Mic’d Up: Edu says Suarez deserved harsher MLS punishment, hails Son and Thomas Müller for approach to MLS moves
The clock is ticking down on the MLS season, and the races for both the Supporters’ Shield and the playoffs remain wide open.
Five teams – the Philadelphia Union, San Diego FC, FC Cincinnati, Nashville, and Minnesota United FC – are separated by just seven points in the battle for the Shield. In the playoff hunt, 22 clubs are still realistically in contention. In a league filled with stars such as Lionel Messi, Son Heung-Min, and Thomas Müller, former USMNT player Maurice Edu expects the homegrown-led Union to stand out – even if that comes with some bias.
“It’s my former club. So, I’m gonna say Philly for Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup,” Edu told GOAL. “Philly needs an MLS Cup and the LAFC final in Los Angeles [where the Union lost in 2022], it still leaves a sour taste in Philly fans’ mouths.”
The Apple TV analyst, who closed out his playing career with the Union and had 46 caps for the USMNT, expects plenty of surprises this postseason.
“I think there’s going to be a lot of wrinkles and twists and turns. I feel like, along the way, we’re probably going to see a couple of upsets like we saw last year,” he said.
Edu discussed Luis Suárez’s suspension, Lionel Messi’s future and the impact Son and Müller have made since arriving in MLS in the latest edition of Mic’d Up, a recurring feature in which GOAL taps into the perspective of broadcasters, analysts, and pundits on the state of soccer in the U.S. and abroad.
NOTE: This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.