Philadelphia claims 1st trophy in club history by winning Supporters' Shield
The Philadelphia Union secured their first-ever trophy on Sunday, clinching the Supporters' Shield with a 2-0 win over the New England Revolution on the final day of the MLS regular season.
The Shield, which almost wasn't awarded at all this year, gives Jim Curtin's side home-field advantage throughout the upcoming playoffs. The Union finished the truncated 23-game regular season on 47 points after compiling a 14-4-5 record.
The only other team in contention for the honor, Toronto FC, saw their hopes dashed courtesy of a concurrent 2-1 defeat to the New York Red Bulls.
"This is the time to celebrate for sure," Curtin told reporters after Sunday's match. "I know I'm not supposed to say that as a coach, and I should be so serious, but they should enjoy this. This is something that's special. It's unique."
š SUPPORTERSā SHIELD WINNERS š@PhilaUnion win their first trophy in club history! #DOOP pic.twitter.com/HivErVyZgk
ā Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 8, 2020
Philadelphia got goals on either side of halftime from Sergio Santos and Cory Burke on Sunday, and will now wait to learn who their opponent is for the quarterfinals of the postseason.
They will host one of Inter Miami, New England, or the Montreal Impact, depending on the results of the postseason play-in round, which breaks down as follows:
- Nashville SC (7) vs. Inter Miami (10)
- New England Revolution (8) vs. Montreal Impact (9)
The Union will play the lowest-seeded team remaining after those two matches. Meanwhile, Toronto FC will take on the highest-seeded club.
The MLS playoffs are slated to begin Nov. 20.