Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Union
The Philadelphia Union opened their 2026 MLS campaign with an uncharacteristic 1-0 loss to D.C. United on Saturday night at Audi Field – marking their first opening-day loss since 2020. Playing their second road match in four days, the Boys in Blue conceded to former teammate Tai Baribo, who found the net after an earlier strike was ruled offside.
With several new faces in the lineup, the Union never fully settled and were forced to chase the match a man down for much of the second half.
First Half
Head Coach Bradley Carnell’s first MLS lineup of 2026 ushered in a new era, with Japhet Sery, Finn Sundstrom, and Ezekiel Alladoh all making their league debuts.
The opening half never quite found a rhythm, but Milan Iloski created the Union’s most dangerous moments. In the 21st minute, he sent one effort wide before forcing Sean Johnson into a sharp save just moments later.
It was former Union striker Tai Baribo, however, who proved decisive. In the 23rd minute, he finished off a feed from João Peglow to give D.C. a 1-0 lead.
Iloski nearly responded before halftime, bending a 30-yard free kick around the wall that Johnson managed to push aside. The Union went into the break trailing by one.
Second Half
Carnell turned to his bench at halftime, introducing Geiner Martinez for Sundstrom as the Union looked for a spark. The Union came out with renewed urgency, and Iloski again tested Johnson in the 54th minute, driving a powerful effort that was tipped over the bar. Agustín Anello entered soon after, adding fresh energy to the attack.
The match took a decisive turn in the 59th minute when Alladoh was shown a red card in his MLS debut, forcing the Union to continue their push down a man. Anello saw multiple attempts blocked during a sustained spell of pressure, and 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan nearly made an instant impact after entering in the 70th minute. His corner kick found Nathan Harriel at the far post, but the header sailed just wide.
The Union continued to search for a breakthrough late, but the equalizer proved elusive.
Philadelphia returns to Subaru Park for its first home match of 2026, hosting Defence Force F.C. in the second leg of its Concacaf Champions Cup matchup.
Three Points
- Defensive jaugernaut, who? For a team built on defensive discipline, the sloppiness was concerning.
- New look, same magic? Even reigning Supporters’ Shield winners need time to gel at the beginning of the season… and this isn’t even that same team.
- Wherefore art thou, Uhre? Uhre’s presence off the bench last season was an underrated piece of the team’s success. The lack of options on the bench that excel when the game opens up is concerning.
Lineups
Philadelphia Union (4-2-2-2): Andre Blake; Nathan Harriel, Olwethu Makhanya, Japhet Sery, Finn Sundstrom (Geiner Martinez — HT) ; Jesús Bueno (Agustín Anello — 57′), Danley Jean Jacques; Milan Iloski (Cavan Sullivan — 70′), Indiana Vassilev (Alejandro Bedoya — 79′) ; Ezekiel Alladoh, Bruno Damiani (Stas Korzeniowski — 79′)
Unused Substitutes: Andrew Rick; Jeremy Rafanello, Sal Olivas
D.C. United (4-4-2): Sean Johnson; Lucas Bartlett, Kye Rowles, Keisuke Kurokawa, Silvan Hefti; Barndon Servania, Matti Peltola, João Peglow, Jackson Hopkins (Nikola Markovic — 89′); Tai Baribo (Sean Nealis –90’+3′), Gabriel Pirani (Louis Munteanu — 70′)
Unused Substitutes: Gavin Turner, Caden Clark, Conner Antley, Jared Stroud, Hosei Kijima, Alex Bono
Scoring Summary:
DCU: Tai Baribo (João Peglow) – 23′
Disciplinary Summary:
PHI: Olwethu Makhanya (Yellow – Foul) – 41′
PHI: Jesús Bueno (Yellow – Foul) – 45′
PHI: Ezekial Alladoh (Red – Dissent) – 59‘
PHI: Japhet Sery (Yellow – Foul) – 80′
PHI: Danley Jean Jacques (Yellow – Foul) – 88′
DCU: Jackson Hopkins (Yellow – Foul) – 89′
DCU: João Peglow (Yellow – Foul) – 90’+4′
That was less than ideal
That is the most diplomatic statement I’ve read in years.
