The Philadelphia Union started their 2026 season off with a bang down in Trinidad as the boys in blue secured a 5-0 win in leg one of their Concacaf Champions Cup (CCC) tie against Defence Force FC. Milan Iloski, Ezekiel Alladoh, Olwethu Makhanya, and Bruno Damiani were the goal scorers on a night where Philly dominated. Bradley Carnell picked the right XI, getting debutants on the pitch, and relied on homegrown and depth players to get this massive result.
Philly began 2026 with an interesting-looking lineup in terms of personnel, but not formation. The familiar 4-2-2-2 helped Philly press, creating quick attacks and set pieces that led to a 5-0 rout. What was surprising was the eleven named to start the year.
GK: Rick
LB: Westfield CB: Harriel CB: Makhanya RB: Rafanello
DM: Bueno DM: Jean Jacques
AM: Iloski AM: Bedoya
ST: Korzeniowski ST: Alladoh
Off the jump, there was no Andre Blake in the net, giving young Andrew Rick a start after his strong 2025 season. Nate Harriel partnered with Olwethu Makhanya in central defense, while Frankie Westfield moved to left back, and versatile homegrown Jeremy Rafanello made an interesting start at right back.
The defensive midfield pairing of Jesus Bueno and Danley Jean Jacques was to be expected with Jovan Lukic picking up a knock. Milan Iloski sported the number 10 jersey for the first time and showed his quality, while Alejandro Bedoya came in to captain the squad's first game of the year.
The top two players got their first senior-team minutes as record-breaking transfer Ezekiel Alladoh and Union II standout Stas Korzeniowski showcased strong hold-up play.
Japhet Sery Larson, Cavan Sullivan, Bruno Damiani, Finn Sundstrom, and Indian Vassilev all came on after Philly was up 3-0 and helped secure a clean sheet in an impressive win.
Defence Force FC featured some familiar names for longtime MLS fans, with Joevin Jones and Kevin Molino leading the team. It was clear from the start that the Trinidad and Tobago side planned to stay compact and look to Jones and Molino to spark counterattacks. This led to Defence Force FC seeing little of the ball and producing only four shots, one of which was on target.
With an opponent that wanted to limit chances by defending and counterattacking, Philly needed to move away from their normal press-and-counter style. The Union’s tenacity helped them early, as they pestered Defence Force FC into making mistakes on the few occasions the home team had the ball. Philly then looked to possess and attack from wide positions. Iloski and Westfield dominated the left flank while Jean-Jacques was pivotal in recycling the ball through midfield. Korzeniowski showed an ability to hold the ball and connect on the left side for the majority of the first half hour. Things popped off for Philadelphia after that.
Bueno won a free kick just outside the box, and Iloski precisely placed a free kick past the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Williams. Philly’s first DOOP of 2026 came from a lethal free kick. Just three minutes later, there was a classic Philly goal scored. The ball was recycled down the left flank, and Westfield whipped a dangerous cross into the box where Alladoh powered a header through Williams’ hands. This could be the new Kai-to-Tai goal, a Wizzy (Westfield) to Izzy (Alladoh) if you will.
The Union was up 2-0 at halftime and looked like they were in cruise control as they moved through the second half!
The home side, now down 2-0, came out in the second half and looked to push the envelope. They failed to produce dangerous attacks but did try to bait the Union by playing more physically in their 50/50 tackles. Unfortunately for them, Philly was up for the task. The first 20 minutes of the half were more of a car crash than a soccer game, and Philly felt right at home with that.
In the 64th minute, a good press and counter earned the Union a corner kick that Iloski sent into a crowded box. Makhanya rose above everyone else to thunder a header home. He gave Philly a 3-0 lead, prompting Carnell to make personnel changes. C. Sullivan, Diamani, and Larson came on for Iloski, Alladoh, and Harriel, respectively. The attacking portion of those subs made a huge difference.
Cavan Sullivan took over the match with his team up 3-0 already. He demanded the ball on the left wing and produced a great moment just five minutes after coming on. C. Sullivan combined well with Westfield to get into the box. He played a quick cross on the ground to the top of the box to find Damiani, who scorched a shot home to make it 4-0. 10 minutes later, Sullivan drove into the box again and drew a penalty that Damiani buried for a brace.
With the score 5-0 and less than 10 minutes left in the game, Sullivan wasn’t done. He was pestering Defence Force FC so much that he drew veteran Joevin Jones to dive in and commit a red card offense, adding insult to injury for the Trinidad and Tobago side. At the end of the match, Sundstrom came on for Makhanya and Vassilev for Westfield to help keep a clean sheet and the first W of the 2026 campaign.
Philly will take their leg one big back home with them. After opening MLS play at DC United this weekend, they’ll play leg two against Defence Force FC next Thursday, Feb. 26, at Subaru Park.
The biggest takeaway, in my opinion, is that the reigning MLS Coach of the Year is using his depth of players from day one. We have seen in the past that playing in multiple competitions means needing more than a top 14 players to get meaningful minutes. Carnell playing some of these “depth pieces” like Rick, Rafanello, and Korzeniowski, in game one to get a 5-0 win, is a great sign for this team.
Philly will need their top players to score goals in 2026 to be competitive in all of their competitions. After game one, Alladoh has a goal, and Damiani has a brace. If these top two strikers get hot early and build confidence, then the Union may have a new dynamic duo putting the ball in the back of the net. Let’s see if this comes true after the first month of the season, not just after one match.
It was an electric 25 minutes for the 16-year-old wunderkind. He had 26 touches, made 11 of 14 passes, notched his first-ever assist for the senior team, won a penalty, and drew a red card. That’s a very good showing for 25 minutes of play. Is this the year where Cavan’s role moves him to be a super-sub or push to start? We’ll have to wait and see, but the youngster's first game was a great start to his and the club's 2026.
