Union announces preseason schedule ahead of upcoming Major League Soccer campaign
Following a pair of matches in Marbella, Spain, the team returns Stateside to continue preparations in Clearwater on Feb. 2, culminating in a Feb. 7 game against Eastern Conference foe FC Cincinnati
For the 11th straight season, the Union will return to Clearwater, Fla., to embark on its preseason training, which will include a series of tune-up games before the start of the Major League Soccer regular season.
Before that, however, the team will head to Spain for a pair of exhibition matches against Czech club Slavia Prague (Jan. 19) and Danish side AGF on Jan. 26. Both matches will take place at 9 a.m. at the Marbella Football Center, in Marbella, Spain.
The Union had not yet announced plans to stream either event at the time of this report.
The team returns Stateside to continue preparations in Clearwater on Feb. 2, culminating in a Feb. 7 game against Eastern Conference foe FC Cincinnati. That is the only game planned for now, but historically, the Union has interspersed smaller matches and joint training sessions with other clubs within its preseason training schedule.
“We’re incredibly grateful for our continued partnership with Visit St. Pete-Clearwater as we mark our 11th preseason in Clearwater, Florida,” said Union president Tim McDermott. “We are very fortunate to be able to train in a consistently welcoming and vibrant setting that offers the resources required to best prepare the team for a successful season ahead.”
Of course, that was with former longtime head coach Jim Curtin, who was succeeded earlier this month by Bradley Carnell, the South Africa native, who coached MLS’ St. Louis FC to an unprecedented inaugural season in 2022.
Carnell and the Union open the 2025 campaign on the road against Orlando City on Feb. 22 (7:30 p.m., Apple TV, MLS Season Pass).
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