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Philadelphia Union forward Mikael Uhre (7) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against New York City FC in the first half at Subaru Park. Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Philadelphia Union clinches MLS's 2025 Supporters' Shield

By Alyssa Clang | Last updated Oct 4, 2025 10:19 PM ET

The Philadelphia Union beat New York City FC 1-0 to clinch the 2025 Major League Soccer Supporters' Shield. It's the club's second Shield victory since its MLS debut in 2010.

The Shield is one of MLS's most prestigious trophies. It's awarded each year to the team with the best overall record at the end of the regular season; the better-known MLS Cup, meanwhile, is awarded each year to the winner of the postseason tournament. Winning the Shield speaks to consistent, dedicated performance over the course of the 34-game MLS season, and that's exactly what Philadelphia delivered in 2025. It's racked up a club-record 66 points in the fiendishly difficult Eastern Conference with one game still remaining on its calendar.

Why the Union winning the Supporters' Shield matters

Winning the Shield guarantees Philadelphia home-field advantage and a superior draw in the 2025 MLS playoffs. It will face the winner of the Eastern Conference wild card game—likely either Columbus or Chicago—in the opening round's best-of-three series.

Philadelphia clinched the Shield in the 40th minute when midfielder Jovan Lukic latched onto an NYCFC ball fumble and delivered a cross to the underrated (and oft-maligned) Danish striker Mikael Uhre. Under intense pressure from the NYCFC defense, Uhre fired a shot into the penalty box. It ricocheted off NYCFC defender Kevin O'Toole and into the back of the net.

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But while Lukic and Uhre combined for the goal, Philadelphia's Shield win was truly a team effort. Jamaican keeper Andre Blake delivered a stellar season in goal, even by his high standards. Defender Frankie Westfield played well enough to earn himself a spot on the United States Men's National Team U-20 roster. Forward Tai Baribo carried the team through its opening matches and made a real run at the MLS Golden Boot in the process. And a trio of American midfielders—Quinn Sullivan, Indiana Vassilev and Milan Iloski—proved that Philadelphia didn't need big names to deliver a big impact.

Indeed, Vassilev and Iloski might just be the two most fascinating members of Philadelphia's Shield-winning squad. Both arrived in the summer transfer window; both came from other MLS clubs who deemed them dispensable; both provided trophy-winning performances for Philadelphia while their former teams stumbled without them. Securing their services in the middle of the season was a shrewd bit of business from the notoriously stingy Philadelphia front office.

The 2025 season isn't over yet. Philadelphia will close out its regular season on Saturday, Oct. 18—Decision Day—away against Charlotte FC before kicking off its opening playoff series in late October. While it remains a favorite for the MLS Cup, it's fighting extreme odds to get it: in 29 years of competition, just 8 teams have won both the Shield and the Cup in the same season.

It's tough to bet against Philadelphia at this moment, though. The team is rightfully flying high under the direction of coach Bradley Carnell and looks capable of anything...even making MLS history.

Alyssa Clang

Alyssa is a Boston-born Californian with a passion for global sport. She can yell about misplaced soccer passes in five languages and rattle off the turns of Silverstone in her sleep. You can find her dormant Twitter account at @alyssaclang, but honestly, you’re probably better off finding her here

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