While there have been some leaks here and there over the last few weeks, Union fans were left wondering when the club would release the official preseason schedule. On Friday, those fans got their wish as the Philadelphia Union announced their matches in Spain and Florida for January and February.
Per the official press release from the club: “The Union will depart for Marbella on Monday, January 13, and return to Philadelphia on January 27. The team will then briefly return to the market before traveling to Clearwater for their 11th consecutive preseason on Sunday, February 2.”
One interesting note from the same release mentioned the following: “Prior to heading to Clearwater, the Union will take their first-ever trip to Europe for a pair of friendly matches in Marbella, Spain. The team will face SK Slavia Prague on January 19 at 9:30 a.m. ET, followed by Aarhus Gymnastikforening on January 26 at 9:00 a.m. ET, both matches taking place at the Marbella Football Center.”
For those of you who have been around much longer than both Jillian and me, you might remember a 2011 preseason trip to Europe as well. During that preseason, the club traveled to Heraklion, Greece, for two matches, marking the club’s first time in Europe. In fact, outside of the 2012 preseason trip to Costa Rica, this marks only the third time the Union have not stayed in the United States for a training trip.
But back to Marbella, Spain, and who the Union will face as their opponents. First up is SK Slavia Prague of the Czech First League, who currently sit in first place with 50 points in 19 matches this season and a league-high 34-goal differential. With over 229 UEFA competitions played in the club’s history, it will offer a great test for Philadelphia to kick off the preseason.
The club will finish up its preseason tour of Spain with a match on January 26 against Aarhus Gymnastikforening of the Danish SuperLiga, who currently sit in 4th place with 28 points in 17 matches played. This club is no stranger to current Union forward Mikael Uhre, who, during his time at Brøndby IF, scored 4 goals and registered 1 assist in 15 matches against Aarhus.
Following their trip to Spain, the club will then head back on the road to Clearwater, Florida for the second half of their preseason. This trip marks Philadelphia’s 11th consecutive season in Clearwater.
“We’re incredibly grateful for our continued partnership with Visit St. Pete-Clearwater as we mark our 11th preseason in Clearwater, Florida,” said Philadelphia Union President Tim McDermott. “We are very fortunate to be able to train in a consistently welcoming and vibrant setting that offers the resources required to best prepare the team for a successful season ahead.”
In Florida, the club will face a favorite frenemy, FC Cincinnati, on Friday, February 7, at Joe DiMaggio Sports Complex. The match will mark the 4th consecutive season the two clubs have faced off in the preseason. However, one has to wonder: with Jim Curtin out of the picture, will Chris Albright and Pat Noonan keep their annual preseason friendly streak going? Only time will tell.
Other Notes
Before I head out of here, just a few other bits of Union news to wrap up the week:
Mitch Hildebrandt to Join the Union
New Philadelphia Union Head Coach Bradley Carnell continues to build his staff. As reported by Jose Nunez, former St. Louis City assistant Mitch Hildebrandt is set to join the Union. This would be the first hiring of the assistant staff under the Tanner-Carnell regime. As Jose points out, “In 2023, he joined St. Louis City SC as a performance analyst and was eventually promoted to assistant under Carnell.”
USMNT Call-Up?
Finally, the United States announced their camps for the upcoming window. The Philadelphia Union only have one player represented in the upcoming U-20 and USMST camps. Why? Check out a tweet from our friend Jose Nunez above.
Stay tuned for an all-new episode of “The One Team We Agree On” podcast next week with a special guest!
Main article photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Union
The One Team We Agree On 
Leave a comment