The Philadelphia Union begins its 2026 schedule in the Concacaf Champions Cup with a match against Defence Force FC. The first leg of Round One will take place at 6 PM ET at Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, with live coverage on FS2, TUDN, OneSoccer, and ConcacafGO.
Starting Lineup and Player Debuts Highlight Match
The Union’s starting eleven for this game includes Andrew Rick, Nathan Harriel, Olwethu Makhanya, Jeremy Rafanello, Frankie Westfield, Alejandro Bedoya, Jesus Bueno, Danley Jean Jacques, Milan Iloski, Ezekiel Alladoh, and Stas Korzeniowski. Notably, forwards Ezekiel Alladoh and Stas Korzeniowski are making their club debuts. The bench consists of Andre Blake, George Marks, Japhet Sery, Finn Sundstrom, Ben Bender, Cavan Sullivan, C.J. Olney, Indiana Vassilev, Agustin Anello, Bruno Damiani, Eddy Davis III, and Sal Olivas.
Significance of This Match for Philadelphia Union
This match marks the first-ever meeting between Defence Force FC and Philadelphia Union and represents the Union’s inaugural encounter with a Caribbean club in the tournament’s history. It is also the team’s second appearance in the tournament’s first round after advancing past Deportivo Saprissa with a 6-5 aggregate score in the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup edition. Homegrown talents Andrew Rick, Jeremy Rafanello, and Frankie Westfield earn their first starts in Concacaf Champions Cup play, adding further depth to the squad’s lineup.
