The Union will play Brazil’s Flamengo and four MLS teams in the preseason
The Union will head straight to Florida after a few days of initial tests and spend two stints in Clearwater before going to Costa Rica for their Concacaf Champions Cup opener.
Updated Jan. 9: The Union announced another preseason game, and it’s a notable one: against famed Brazilian club Flamengo on Jan. 21. The game will be played at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Fla., and it will be the first game action of the Union’s preseason. It isn’t known yet if there will be a broadcast, but the game will be open to the public. Tickets are available at FCSeries.com.
Flamengo is coming to the United States for a winter training camp starting Jan. 18, and will also play an exhibition at Orlando City on Jan. 27. The club’s big names include former Chelsea and Arsenal centerback David Luiz, Uruguay national team midfielder Giorgian de Arrascaeta, former Atlanta United winger Luiz Araújo, and Brazilian striker Gabriel “Gabigol” Barbosa. We’ll see if any of them play in this game.
The Union set their preseason schedule on Friday, including four scrimmages against MLS teams in Florida.
Unlike in the past, the Union won’t have a week of training locally — either on their outdoor fields or at the 76ers’ indoor facility in Wilmington — before heading to Florida. This time, players will report for medical tests late next week, then head straight south on Jan. 15.
There will be two stretches at the team’s traditional base in Clearwater, Fla., Jan. 15-31 and Feb. 5-14. Along the way, there will be four scrimmages against MLS teams: Jan. 23 vs. Austin FC, Jan. 27 vs. New York City FC, Feb. 9 vs. FC Cincinnati, and Feb. 14 vs. the New England Revolution.
The first of those games will be played at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Fla., and the rest will be at the Joe DiMaggio Sports Complex in Clearwater. Unfortunately for fans, all four games are set to be played behind closed doors, which likely means they won’t be broadcast.
Major League Soccer has no requirement to telecast preseason action, and a lack of a telecast usually means teams will field unsigned trialists. (That happens often.)
» READ MORE: Union open the season at home vs. Chicago, unlikely to host Lionel Messi
After the second stint in Clearwater, the Union will go to Costa Rica for nearly a week to prepare for their Concacaf Champions Cup first-round series against Saprissa.
The road game of that series, at 10 p.m. Feb. 20 (no telecast details yet), will start the Union’s 2024 campaign. Four days later, the regular season will kick off at Subaru Park against the Chicago Fire (7:30 p.m., Apple TV).
As for who will play in all those games, there’s no official word yet on the team’s big offseason matters. Kai Wagner and Alejandro Bedoya remain free agents, and Julián Carranza hasn’t been sold. Also, Jack McGlynn and Nathan Harriel will miss part of the preseason while at the U.S. men’s national team’s January training camp.
» READ MORE: Union’s Jack McGlynn and Nathan Harriel named to USMNT January camp roster
The Union’s 2024 preseason scrimmage schedule
Sunday, Jan. 21: vs. Flamengo at Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, Fla., 2 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 23: vs. Austin FC at Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, Fla., 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 27: vs. New York City FC at Joe DiMaggio Sports Complex, Clearwater, Fla., 11 a.m.
Friday, Feb. 9: vs. FC Cincinnati at Joe DiMaggio Sports Complex, Clearwater, Fla., 11 a.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 14: vs. New England Revolution at Joe DiMaggio Sports Complex, Clearwater, Fla., noon