You earned this one tonight so here comes.
.
.
.
Got beat by Tai Baribo then tuned in to Miami / LAFC and have resentment this is the soccer we’re force fed in a world of genuine Rhythmic Controlled Paused football. Surrendered it for years. Tonight a tough pill and I refuse to be quiet. The aesthetic matters. I know I know new players yada yada yada… words words words.
.
But I digress from the real post incoming…
.
..everything about that game was SHIT. Everything.
.
Jesus Bueno being my whipping boy tonight of ineptitude. He is a hatchet. That’s it. A Gattuso Bully with 1/3 the talent. Turnover machine. Danley literally walking around with his thumb up his ass in possession offering nothing. The two pivots that didn’t help the center of field a bit, the lack of awareness off the ball by multiple players at key points of the game, the shit passing to nowhereville by what seemed every player.
.
All of it shit…a straight red for dissent the ONLY thing that player brought to tonight’s game. TERRIBLE soccer. T.E.R.R.I.B.L.E.
.
Sundstrom gets benched mercifully at the end of the first half and quite honestly : Bueno, Harriel, Mahkanya, Damiani and Vassilev should have been benched too. Iloski comes off for Cavan which makes zero sense…
.
Piss poor god awful soccer. Genuinely terrible…New York RB start two high school juniors tonight. Cavan a bench player behind these players? He told Anello to go stand in the corner on that corner kick… how in the world has the family chosen to allow him to develop here when a club like Real Madrid wanted him. I just can’t figure it.
.
….better get better-> first game or not. That was terrible and it does not represent me. I believe in aesthetic. Keep your Soccer Shield… i don’t want it.
.
In other news, and in closing, Miami completed more passes in first 120 seconds of the game then The Union did in the whole first half. In a stadium with goals that can be rolled away like the converted middle school cow pasture near my house . This is my life. I do not have to approve.
But THE SYSTEM! I was told The System itself beats bad teams, and that who is playing on the field doesn’t matter in The System. Enjoy Season 2 of The System, St. Louis did.
–
Didn’t enjoy watching the soccer played last year, but winning covers up a lot. Losing to a bad team playing ugly soccer is a way to have empty seats in the summer.
–
Man City is going to move Cavan to Belgium this summer because Carnell believe Vassilev has more skill and will help the team win more than C. Sullivan.
–
None of the new signings looked like they are better than who they replaced. The FO will be disappointed not because the team will lose matches, but because they will make less of a profit when they sell them.
–
America is going to get to 10 on aggregate against this team. It’s not going to be pretty.
Do we have any info on WTF happened with that red card on Alladoh?! I’ve never seen anything like that.
Red Bull played three teenagers tonight, they apparently looked pretty good. One of them had a brace. Red Bull won.
–
No Union Academy player has been chosen to replace the players sold in the offseason, except moving the starting RB to play him out of position. The coach of the first team with The Best Academy in The United States doesn’t start a player who Manchester City thinks is pretty good, he instead chooses an MLS lifer with limited offensive skills.
–
Understanding the best Academy and Union 2 players will always have bigger aspirations and not play much in Chester, where are the academy prospects, besides Westfield, earning starting XI spots for the first team? Could have used McGlynn’s left foot tonight, but he, like others, was an asset to be sold at a profit.
Embarrassing.
No heart, no fight. Guido clearly had money on DC. Baribo was a filthy pos tonight. Should have been kicked out earlier. Union let him elbow a guy in the throat without reprisal. Gutless. He should have gotten carried out after that garbage.
Anti-football sucks.
Here’s hoping Carnell is shitcanned mid season yet again.
Did anyone not see this coming?
Anyone else disappointed with Tai Baribo’s celebration after scoring against his former team?
IMO – he immediately became a villain.
Disrespectful celebration and throwing the elbow, yet no response from any Union players. I miss El Brujo.
Disagree about Tai being a villain. We traded him and he showed us why that was the wrong move. Has every right to celebrate against us.
Welcome back!
Gonna be a long summer.
Too many pieces gone at once.