New for U
New fan experiences? Check.
New food and beverage options? You know it.
A new playing style with a new creator at the center of it? Yeah, we can do that too.
Philadelphia Union matches in 2019 will be decked out with more. More fan experiences, including a new opening ceremony.
New food and beverage choices include Chanks pizza cones, Zac's burgers -- featuring Zac pacs with four burgers in a box -- and a chipotle-sauced fried chicken sandwich.
More to choose from, more to see and do, and more energy on the field -- this is why Union fans need to come out to the stadium and watch their boys play in 2019.
New No. 10
Philadelphia's new No. 10 is a big name, but he still wants to prove himself in MLS. Fabián arrives with a reputation as a wizard on the ball and a gunslinger from distance, and both of those attributes make for exciting soccer. He will see plenty of the ball against a Toronto side that is unlikely to press, and the creator will be seeking to show Philly's fans that they are in for a treat when he's on the pitch this season.
But I don't need to explain why you should watch Marco Fabián when I can just show you.
New system
Ernst Tanner's arrival heralded a change in the system for the Union, though not a complete change in priorities. Jim Curtin still wants to dominate games, and it's just a question of how he does it. Last season, the Union wanted to have the ball and build. In the preseason, they have done that at times, but the overall focus is slightly different. The builds are more focused on drawing teams up and inside so the Union can burst forward when the right pass opens. Philly's defensive structure looks even more different. A two-striker shape with an extremely compact midfield is designed to force opponents into turnovers or funnel them wide. And all of this is meant to be done with aggression.
New blood and top stars
For all the focus on Fabián, Sergio Santos, and Kai Wagner, this match will feature some of this generation's best American players and some that might become the best of the next wave. Michael Bradley and Ale Bedoya will almost certainly play on Saturday, and Jozy Altidore could join them. These three players have been part of the core of a strong US unit over the past decade and they remain some of the very best in MLS.
But lurking along the backline, and perhaps in midfield, is a glimpse of the future. Auston Trusty, Mark McKenzie, and Matt Real. Brenden Aaronson, Anthony Fontana, and Derrick Jones. These players all have ceilings that include national team minutes, and they are already good enough to provide regular starts -- or, in Auston Trusty's case, all the starts -- for the Union. If you want to see the top American talent and some of the best that come next on the same pitch, Talen Energy Stadium is the place to do it on March 2.
