On Wednesday, December 20th, Philadelphia Union announced its entire 2024 MLS Schedule in conjunction with the league. Just like last season, fans can watch every league match with MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. In anticipation of the season to come, Scouting the Schedule is back for 2024! Take a deep dive into the Union's schedule with a preview of every single matchup.
May is shaping up to be a very busy month for Philadelphia, featuring six total league matches with half on the road, plus a potential Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal berth.
Subaru Park could host the second leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup Semifinals in May. Being the A1 position in the draw would mean Philly hosts the final leg in front of its home crowd, which would be key given they could be facing Liga MX's Club America or CD Guadalajara along with MLS rival New England Revolution or LD Alajuelense of Costa Rica.
Regardless of their Concacaf Champions Cup fate, Philadelphia Union will visit Audi Field on May 4th for their first matchup of the year against D.C. United.
The Boys in Blue have built extensive familiarity with this opponent as of late after meeting them on three occasions in 2023. Philadelphia claimed a win and a draw during the regular season, plus a penalty kick win during Leagues Cup in August.
This year when the pair faces off, D.C. United will be under the direction of a new General Manager and Chief Soccer Officer in Ally Mackay, who joins the club after five seasons at Nashville SC. As of December 22nd, the team has not hired a head coach nor appointed an interim after parting ways with Wayne Rooney at the end of their playoff run.
Last season was an incredibly productive one for Orlando City SC as the club set records for wins, points and road wins, while also making a fourth-consecutive postseason appearance. Following the 2023 campaign, the club and Head Coach Oscar Pareja agreed to a new two-year contract that'll keep him at the helm until 2025.
His squad finished second in the east in 2023, but were unable to advance past Columbus Crew, falling 2-0 to the team that went on to become MLS Cup Champions.
The rivalry continues with the Union's second meeting with NYCFC of 2024 on May 15th. On this occasion, Head Coach Nick Cushing's squad will take the trip to Subaru Park for a midweek matchup.
New England Revolution’s 2023 season ended in the first round of the playoffs by way of the Philadelphia Union when the Boys in Blue picked up two consecutive wins in their first round series.
Although New England’s roster won’t look exactly the same, the team will welcome back the lot of their group after exercising the options of six players and signing three Homegrown Players to the first team in their initial roster decision announcement.
The most notable piece of offseason news coming from the Revolution is the permanent transfer of 24-year-old Designated Player Tomás Chancalay from Racing Club, ensuring his talents through 2026 with an additional one-year club option. With a more fervent rivalry born out of last year's playoffs, Revolution vs Union could feature a heightened level of intensity in 2024.
Charlotte FC has made major changes in the offseason, most notably parting ways with Christian Lattanzio as head coach. Although the team had a historically successful campaign in 2023, reaching the postseason for the first time in club history, they’ve signed Englishman Dean Smith, a former Premier league manager, to lead the team. Last year, Philadelphia emerged without a loss against Charlotte, earning a 1-0 win and a 2-2 draw, but their Mint City opponents could be a tougher test in the season to come with new leadership.
Toronto will visit Subaru Park for a midweek matchup to close May.
The Canadian side sat at bottom of the table in 2023 despite having some of the biggest names in all of the league. Michael Bradley is no longer with the side after he announced his retirement prior to the final home match of the season and there are many question marks surrounding their two Italian Designated Players. One thing for certain is that John Herdman, the former Canada men’s and women’s national team manager, is looking to set the tone from the start as he looks to rebuild a team that won just four games, scored a league-low 26 goals and allowed the most goals in the East.
