MARBELLA, Spain — On Tuesday morning, the Philadelphia Union kicked off the first of their three friendlies in Spain, playing Czech side SK Sigma Olomouc to a 1–1 draw in a 90-minute contest at the Marbella Football Center.
As in previous preseasons, Union head coach Bradley Carnell mixed and matched his roster with a blend of first-team starters and reserves in the starting XI. Andrew Rick got the start in goal, with Ben Bender, Olwethu Makhanya, Japhet Sery Larsen, and “Trialist” No. 38 (who appeared to be Giovanny Sequera, though nothing has been confirmed) making up the defensive line. The midfield consisted of Danley Jean Jacques, Jesús Bueno, Alejandro Bedoya, and Milan Iloski. Recently signed forward Ezekiel Alladoh started the match alongside former MLS SuperDraft pick and Union II forward Stas Korzeniowski.
The Union found the back of the net first in the ninth minute. Trialist No. 38 looked to find Korzeniowski, but the pass was intercepted by Sigma Olomouc. The deflection, however, bounced to a charging Bedoya, who laid the ball off for Korzeniowski to run onto. The former Penn forward one-timed his shot past the Olomouc goalkeeper to give Philadelphia the early lead.
Worth noting is the fact that counting this friendly, Korzeniowski has now scored in eight straight games dating back to the 2025 season, where he had 12 goals across all competitions for Union II as their leading goal scorer.
For the most part, Philadelphia controlled the first half of the friendly and looked to be the better side. Sery and Makhanya showed flashes of their defensive prowess, while also showing they are still getting used to pairing together and building chemistry with their teammates. Makhanya, in particular, looked sharp on the day.
As for Bender playing at left back, as Carnell mentioned during last week’s preseason press conference, he showed moments where he made a play or two but is still learning the position and working through the nuances, which is to be expected.
Alladoh flashed the explosiveness and strength that Carnell spoke about and made a few nice passes in transition, which was promising.
Overall, the Union looked strong in the opening 45 minutes, with any Sigma chances either defended, blocked, or ending with Olomouc players missing or blocking each other’s shots.
The second half, however, proved to be a different story.
Philadelphia subbed off the first-half starters and went with a new lineup for the final 45 minutes.
Forwards Bruno Damiani and Eddy Davis III led the line, while George Marks replaced Rick in goal. The defensive line consisted of Nathan Harriel, Olivier Mbaizo, Finn Sundstrom, and Frankie Westfield. The midfield featured Cavan Sullivan, Jeremy Rafanello, Jovan Lukic, and Indiana Vassilev.
Sigma Olomouc scored in the 73rd minute to level the match and swing momentum back toward the European side. The Union made one final substitution in the 82nd minute, replacing Davis with Malik Jakupovic. The 16-year-old striker had eight goals for Union II in 2025, only second to Korzeniowski for the team lead.
The Czech club hit the post three times in the closing stages, but Philadelphia defended until the final whistle, securing a 1–1 draw.
The Union return to preseason action on Friday, Jan. 23, when they take on Danish side FC Nordsjælland.
Jillian Almoney contributed to this article.
Main article photo credit: Philadelphia Union
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