NEW YORK — The New York and New Jersey World Cup host committee has canceled its fan festival that had been planned to be held at Liberty State Park in Jersey City.
The committee scrapped plans for the weekslong festival that would have been held about 15 miles (24 kilometers) from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, where the final will be played on July 19.
The FanFest was announced in February 2025 by Tammy Murphy, wife of then-New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and chair of the New York/New Jersey host committee’s directors, who said it would be open for all 104 matches of the tournament, which starts June 11.
The committee said in a statement Friday an “expanded network of fan zones and community celebrations across 21 counties in New Jersey will serve as a cornerstone of the region’s official fan engagement program.”
Mikie Sherrill, Murphy’s successor as governor, announced a $5 million initiative Thursday to fund community World Cup initiatives.
Tickets for the FanFest had been put on sale in December.
Plans for a FanFest in New York City’s Corona Park in Queens did not move forward. One is now planed for the U.S. Tennis Association’s Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens from June 17-28 and a fan village is scheduled for Manhattan’s Rockefeller Center from July 4-19.
Fan fests with large video screens have been a part of each World Cup’s organization since 2006.
FIFA is running the World Cup itself unlike in the past, when a local organizing committee was in charge of logistics. The host committees are limited to sponsorship agreements in categories not reserved by FIFA.
Olwethu Makhanya is just 21 years old, and this year will be his second as a regular player for the Union. But in a centerback unit with so many newcomers, that’s enough to qualify him as a veteran.
In fact, it’s enough to qualify him as a rising leader. Though Japhet Sery Larsen and Geiner Martínez are both older, Makhanya is the only one of the expected regulars who has played in Bradley Carnell’s system, and knows the Union’s standards on and off the field.
“We had two important players from the back line leaving the team,” he told The Inquirer, referring to centerback Jakob Glesnes and left back Kai Wagner. “So that leaves people like me who were here last season to try and take on leading, try to help the new guys coming in to understand what we try to do. So yeah, I feel like it’s a new challenge for me to try and be a leader, and lead the new guys.”
No position on the field requires more chemistry than centerback. Whether in a group of two (as the Union use) or three, each player must know where the others were, are, and will be, and often without being able to talk about it in real time.
Olwethu Makhanya (right) defending Chicago striker Hugo Cuypers during last year’s playoffs.
That made it crucial to get Makhanya and Sery Larsen as many reps together as possible in the preseason, and that seemed to be achieved over the Union’s five games. Martínez arrived later, but he played in the last two games and was on the field with Makhanya in each.
“I feel like five games is enough,” Makhanya said. “Obviously it’s not going to be perfect from the start, but I feel like it’s going to be enough at least to prepare us for the start [of the season].”
He has also enjoyed getting to know Sery Larsen and Martínez off the field.
“They’re very good people,” Makhanya said. “They’re already blending in with the team. Very good human beings, they work hard, [are] willing to learn, and that’s all we need as a team.”
Japhet Sery Larsen (right) in action during one of the Union’s preseason games.
Selflessness within the group
Though Glesnes’ departure impacts Makhanya most directly, Wagner’s departure matters, too. There are no true left backs on the Union’s roster right now, and though the club is actively shopping for a new starter, they haven’t signed one yet.
For now, Frankie Westfield and Nathan Harriel are platooning at the spot, since each has past experience there. Makhanya has had to adjust to that, and will have to adjust again when the new signing arrives.
“Looking at the way that we play, the system, the style of play,” Makhanya said, “I feel like the guys that we have at the moment … everyone can be able to play those positions. As long as they’re able to take in the instructions from the coach, we should be fine.”
Longtime Union fans will know that it’s been a regular theme in these pages over the years that the Union need to have more than two starting-caliber centerbacks, so they can be rotated over the season to stay fresh. That will be very important again this season, with the club’s return to the Champions Cup now and MLS’s Leagues Cup in late summer.
Geiner Martínez is the other major new addition to the Union’s centerback group this year.
