-misses proved costly.

In the 17th minute, Philadelphia opened the scoring through Bruno Damiani, who was set up by Mikael Uhre. Things quickly unraveled when Conner Antley turned the ball into his own net in the 34th minute. Just two minutes later, Indiana Vassilev added a third, effectively killing any momentum D.C. had built.

Second-Half Meltdown

If the first half was frustrating, the second was simply brutal. Within five minutes of the restart, D.C. conceded two more goals—first from Milan Iloski, assisted by Damiani, and then from Vassilev again, this time set up by Uhre. Uhre then capped off his dominant performance in the 62nd minute with a goal of his own, assisted by Iloski.

Any hopes of a comeback were long extinguished, and the home crowd could only watch as Philadelphia cruised to a commanding 6-0 win.

Post-Match Reflections

For Weiler, the match offered more than just a harsh scoreline. He emphasized the importance of emotional response and in-game decision-making, particularly when playing without the ball.

“We saw interesting things with the ball,” he said post-match, “but without the ball, the decisions to press or hold the line weren’t good enough. That’s a lack of quality we need to address.”

Weiler also highlighted the difficulty of facing such a stable and clinical side as Philadelphia, who punished every mistake D.C. made.

Late Lineup Change

Another setback came just before kickoff when Jackson Hopkins, originally slated to start, was pulled from the lineup after feeling pain during warmups. Weiler indicated it was a precautionary move and expressed hope that the issue would not be long-term.

Lineups

D.C. United: Jordan Farr; Aaron Herrera (D. Dodson), Lukas MacNaughton (B. Enow), Kye Rowles, Conner Antley; Brandon Servania (R. Zouhir), Matti Peltola; Jared Stroud (C. Clark), Gabriel Pirani, Joao Peglow; Christian Benteke (J. Murrell)

Philadelphia Union: Andre Blake; Olwethu Makhanya, Jakob Glesnes, Kai Wagner, Nathan Harriel; Danley Jacques, Jovan Lukic; Indiana Vassilev (J. Rafanello → O. Mbaizo), Milan Iloski (B. Bender), Bruno Damiani (J. Bueno); Quinn Sullivan (M. Uhre)

Scoring Summary

• PHI – Bruno Damiani (17’) [Assist: M. Uhre]

• PHI – Conner Antley (34’, own goal)

• PHI – Indiana Vassilev (36’)

• PHI – Milan Iloski (49’) [Assist: Damiani]

• PHI – Indiana Vassilev (50’) [Assist: M. Uhre]

• PHI – Mikael Uhre (62’) [Assist: Iloski]

Disciplinary Summary

• D.C. United – Brandon Servania (33’)

• Philadelphia Union – Olwethu Makhanya (57’)

Looking Ahead

Despite the heavy loss, Weiler remained focused on the bigger picture, emphasizing development and the long-term process. With the winter transfer window looming, this match may have provided the clarity needed on which areas require urgent reinforcement.

For now, though, D.C. United remain firmly anchored at the bottom of the Eastern Conference—searching for answers, structure, and some much-needed consistency. D.C. will play their last home game against Charlotte F.C. this upcoming Saturday October 4th at 2:30pm.