NYCFC vs Philadelphia Union preview: Can the spirit of Raquinho spark a win?

On Wednesday, New York City FC will welcome the Philadelphia Union for a midweek matchup.  The two teams last met in May in which the Pigeons won 2-1.  It was an entertaining battle, especially thanks to the raccoon who made an appearance in the first half.  Raquinho went viral and made national news, which is not something that happens often for most teams in Major League Soccer.

That was during the stretch of the season when NYCFC won five games in a row and won eight out of nine.  Since then, the Bronx side has won twice, with the last win coming on July 3.  Therefore, the team's pressure is at a high to win at home.

Meanwhile, the Union continues to struggle this season in MLS.  That does not mean the Pigeons will have a guaranteed win.  They need to play where they dominate, and perhaps take on the spirit of Raquinho.  The raccoon was a part of the best games of the season, so the Boys in Blue must find their quality of play from then and play similarly on Wednesday.

NYCFC desperately needs all three points.  Here is a preview of the upcoming match against the Philadelphia Union.

Date 

NYCFC and the Philadelphia Union will play each other on Wednesday, September 18.

Time

The match is at 7:30 PM ET.

Location

The game will be at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY.

How to watch

Fans can watch the fixture on Apple TV via the MLS Season Pass.

Weather

NYCFC and Philadelphia will play their match under cloudy skies with a chance of rain at almost 40%.  It will be a cool late-summer evening with the temperature at 71 degrees. However, the rain could make it feel cooler out.

Injury report

NYCFC will be without Malachi Jones (leg) and Birk Risa (leg).

Players to watch

NYCFC fans should watch Nick Cushing on Wednesday and how he utilizes his players.  Will he heavily rotate the Starting XI from Saturday?  Will he still put out a strong Starting XI, or will he start players with the Inter Miami CF fixture in mind?  The team has to win, so hopefully Cushing will not be blinded by Miami and put the Pigeons in a place where Philadelphia can win.

On the Union, fans should pay attention to Dániel Gazdag.  The midfielder has been a bright light in a troublesome season, continuing his strong performances in each game.  He is a scoring threat since he has scored 14 goals.  Truthfully, he is the player the Pigeons should be the most worried about.

Prediction

Since NYCFC is back home, it is time for a positive prediction again.  NYCFC will win 2-0, with Matt Freese getting the clean sheet.  The team will dominate, and there might be a surprising goal scorer.