Any player wants to play, of course, but veterans know the importance of the long haul. So it’s to Makhanya’s credit that he’s willing to take a seat for a night if needed.
“I’d be OK,” he said. “As long as it’s something that’s going to help the team, I’d be fine with it.”
It’s not surprising that Makhanya has grown a bond with manager Bradley Carnell. Along with both being South Africa natives, Carnell took a leap of faith to make Makhanya a starter last year when he hadn’t played a second for the first team yet.
That faith was rewarded with a major role in the Union winning the Supporters’ Shield, and doing so with a return to the stingy defense they cherish.
Bradley Carnell on the Union sideline during a game last year.
“I feel like the relationship I have with him is really amazing,” Makhanya said. ”He’s a great human being, he’s a good teacher, his instructions are very clear, he’s a very understanding person. So because of who he is, it it’s very easy to work with him.”
Asked what his goals are for this year, Makhanya started with some humor.
“Firstly for myself, I think I’m going to score a couple of goals this season on set pieces,” he said. He scored twice last year, including a dramatic game-winner in the U.S. Open Cup round-of-16 comeback against Red Bull New York.
But Makhanya meant it when he said he wants to improve his aerial presence this year and “get a few headers” on free kicks and corners. He proved it right away, too, with a headed goal off a corner kick in the season-opening win at Defence Force FC in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
“And then for the group, we obviously have very high expectations, because we already know what we can do,” he said. “So we’re just trying to maintain that and try to find a way forward, and we take it a game at a time.”
There could be one more goal, too, beyond the Union. South Africa’s national team is in the World Cup for the first time since hosting in 2010. Fans and media back home have noticed Makhanya’s success, and have criticized the Bafana Bafana’s staff for thinking less of MLS than perhaps it should.
Carnell, who played for his country at the 2002 tournament, is well aware — and not pleased. Makhanya was diplomatic about it when asked, at least at first.
“I mean, not even being part of the national team last season was kind of disappointing for me, you know, but it’s just a motivation at the same time,” he said. “So yeah, it’s something that’s been in my mind that I’m looking forward to.”
“I think they do [look at MLS], but I feel like they don’t really have that much respect for the league,” Makhanya said. “So I guess that’s why I’m maybe not part of the squad, but I can’t really know.”
If he starts this season as well as he played last year, there might be even more people hoping for a better answer.
Whatever doubts Union fans had about the team’s starting lineup in Trinidad on Wednesday, it wasn’t surprising that manager Bradley Carnell had none.
“We knew that at some point, with the type of intensity we could play at, it could be too much for them,” he said a day after his team’s 5-0 rout of Defence Force FC. “And that did prove to be the truth.”
The biggest decisions were putting Stas Korzeniowski at striker in his first game with the Union’s first team, and attacking midfielder Jeremy Rafanello at right back. Both worked out fine, helped by their teammates’ cavalcade of goals.
“We’ve been training a couple weeks with Stas alongside Bruno [Damiani], alongside Ezekiel [Alladoh],” Carnell said. “So, I mean, for us, that was a no-brainer. It didn’t even come into thought that there’s anything doubtful or risky going on there.”
Stas Korzeniowski jumps to celebrate with Olwethu Makhanya after Makhanya scored the Union’s third goal of the game.
He praised Rafanello for being “always ready for a game, and he can always run for days, and he always puts his best effort forward.”
But while Carnell praised “a lot of good things” in Rafanello’s game, he also admitted that playing Rafanello in that position was in part “by necessity.”
“We’ve been challenged over the last couple of days with a couple of … day-to-day type of scenarios,” he continued.
Those “scenarios” included minor injuries to midfielders Ben Bender and Jovan Lukić along with forward Agustín Anello. Carnell also confirmed that new centerback Geiner Martínez is temporarily on a visa status that makes it difficult for him to leave the United States and promptly return.
But right back Olivier Mbaizo’s absence was Carnell’s choice, one he said he made “just basically through preseason performance. Nothing much to question there.”
