There’s not too much to take away from preseason games anyway.
The Union rolled through the first thirty minutes, taking a 2-0 lead, then conceded the game’s final four goals as their final preseason opponent, CF Montréal, played as if they had something to prove at Joe DiMaggio Sports Complex in Clearwater, FL, on Tuesday evening.
Milan Iloski scored first half brace, and Montréal took two red cards, one to coach Marco Donadel in the first half for disputing a tough challenge by Nathan Harriel, and the second Efrian Morales for a nasty challenge on Iloski in the second half. But it wasn’t enough as the Union faded down the stretch in the first game where the starting XI played significant minutes with their Concacaf Champions League opener now only a week away.
Unlike in Saturday’s 2-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rowdies, the Union started most of their projected opening-day XI, which included Japhet Sery Larsen in his center back role and Agustin Anello as the left-side 10. Anello’s signing was announced earlier in the day. Longtime captain Alejandro Bedoya started as the right-side 10 and Andre Blake started and played the entire 90 minutes.
The visitors from Montréal, one of the league’s lowest-ranked teams from 2025, featured former Union homegrown Brandon Craig as well as former midfielder Fabian Herbers.
Both teams traded chances early, but as the game grew more physical, the Union asserted themselves in the 28th minute off a throw in deep in Montréal’s half. Bedoya crossed a Harriel throw across the penalty area to Ezekiel Alladoh, who helped it further to Frankie Westfield. Iloski jumped on Westfield’s layoff and buried the ball into the top right corner to take the 1-0 lead.
Union vs Montreal in final preseason tuneup from Clearwater.
— Backyard Pitches (@BackyardPitches) February 10, 2026
And Milan Iloski is in midseason form. 😯
📽️ Philadelphia Union pic.twitter.com/ZEfQHv1lWQ
The action heated up after thirty minutes when Harriel came in strong and a little late, earning a yellow card. But Donadel was emphatic that Harriel should have earned something more and was himself dismissed, forced to coach the rest of the game in the stands via walki-talkie.
Shortly after, the Union press was at it again, this time forcing a turnover inside Montréal’s half. Iloski came back into the play and won the ball, perhaps with more body, and Alladoh sprang Anello down the left flank, racing to goal. Anello picked out Iloski at the back post, and the Union striker smashed home his second to extend the lead.
Iloski bags his second.
— Backyard Pitches (@BackyardPitches) February 10, 2026
This time set up by Union’s latest signing Agustin Anello.
📽️ Philadelphia Union pic.twitter.com/LnXWItKXNx
Despite the loss, Union coach Bradley Carnell had mixed results about the performance.
“It’s early, it’s preseason, and there’s a lot of rust for both teams,” he told Philadelphia Union media after the game. When there’s a couple chippy tackles, you just lose structure of the game, then it becomes a bit of a free for all.” Three of the Union’s four goals from the last two games have come from defensive pressure, and the fourth from a set piece, which fits well into Carnell’s 60-20-10 model that he explained in great detail at the United Soccer Coaches Convention a few weeks ago.
“When we do things really well within our structure and the philosophy and brave within the principles, we get rewarded so many times and so much.”
The Union will train in Florida for the next week ahead of Wednesday’s Concacaf match at Defense Force CF in Trinidad. The Union open their 2026 MLS season the road at D.C. United on Saturday February 21st at Audi Field.
Lineups:
Union: Blake, Westfield, Makhanya (Uzcátegui), Sery Larsen (Martinez), Harriel, Lukic, Danley, Bedoya (C. Sullivan), Anello (Bender), Iloski (Korzeniowski), Alladoh (Olivas)
CF Montréal: Keita, Guboglo, Vera, Craig, Hidalgo, Loturi, Piette, Herbers, Jaime, Synchuk, Rios
