(Photo Courtesy of Concacaf)
The MLS season is back. Perhaps someone forgot to tell the Philadelphia Union.
In a lackluster debut, the Union fell to last season’s Eastern Conference doormat D.C. United 1-0 on a goal by former Union player Tai Baribo, who made an impressive start in his new home at Audi Field.
Fielding their strongest XI for the first time in 2026, minus Frankie Westfield, who was a last-minute scratch, the Union played as if never finding their full press mode, which they’d displayed in spurts throughout the preseason campaign in Marbella, Spain, and Clearwater, Florida. Coming off a comfortable win over Defense Force FC in the Concacaf Champions Cup Wednesday night, the Union stumbled in the opening minutes, adjusting to a squad that played much differently than the team they rolled 6-0 last September.
“I thought at the start of the game, we were a little bit reactive rather than proactive,” Union coach Bradley Carnell said after the game. “They got the upper hand, then they got the goal, then we’re chasing, and instead of being on the front foot, there were just a lot of recoveries on the back foot.”
Baribo wasted no time letting the Union know how he felt about being left out of their future plans. The 2025 MLS All-Star and Union leading scorer broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute when he finished off a three versus two counter, overlapping João Peglow and slipping a shot past Andre Blake. Though many players have enacted the unusual practice of apologizing for scoring against a former team, Baribo did not fall into that category as he had no problem celebrating his first goal with his new teammates. Late in the half, he almost added a second when a D.C. free kick over the top caught the Union off guard. Baribo’s streaking run split the center backs in time to meet a first-time cross from Jackson Hopkins on the outside, but his clean strike smashed the post and bounced away.
Union 2025 leading scorer Tai Baribo opens the season by punishing his former team. No holding back on his celebration.
— Backyard Pitches (@BackyardPitches) February 22, 2026
pic.twitter.com/J8HEI9TzCQ
Milan Iloski, the Union’s best attacking player on the night, had a chance to bring the Union back with a free kick in the 38th minute. His shot beat the wall and tested veteran D.C. keeper Sean Johnson, but Johnson corralled his own bobble before Makhanya could reach.
“When we turned over the ball in the first half, we didn’t retain the ball as well as I’d hoped and expected,” Carnell said about the Union struggling to find their attacking targets, “to find Indy and Milan between the lines or even getting our strikers on the move and stretching their backline a little bit.”
New signing Geiner Martínez replaced Sundstrom at the half. Carnell alluded to an ankle injury sustained by Sundstrom just before the break. The Union regained some of their form in the opening minutes. Iloski had another good chance in the 54th minute but opted to chip Johnson from a poor angle and close distance rather than beat the D.C. keeper with force, and his shot sailed over the bar.
Things unraveled in the 59th minute when Alladoh was sent off following a tussle with defender Lucas Bartlett on the endline. In the aftermath, Alladoh exchanged words with Bartlett, and referee Guido Gonzalez Jr. revealed a straight red, which raises a lot of questions about what was said between the two players. Even Carnell appeared baffled by the decision after the game. It’s not often, if at all, a player gets sent off for regular banter within the confines of a match, so there will likely be a follow up into Alladoh’s word selection.
I genuinely have NO IDEA what happenned here.
— José Roberto Nuñez (@JoserNunez91) February 22, 2026
Not sure if Alladoh made some comment or remark that was innapropriate enough to warrant a red, but my goodness does this tilt the match away from Philadelphia.
I hope the pool reporters get a good answer.#doop #MLS #DCUNITED
📹:… pic.twitter.com/zypBMXekBv
Despite the disadvantage, the Union continued to press forward and create opportunities. Iloski again had a quick counter off an Andre Blake punt in the 64th minute, but his shot took a deflection and missed the target even though he was attacking one against two. The additions of Augustín Anello and Cavan Sullivan gave the Union fresh legs going forward toward the end, but the goal deficit and man disadvantage proved too much.
“I’m happy the way we ended the game and made a push of the game,” Carnell said, “like it meant something to be down and driving your performance, driving moments, and not hanging our heads. That’s what I like to see in my group, and I did see that in the second half.”
The Union are back to midweek action on Thursday when they host Defense Force FC in the second leg of the CCC First Round. With a 5-0 aggregate lead, the Union will likely play a mixed squad as they also prepare for a rematch with New York City FC at Subaru Park Sunday afternoon. The Cityzens eliminated the Union in the Eastern Conference semifinals before falling to champions Inter Miami a week later.
Lineups
Union: Blake, Harriel, Makhanya, Sery Larsen, Sundstrom (Martínez 45’), Danley, Bueno (Anello 57’), Iloski (C. Sullivan 70’), Vassilev (Bedoya 79’), Alladoh, Damiani (Korzenioski 79’)
Unused Subs: Rick, Rafanello, Olivas
D.C. United: Johnson, Hefti, Rowles, Bartlett, Kuroka, Hopkins (Markovic 89’), Peltola, Servania, Peglow, Pirani (Munteanu 70’), Baribo (Nealis 90’+3)
Unused Subs: Stroud, Clark, Bono, Kijima, Antley, Turner
