Union will try to ‘punch above our weight’ in second leg of Champions Cup match against Club América

In the midst of a four-game losing streak, the Union have several problems to address. Bradley Carnell does not count Mexico City’s altitude among them.

The Union arrived to Mexico City late Monday night for the second leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16 series with Liga MX’s Club América. The Union trail by a goal in the series’ aggregate score line after dropping the opening leg, 1-0, at Subaru Park last week.

The Union will have a chance to upset América when the two teams take the field at Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes on Wednesday night (9 p.m., FS1).

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An América win or draw would send Mexico’s largest club into the Cup’s quarterfinal round, but a 1-0 Union win would take the series to extra time. Any result where the Union score more than one goal and win would send them to the quarterfinals.

Wednesday’s game will not be hosted in América’s usual stadium. Estadio Azteca is closed for renovations before it hosts Mexico City’s FIFA World Cup games this summer. Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes is roughly 50,000 seats smaller than the 87,523-seat Azteca, which should dull América’s typical home field advantage.

Mexico City has an elevation of 7,349 feet, a vast difference from the Union’s home on the Delaware River banks. But Carnell is familiar with how elevation impacts an athlete’s body after competing in his native Johannesburg, South Africa, which is 5,751 feet above sea level. He said in a Tuesday night news conference that he doesn’t “make much of the altitude.”

“I grew up in altitude,” Carnell said. “I think in terms of the science, the later you get in, the less time your body has to adapt, which is a good thing. If you want to really adapt, you have to be here for many, many days.”

Fitness could be an important factor for the Union on Wednesday, as the team plays its fourth game in 12 days. The Union are coming off a 3-1 loss at Atlanta United on Saturday.

“We just [got] in here [Monday] night,” Carnell said. “We arrived just before midnight, got the guys a good night of rest and then were able to just relax this morning and go through the treatment and everything. We’re still just recovering from the match in Atlanta. Every hour is vital.”

After their loss to América last Wednesday, Carnell repeated in his postgame news conference that the Union were close. At that point, the Union had played three straight games without scoring a goal from open play.

Agustín Anello broke that spell after finding the back of the net in the 87th minute of the team’s loss to Atlanta. The goal didn’t alter the result, but the team hopes the late goal is a sign that more are coming.

The Union took more shots and out-possessed América in their first matchup, but did not score.

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“I thought [in] the game that we played last week, the boys did an excellent job,” Carnell said. “We kept the score line very narrow, and I thought we had the better of the second half. We created lots of chances. This gives us hope and positivity to go up against a really big, big talented squad. We’re going to be brave, and we’re going to be committed to what we do.”

The Union’s shaky start justifies their place as the underdog Wednesday night, but América has not looked the part of an invincible favorite. América is 3-3-0 in its last six Liga MX matches and 3-3-0 at home in league play since January, a fact Carnell pointed out.

“We always try and punch above our weight,” Carnell said. “We’re a club that stands for development. We stand for commitment to what we do in the game model and the philosophy, and we’ve really enjoyed this role. But there’s by no means to say that the giant can also fall sometimes and stumble.”

América will also be without it’s top goalkeeper, Luis Malagón, on Wednesday. Malagón, who was Mexico’s starting keeper for the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup and a likely inclusion in El Tri‘s World Cup squad, ruptured his Achilles tendon in América’s trip to Subaru Park.

The winner of the series between the Union and América will face the winner of Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and Nashville SC.

“We have to have a positive mindset,” Carnell said. “We kept the [first] game really tight, and I think we have a very possible chance here … It’s a game where we can be excited. This is the game, for us, where we have nothing to lose and everything to gain.”