Five Matches You Can't Miss At Subaru Park in 2024

Philadelphia Union opens it's 2024 MLS schedule on Saturday night. Find out which matches you don’t want to miss this season at Subaru Park.

Philadelphia Union faithful will be welcomed back to Subaru Park for the first time in 2024 on February 24th for an Eastern Conference matchup against Chicago Fire FC. Under the leadership of Head Coach Jim Curtin, the Union are 5-1-3 in home openers, and this year, they’ll look to keep that streak alive against an Eastern Conference opponent. 

The Boys in Blue emerged undefeated against the Fire last season, but they won't face the same group in Chester in 2024.

Frank Klopas will be back on the touchline for Chicago, but this time as the team's official Head Coach. In the offseason, he was promoted from his interim position after leading the Fire through their final 24 matches of 2023 when the club parted ways with Ezra Hendrickson in May. This year will be his second stint as the Fire’s head coach, as he held the same role from 2011-2013.

Union Fans can expect to see Klopas enter his new era at the Fire with a revitalized arsenal of talent through interleague trades including Tom Barlow from New York Red Bulls and Andrew Gutman from Colorado Rapids, five MLS SuperDraft picks, and multiple exercised contract options for 2024.

Another fixture of the Union’s storied rivalry with NYCFC is on the horizon, and it kicks off on Wednesday, May 15th at Subaru Park.

In 2023, the Union swept the season series first with a dominant 3-1 win at Citi Field courtesy of a Julián Carranza brace and a penalty score from Daniel Gazdag, then a 2-1 win at home with contributions from José Martinez and Chris Donovan. 

Last year, NYCFC missed out on the postseason for the first time since its inaugural season in 2016; they scored the second fewest goals in the Eastern Conference, totaling just 35 in 34 games. Though their attack still remains in question, one of the team’s offseason moves was on the other side of the field, signing former Union Homegrown goalkeeper Matt Freese to a contract extension through 2026 with an option for 2027. 

The Union lead the all-time series against NYCFC 9-8-2, and their battle to stay on top starts in May.

Philadelphia Union’s other I-95 rivalry will renew later in the summer, with a Saturday night matchup on July 6th against New York Red Bulls. Last season, the Union finished without a loss against their foes from New Jersey, picking up two dominant regular season wins plus a shootout victory in Leagues Cup that sent them to the Quarterfinal round of the tournament.

The last time the Red Bulls came to Subaru Park, they left with a discouraging 4-1 loss after the Union battled back from an early deficit with goals from Jakob Glesnes, Damion Lowe, Julián Carranza, and Daniel Gazdag. Red Bulls will return to Chester with a vengeance and a new Designated Player in midfielder Emil Forsberg. The Swedish international signed a three-year contract through 2026 with an option for 2027, and the matchup at Subaru Park will mark the first of many occasions he lines up against Philadelphia Union in the coming years.

Another can’t-miss matchup in the Union’s summertime schedule will be a visit from Columbus Crew, the defending MLS Cup Champions, on Saturday, August 24th. 

The Boys in Blue kicked off their 2023 campaign with a 4-1 win against Columbus at home, then tied 1-1 on the road later in the year. The Union haven’t lost to the Crew since 2020, but Wilfred Nancy’s side will be an opponent to circle for all Eastern Conference teams in the year to come after winning it all. Days after they hoisted the cup, the Crew announced they had exercised contract options for seven players, adding to the 14 returning players that were already under contract for the 2024 season.

To close the 2024 MLS regular season, Philadelphia Union will host a contentious Decision Day rematch against FC Cincinnati at Subaru Park on Saturday, October 19th. The Boys in Blue will look for revenge against the side that ended their most recent playoff run with an unfavorable 1-0 result in the 2023 Audi MLS Cup Semifinals.

2023 was a historically successful season for Cincinnati. In his second season as head coach, Pat Noonan led the club, which had finished last place overall for three straight seasons before his arrival, to become Supporters Shield winners. With league MVP Lucho Acosta still under contract alongside more than 20 additional players from last year’s campaign also set to return, matches against Cincinnati are likely to be a tough test.

The result will mean even more at the end of the year during the Union's final push toward the playoffs, and it'll be essential to pack Subaru Park for the occasion. 

For information about how to get tickets to see Philadelphia Union in action in 2024, click here!