Philadelphia will face D.C. United on Saturday in Washington for its MLS season opener, encountering a team with several new players and one familiar face.
Tai Baribo, who scored 25 goals over the past two seasons with the Union, has now joined D.C. United for $4 million as a Designated Player.
The striker is stepping in for Christian Benteke, the 2024 MLS Golden Boot winner, whose contract was not renewed.
Baribo was Philadelphia’s top scorer last year with 16 goals, helping the team achieve a 20-8-6 record (66 points), winning the Supporters’ Shield and reaching the Eastern Conference semifinals.
In contrast, D.C. United ended last season with the worst record in MLS at 5-18-11 (26 points) and missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year, the longest ongoing drought in the league.
Baribo will team up with another new player, Louis Munteanu, a 23-year-old from CFR Cluj in Romania, who joined for a club-record fee of up to $10 million.
Sean Johnson, a seasoned goalkeeper with over 400 MLS matches, will take charge in goal for D.C. United, improving a defense that allowed 66 goals last season, the most in the Eastern Conference.
Despite their recent success, Philadelphia is also in a transition phase after losing its top two defenders, Kai Wagner and Jakob Glesnes. Wagner, who had the most assists for the Union last season with 11, transferred to Birmingham City, while Glesnes was traded to the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Philadelphia coach Bradley Carnell noted, “If your team does well, it’s no surprise that you’ll get some calls. The Union has built a strong reputation for attracting good players and staff. It’s a continuous cycle.”
As part of their offseason changes, Philadelphia’s roster has become younger. Ezekiel Alladoh, 20, has joined from IF Brommapojkarna in Sweden for a club-record transfer fee of $4.5 million to replace Baribo.
To fill the defensive gaps left by Glesnes and Wagner, the Union has signed Geiner Martinez, 23, and Japhet Sery Larsen, 25.
Recent matchups have favored Philadelphia, as D.C. has not won in the last nine encounters (0-6-3). The last meeting in Washington ended with a 6-0 win for Philadelphia.
D.C. defender Lucas Bartlett commented, “There’s a lot of feeling about this matchup, especially after how we performed against them at home. It feels personal. They’re the team to beat after finishing first in the East.”