Just months after achieving the best record in club history, which earned them the 2025 Supporters’ Shield (a trophy awarded to the club with the highest total points in the regular season), the Philadelphia Union find themselves at rock bottom of the league table.
Through five games this MLS season, the Union are 0–5–0 and have accumulated the same number of points as you and I have. Their only win came in the Concacaf Champions Cup, an alternate competition that they achieved qualification for the year prior, against the military-based club Defense Force FC, a team from Trinidad and Tobago that has some players who partially serve in the nation’s military.
So what exactly is going wrong for the 2026 Philadelphia Union?
One of the biggest problems stems from constant roster turnover. To put it simply, the Union got rid of three of their best players within a month during the offseason: Kai Wagner, one of the best left backs in MLS history and arguably the best player in club history, was traded to Birmingham City of the EFL Championship; Jakob Glesnes, the best center-back in club history, was traded to the LA Galaxy; and Tai Baribo, the Union’s leading goalscorer in 2025, joined DC United. Why would the Union embark in such a rebuild just after winning a trophy? It is all part of the Union’s philosophy: Get younger players who fit the Union’s game model.
Union fans are, unfortunately, used to this turnover. In recent years, the Union have operated under a high-pressing 4-2-2-2 formation, making it tough for many players to buy into the idea and fit the playstyle needed to win games. Thus, some players who develop through the Union’s world-class academy often leave for more play time, like David Vazquez, while others, like rising talent Jack McGlynn, are simply traded because they don’t fit the system. In fact, in 2025, the Union shockingly traded away all-time leading goalscorer Daniel Gazdag to Eastern Conference foe Columbus Crew.
For the most part, the moves the Union have made in the last offseason have made sense. Wagner desired to play in Europe and Baribo wanted designated player money that the club was not going to offer him. The most surprising move, however, was shipping Glesnes away after he played at an MLS Best XI-caliber level in 2025.
After selling this many key players, the Union had to bring in replacements in order to compete for trophies in 2026. Union fans were skeptical of the ownership’s ability to sign quality replacements, given that the Union have consistently ranked among the league’s lowest spenders. This reflects their model of buying players low and selling them at their highest value, which was one of the reasons they decided to trade the now 32-year-old Glesnes.
In short, the Union’s replacement signings have not been great. New club-record signing Ekeziel Alladoh has more red cards than goals in league play and was dropped from two matches for showing up late to a team meeting. Center back signings Japhet Sery Larsen and Geiner Martínez have struggled to find consistent minutes, while Agustín Anello still has not found his footing in MLS. New left back Philippe Ndinga has been solid, but he brings completely different attributes to the squad as a right-footed left back.
On Saturday, the Union will travel to Charlotte in a match with serious implications. The Union have never won at the Bank of America Stadium, but will need to do exactly that if they want to come away victorious and relieve some stress from their rough start to the season. Although MLS is unpredictable, the Union, more often than not, have been one of the best teams in the league since 2019. For a club that holds itself to lofty standards, this start to 2026 has been nothing short of frustrating and disappointing.
