The Philadelphia Union will be very pleased with the format of the 2025 MLS Cup playoffs. 

After going up 2–0 in the 75th minute of game one in their best-of-three series against the Chicago Fire, the Supporters’ Shield winners collapsed in the final 10 minutes, allowing the Fire and former Union star Jack Elliott to draw level at 2–2 and force a penalty shootout. 

Luckily for the Union, they could exhale a few minutes after, winning the penalty shootout.

Without an aggregate score to worry about, they can look to close out the series in game two when they visit the Fire next Saturday.

“I think we put on a really good display of what we were trying to do,” MLS Coach of the Year finalist Bradley Carnell said post-match. “We worked in transition, and we created chaos moments and took our opportunities when they came. It’s just unfortunate, the way we gave up the two moments at the end.” 

Bueno: A Confidence Building Win

MLS Cup playoffs
Midfielder Jesus Bueno (left) and goalkeepr Andre Blake (right) were key parts of the penalty shootout victory in Game 1. | Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images

While the Union claimed the Supporters’ Shield for the second time in club history, few tipped them as MLS Cup favorites considering the other contenders, namely Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in the Eastern Conference. 

It would have been an absolute disaster if they surrendered game one, especially given the 13-point gap in the two teams’ regular-season points totals. 

“It’s very important to the team’s confidence, after we made the game a little bit difficult at the end, but it’s important to win,” Jesus Bueno, who scored the game-winning penalty, said in Spanish. 

“The goal is clear now, we don’t want to have a third game, and for us, I think there were a few mistakes we made and we made the game complicated for ourselves in the end, but we have the next week to learn from our mistakes.”

If they don’t, they could fall victim to a similar fate Inter Miami suffered when they were eliminated by eighth-seed Atlanta United last season.

For now, a big step forward and one more away from a semifinal.

Trust in Teenager Frankie Westfield

Playoff nights at Subaru Park are among the greatest in MLS, with crisp air blowing in from the river, and fans bundled up in one of the most raucous crowds in the league. For the Union, though, the pressure of home support—even in penalties—is a non-factor. 

Given the club’s reliance on youth, there was no hesitation for Carnell to throw in 19-year-old U.S. youth international Frankie Westfield to take the second penalty.

Fresh off a run to the round of 16 at the FIFA U-20 World Cup, he converted his attempt before Milan Iloski, Tai Baribo and Bueno finished off the shootout.

“While we’re standing there in the huddle with the staff, Frankie said to me, he’s solid... I was like, ‘Perfect, let’s do it.’ You could just feel the confidence in him,” Carnell said. “I think you’ve seen Frankie step up on numerous occasions. When he came on the field, he showed real intention in what we were trying to do. He created momentum, he created energy.”

With the win secured, the Union will now look to put together a more complete effort when they visit the Fire for game two, looking to complete the sweep and advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals against either Charlotte FC or New York City FC. 

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Philadelphia Union Take Major MLS Playoff Step After Dramatic Victory in Game One.