CLEARWATER, Fla. — As the Philadelphia Union close out their preseason preparations, head coach Bradley Carnell shared updates on player injuries, new signings, and the development of several Academy standouts ahead of the club’s upcoming Concacaf Champions Cup opener. The week also marked the unveiling of the Union’s new 1776 Kit, celebrating Philadelphia’s history while signaling the start of a pivotal 2026 campaign.

Preseason thoughts

Looking at the overall picture of this 2026 preseason, Union head coach Bradley Carnell was pleased with how things went for the most part.

“Every year you’re trying to build on layers from what you did last year,” mentioned Carnell. “And you know, we’ve had a good, committed, group now through through the five games. One thing, first and foremost, is to push and progress the minutes and stay away and clear from any long term or, you know, bad injuries. And I think for the most part, we’ve got through that.”

Carnell mentioned that despite long term or bad injuries, there are a few players that are currently dealing with knocks outside of Quinn Sullivan’s recovery from ACL surgery.

Finn Sundstrom and Indiana Vasseliev are dealing with some injuries; however, both have been progressing through their rehab, and the Union coach figures that they will be back sooner rather than later. Milian Iloski took a bad knock in Tuesday’s match with C.F. Montreal, and the staff is getting the baselines on his injury. Finally, forward Eddy Davis also suffered a knock; however, Carnell did not go into the timeline of his return.

Also, one other omission in the last two matches has been forward Bruno Damiani. Carnell mentioned that he is currently in Uruguay getting his green card and that they are getting the paperwork straightened out and that his return to the squad is imminent.

On the Union’s latest signings, Geiner Martinez and Agustín Anello, Bradley spoke first and foremost about the type of people they are.

“I think it starts off the field”, he said. “And I think when we always speak about recruitments, we speak about people first. And I think all of those guys you’ve just mentioned have come in and exceeded our expectations. You know, Geiner, who doesn’t, from a language perspective, know English, he’s trying and progressing every single day. And then we’re trying to, especially as a coaching staff here, with our Spanish acumen, we’re trying to progress every single day.”

“Anello comes in two days ago, what have you, and kind of hits the ground running. You know, he’s a real good character. Played with Nate before, so he knows a couple of the players. He knows Bruno really well. But again, we’ve brought in really good people and players too.”

Agustín made an impact in his first match, assisting on Milan Iloski’s goal- something the Union head coach was happy to talk about as to what the Union staff and scouts saw in him.

“He has a tenacity against the ball that I love, right?” said Carnell when asked. “So, first and foremost, great work ethic, commitment to the team when he doesn’t have the ball, and then willingness to run in possession where he’s got a good technique with the dribbling.

“So he can be off the shoulder of the outside back, dribbling in a 1v1; he can pick up in the pocket too, how we like to play, as well with interior 10s. So you know that he shows a lot of like, flexibility with within our game model, and then making the runs he does, and the commitment to a group as a teammate, in terms of the counter pressing and the aggressiveness against the ball, how we defend.”

Finally, Carnell talked about some of the Academy and Union II players that featured during the preseason and where they are at in their development.

Mainly Jordan Griffin, Kellan LeBlanc, and Rafael Uzcátegui were discussed. All three featured in the Tampa Bay Rowdies match, and Uzcátegui played in Tuesday’s contest as well.

“I had a lot of fun watching watching Jordan and Kellan go at it against a very competitive Tampa group who who made our lives tough, and, you know, showed you in the second half there, that even with Academy kids on the field and Union II guys on the field, a really interesting experiment,” Carnell said.

“So we’re just trying to keep the guys developed, but then we also have to expect or respect the process of development, you know, not expect too much too soon.”

So now that the final five matches of the preseason have come to a close, the club now shifts its attention to next Wednesday in Trinidad and Tobago as they kick off their first leg of the Concacaf Championship opening round against Defence Force FC.

“We’ve seen growth and development within these four, five weeks of a vital preseason. Now, you know, getting prepared for Champions Cup and match day one against DC,” Carnell said.

Union announce the 1776 Kit

On Tuesday, the club unveiled its 2026 primary kit. Inspired by Philadelphia’s history of collective action, the kit embodies the rebellious spirit, blue-collar grit, and shared identity that define both the city and the club, featuring landmarks and figures that give the city its distinctive character.

“America’s 250th anniversary and the FIFA World Cup create a unique opportunity to showcase Philadelphia’s history, pride, and global relevance, and this jersey is a symbol of that moment. It’s a reflection of who we are, where we come from, and the significance of this year for our city, our fans, and our organization,” said Amanda Young Curtis, SVP Marketing and Communications, Philadelphia Union.

To celebrate the launch of the 1776 Kit, the Union will host a series of pop-up shops across historic sites in Philadelphia.

Pop-Up Shop Schedule:

IBX River Rink – February 13 | 6:30–8:30 p.m.
Independence Hall – February 14 | 12–2 p.m.
Dilworth Park – February 15 | 12–2 p.m.

Additionally, the Union shop will be open on February 14 and 15 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The 1776 Kit is on sale now at MLSStore.com, Fanatics.com, and Adidas.com.

Main article photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Union.