The Philadelphia Union are back together after a month-and-a-half long offseason, kicking off preparations for their 2026 campaign on Monday, January 12th in Chester.
Report day was Saturday, and following a weekend of physicals and fitness testing, the team returned to the pitch at the WSFS Bank Sportsplex for their first training session of 2026.
“It’s so much fun to be back – we were gone for a long time,” 24-year-old defender Nathan Harriel said.
“We try to stay in contact with people when we’re at home or on vacation, but it’s good to actually be back with everybody on the field and in the building.”
Between offseason outbound transfers and a club-record signing, the group that reported to camp looked significantly different than the one that said their goodbyes for the year on ‘exit interview day' back on November 25th after the team’s second-round exit in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
20-year-old Ghanaian from IF Brommapojkarna joined the mix on Monday, practicing with his new team for the first time since putting pen to paper on December 3rd.
For those returning to the club, like Harriel, who recently became one of most tenured players on the roster behind Andre Blake, Alejandro Bedoya, and Olivier Mbaizo, Monday’s session was as expected – the typical fast-paced, ever-competitive hour-and-a-half on the pitch, just with some new faces.
His teammate, Indiana Vassilev, who initially signed with the team from St. Louis City less than one year ago in February 2025, brought his energetic disposition back to Philly after signing a new deal before the holidays. This year’s is his first preseason with the club, and after the session concluded, he asked Harriel about the early intensity within the new-look squad in an impromptu post-training interview between the pair.
“Day 1 is always competitive. Everyone wants to get back out there, and everyone’s running a thousand miles an hour,” Harriel said to Vassilev.
“But it’s just good to get back on the grass. The competitive nature is still there – even the new guys and younger kids, working hard, tackling. That’s what we have to do.”
Monday was Day 1 of 37 before their first real test of the year against Defence Force in Trinidad and Tobago. On February 18th, the team will open their Concacaf Champions Cup campaign with the away leg of their first-round matchup.
The rest of the team’s opening week is set to include training, meetings, and Media Day, before a Saturday night flight to Spain for the club’s second annual training camp abroad.
