Photo: Stephen Speer
Soccer at Subaru Park is just under two months away.
Philadelphia Union announced their 2023 regular season schedule on Tuesday afternoon, which kicks off at home against Columbus Crew on February 25 — the earliest start to a season in MLS history.
The marquee game on the schedule is a rematch of the 2022 MLS Cup, when LAFC comes to Chester on Saturday, September 23.
The Union host Nashville SC in the final home game on October 7; the season wraps up with a visit to New England Revolution on Decision Day, October 21.
Every Union home game is set for a 7:30 p.m. Eastern kickoff, part of the league’s new deal with Apple. Two home games are on Sunday evenings and three are on Wednesday evenings.
Philadelphia is set to play only one non-evening game all season, a visit to Atlanta United on July 2 at 4:00 p.m. That game, which will be on FOX, is one of three Union games that are set to be televised over the air, along with two FS1 games (May 16 vs. D.C. United and Sept. 3 vs. New York Red Bulls). The rest of the games will be exclusively available through MLS Season Pass, available on the Apple TV app.
Looking for a fun road trip this season? The Union make two trips to California, visiting San Jose Earthquakes on June 10 and LA Galaxy on July 8. May 13 will be the Union’s first visit to Denver in several years when they take on Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Philly will not face this year’s expansion side, St. Louis City SC.
The MLS regular season won’t be the only competition the Union are involved in this year. The 2023 Concacaf Champions League begins in early March with a two-legged tie against El Salvadoran side Alianza FC. And MLS play pauses from July 15 to August 20 for the Leagues Cup, involving clubs from Liga MX.
The full schedule is below.
| DATE | OPPONENT | TIME (ET) | Broadcast |
| Sat., Feb. 25 | Columbus Crew | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Sat., March 4 | @ Inter Miami CF | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Tues. March 7 | @ Alianza FC (CCL Leg 1 of 2) | 8:00pm | |
| Sat., March 11 | Chicago Fire FC | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Tues. March 14 | Alianza FC (CCL Leg 2 of 2) | 8:00pm | |
| Sat., March 18 | @ CF Montreal | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Sat., March 25 | Orlando City SC | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Sat., April 1 | Sporting Kansas City | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Sat., April 8 | @ FC Cincinnati | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Sat., April 15 | @ Chicago Fire FC | 8:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Sun., April 22 | Toronto FC | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Sat., May 6 | @ New York Red Bulls | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Sat., May 13 | @ Colorado Rapids | 9:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Wed., May 17 | DC United | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass/FS1 |
| Sat., May 20 | New England Revolution | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Sat., May 27 | @ New York City FC | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Wed., May 31 | Charlotte FC | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Sat., June 3 | CF Montreal | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Sat., June 10 | @ San Jose Earthquakes | 10:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Wed., June 21 | @ Orlando City SC | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Sat., June 24 | Inter Miami CF | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Sun., July 2 | @ Atlanta United FC | 4:00pm | MLS Season Pass /FOX |
| Sat., July 8 | @ LA Galaxy | 10:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Wed., July 12 | @ Nashville SC | 8:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Sat., July 15 | New York City FC | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Sun., Aug. 20 | FC Dallas | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Sat., Aug. 26 | @ DC United | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Wed., Aug. 30 | @ Toronto FC | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Sun., Sept. 3 | New York Red Bulls | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass /FS1 |
| Sat., Sept. 16 | FC Cincinnati | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Wed., Sept. 20 | @ Charlotte FC | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Sat., Sept. 23 | LAFC | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Sat., Sept. 30 | @ Columbus Crew | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Wed., Oct. 4 | Atlanta United FC | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Sat., Oct. 7 | Nashville SC | 7:30pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Sun., Oct. 21 | @ New England Revolution | TBD | MLS Season Pass |
Yet another match in the horri-awful Stade Olympique. 4 of Montreal’s first 5 are on the road, with their only home appearance against (you guessed it) the U. It is the only match scheduled in that stadium. Meh.
That was my first thought seeing that. Why do we get the game on the REALLY crappy turf?
February 25 at 19:30 is gonna be freaking cold.
This was my first thought too. Those night games will be nice in the summer (avoiding the baking heat) but might be brutal at the beginning & end of the season.
Any news on preseason dates and location games opem to public Fla ? Have done this in St Pete Clearwater area in past.
Joe B – nothing as of yet. My memory is that’s usually announced sometime in January.
Yesterday the MLS website put up its customary preseason summary article. It will be updated with announcements and results, so I will be worth visiting and revisiting every so often.
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The initial information about the Union is “to be announced.”
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A factor in from the past is that SCCL participants have started a week earlier than everyone else to prepare.
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Of course Seattle is playing in late January because of having won SCCL last year, so this year does not parallel the past.
Did Nashville move back to the East ? If not why are we playing them twice ?
I think they move back east with St Louis coming into the league this year. St Louis goes west, Nashville flips back east.
Nashville has moved back to the East, making the Father of Waters, aka the Mississippi River, the geographic dividing line between the conferences once again.
Already wrote my ticket rep complaining about the early season 7:30 starts. MLS is getting less and less fan friendly and pretty soon are going to lose fans like me.
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Also, given that they play less than half the western conference, why are 4 of the 6 games against teams they played last year? Shouldn’t there be some variety?
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MLS Sucks
Emailing your ticket rep about the 7:30 kickoffs isn’t going to change anything. That decision was made by MLS HQ. That’s where your ire needs to be pointed. Personally I’m all in favor of night games. For me random afternoon times suck, and totally kill a perfectly good weekend day.
I know it’s MLS, but I don’t have contacts their and it’s the Union who will feel the impact if I stop buying tickets.
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Do you really want night games in February and March? Did you go to the game against San Jose last year? It was brutal.
And do I read it right. We don’t play Austin again?
Nor Portland, Seattle or Vancouver.
Personally I like Sat 730pm starts… and yeah first 3 matches at Subaru will be just brutal, weather wise, but dress like you’re going skiing and it’ll be all good.
Oh yeah…. And stock plenty of hot chocolate and coffee for those games. Running out is unacceptable!
Anyway, I just can’t wait till Feb 25th.
Winning MLS Cup 2023 in Chester, the goal.
And to comment on MLS not giving ‘2 sh*ts’ about fans is an understatement and a waste of time.
“Head Clown” Garber the root cause of the money grab.
I always ‘write my ticket guy’… Right B?….. And my last missive had a Christmas wish that the Union would just drop down to the Championship League and cut costs by 70% for all!
I asked that my Founding Member season Tix account be divided into 3 accounts… cause Apple Minus only gives 1 free access per season tix ACCOUNT.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a successful 2023!
Any news on preseason dates and location games opem to public Fla ? Have done this in St Pete Clearwater area in past.
Seriously, We don’t play Austin again?
Nope… Nor Seattle, Portland, Vancouver & St Louis.
Ernst made 2 picks yesterday, passed on the 3rd… a goalie and a guy from Union 2 which I find rather weird. Why would he have to draft a person from Union 2?
Judging from the discussion of all draft picks on the MLS website,
signing an MLS NEXT Pro contract with your team — remember those contracts are with the team not the league — does not terminate your college rights. No idea why not, but two teams drafted their own MLS NEXT Pro players, Philly and — by memory — Minnesota.
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after Zambrano’s departure they need reliable, already-trained depth at striker on the second team, so they ensured no one else could take him.
Why would the Union draft a guy *from their own farm team*???? And why do they have such an aversion to the draft? Is it financial?
See my explanation immediately above. 😉