(Photo credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images)

The Philadelphia Union are encountering so much difficulty defending their Eastern Conference regular-season title that they are still in search of their first points.

Philadelphia hopes to begin reversing a difficult start Saturday afternoon when it visits CF Montreal in a matchup of struggling squads.

The Union finished first in the East and won the Supporters' Shield for the most points last season, their third first-place finish in six seasons. Going into this season, they knew they needed to replace the 16 goals from Tai Baribo, whom they traded to D.C. United.

Replacing their top goal scorer from last season is proving to be a massive challenge since the Union (0-6-0) are the lone MLS team without at least one point. Philadelphia has been outscored 11-4 in its first six losses and is winless through its first six matches for the first time since starting 2017 with an 0-4-4 record.

Philadelphia's latest loss was a 2-1 setback at Charlotte last Saturday. Danley Jean Jacques scored a tying goal in the 78th minute but the Union lost the lead two minutes later, marking the second time this season they conceded the tiebreaking goal in the 80th or beyond.

'We just need to be resilient, to keep going, but also know that we are doing some things wrong. I think that we are, in all the weeks, trying to think about new ways to motivate us, and actually, this week, it's been different,' Philadelphia's Bruno Damiani said. 'We had a long talk to each other in the locker room, and I think if you see the training, they are even better this week.'

Things are not much better for Montreal (1-5-0, 3 points), which started last season 0-8-3 in its first 11 matches. Montreal heads into its home opener after being outscored 17-7 and getting blanked three times.

Montreal showed some encouraging signs in a 4-3 loss at Cincinnati on March 22 but last weekend it conceded a pair of goals in the 77th minute and in stoppage time in a 3-0 loss at New England.

'We don't have any excuse not to win this game,' Montreal goalkeeper Thomas Gillier said. 'We can talk about expected goals, we can talk about whatever you want, but games are won with goals. We have to stop talking now and show it on the pitch.'

--Field Level Media