Philly Leader

Philadelphia Union began their 16th season with a victory over Orlando City SC, winning 4-2 on Saturday night. This match marked the start of Bradley Carnell's tenure as head coach.

Tai Baribo led the charge for Philadelphia, scoring twice. Daniel Gazdag and Mikael Uhre added goals in the second half to secure the win. Marco Pašalić scored first for Orlando in the eighth minute, but Baribo equalized in the 24th minute.

Gazdag put Philadelphia ahead early in the second half with a goal from a tight angle. Uhre quickly followed with another goal after capitalizing on an error by Orlando's defense. Baribo completed his brace just past the hour mark.

The Union will host FC Cincinnati at Subaru Park for their home opener on March 1st at 7:30 PM ET.

In this match, Philadelphia started with a 4-2-2-2 formation, featuring new starters Jovan Lukic, Olwethu Makhanya, and Frankie Westfield. Andre Blake made his 300th appearance for the club as goalkeeper.

Orlando took an early lead through Pašalić, but Philadelphia responded with Baribo's goal. Blake made a crucial save against Pašalić later in the first half.

Gazdag's goal shortly after halftime gave Philadelphia their first lead. Uhre extended it further before Baribo scored again to make it 4-1. Pašalić scored his second goal late in the game to reduce Orlando's deficit.

Philadelphia had several new faces on their bench, including Neil Pierre and Ian Glavinovich. Despite missing some recent signings, they managed to secure a strong start to their season.