Philadelphia Union opens the MLS regular season on the road against FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas on Saturday, February 29. Both clubs made playoff runs last season and are hungry for more in 2020.
Despite not having the strongest showing in preseason, the Union are ready and confident for their 2020 run. Coming off the best season in club history, the club has added more talent to their young roster with the addition of defender Jakob Glesnes as well as midfielders Matej Oravec and El Brujo. With such youth, the Boys in Blue will rely on veterans such as Alejandro Bedoya and Ray Gaddis for leadership and experience to begin the season.
FC Dallas enters 2020 with some unfinished business as they were eliminated from the 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs in a gut-wrenching match against Seattle. Dallas is expected to present a strong right side with Reggie Cannon, Michael Barrios, and Ferreira pushing over.
While both clubs have some veterans to fall back on (Bedoya for Philly, Hollingshead for Dallas), the main focus is on the youth of these programs. Aaronson, McKenzie, Pomykal, and Cannon hope to carry over their momentum from last season and continue to be productive on the pitch.
FC Dallas Players to Watch:
Paxton Pomykal – One of the top youth prospects not only in Dallas but the U.S., he’s coming off a strong 2019 campaign and expectations are even higher for Pomykal in 2020 if he’s healed from an injury that has limited him in preseason.
Michael Barrios – A commanding midfielder coming off of a 15-assist season, Barrios will make his presence known.
Philadelphia Union Players to Watch:
Brenden Aaronson – The Union homegrown is coming off of an impressive 2020 season with hopes to continue his dominance in the midfield.
Alejandro Bedoya – The captain of the club was rewarded with a contract extension earlier in the week and you can bet he’ll be looking to set the tone for not only the match, but the season.
Notable Offseason Changes for Dallas:
In: Franco Jara, Fafa Picault, Thiago Santos
Out: Dominique Badji, Pablo Aranguiz
Notable Offseason Changes for Philadelphia:
In: El Brujo, Matej Oravec, Jakob Glesnes
Out: Auston Trusty, Marco Fabian, Haris Medunjanin