That choice left the manager with no outside backs on his bench. Both players with experience there started, Frankie Westfield on the left and Nathan Harriel at centerback. Westfield grabbed at a hamstring midway through the second half, but Carnell said he “should be good.”
As debut goals go, Alladoh’s was pretty impressive. He watched teammates circulate the ball to Westfield, then charged up the middle, split two centerbacks, and slammed in a leaping header from close range.
“New environment, new teammates, he has to figure things out, wasn’t able to get on the score sheet in preseason, but he worked really hard,” Carnell said. “And then in the big games and in the games that matter most, he showed up. So I’m really happy for that, and hopefully he takes that energy and confidence into the next couple of games.”
That was the second of three goals the Union put on the board before Carnell started a raft of substitutions. Cavan Sullivan was one of the entrants, and immediately started shredding Defence Force’s back line.
The 16-year-old made multiple surging runs forward, including three that drew payoffs: a great assist to fellow substitute Bruno Damiani in the 69th minute, a penalty kick in the 78th, and a red card to former Seattle Sounders defender Joevin Jones in the 92nd.
“I’ve seen a lot more maturity from Cavan over the last couple of weeks, and he’s worked his way into being a contributor,” Carnell said. “I speak about the environment, just think about the young kid coming in there and running rings around Defence Force. So I was really happy with his performance.”
Sullivan had some longer runs as a starter last year in the U.S. Open Cup, but quality-wise this might have been his best outing in a Union jersey so far.
“It was a very mature performance, I would say,” Carnell said. “He kept it simple when he needed to, he accelerated and got on the dribble when he had to, and then he draws crucial moments and puts the opponents under pressure. … I thought that was his best performance over the last 12 months.”
The Union’s next game is their MLS season opener on Saturday at D.C. United (7:30 p.m., Apple TV), headlined by an early reunion with former leading striker Tai Baribo.
Then it’s back to Chester for the finale of the Defence Force series next Thursday (7 p.m., FS1), followed by a rematch of last year’s playoff loss to New York City FC on March 1.
When the Union kicked off their season on Wednesday night, they were the fourth MLS team to take the field in this year’s Concacaf Champions Cup.
The previous three — San Diego, Nashville, and Los Angeles FC — outscored their opponents by a combined 12-3 over four games.
LAFC accounted for six of those goals, with star forward Dénis Bouanga scoring three and superstar Son Heung-min tallying one and three assists. San Diego’s biggest name, last year’s MLS Newcomer of the Year Anders Dreyer, led his team to an outstanding 4-2 aggregate win over Mexico’s Pumas UNAM.
You needn’t have walked through much slush around Philadelphia this week to wonder which MLS team would be first to fall. But surely it wouldn’t be the Union, with such a talent advantage over Trinidad’s Defence Force FC.
Frankie Westfield (right) defending Defence Force’s Levi Garcia.
Then the Union’s starting lineup was revealed, and the mood turned to shock. Manager Bradley Carnell chose to start Stas Korzeniowski at forward, Alejandro Bedoya at right attacking midfield, Nathan Harriel at centerback, Andrew Rick in goal, and most surprising, attacking midfielder Jeremy Rafanello at right back.
Bruno Damiani, Indiana Vassilev, Japhet Sery Larsen, and Andre Blake were all on the bench. Geiner Martínez and Olivier Mbaizo weren’t on the game squad in the first place. Nor was Jovan Lukić, though at least Carnell had signaled that was coming due to an injury.
Right after kickoff, Concacaf’s world feed broadcast hinted at another unusual circumstance. Jesús Bueno had issues getting a visa to enter Trinidad. He spent Tuesday night in nearby Antigua, got the visa Wednesday morning, and only arrived in Port-of-Spain at lunchtime Wednesday.
Later in the game, a source with knowledge of the matter told The Inquirer that Martínez also had a visa issue. That helped clarify things a little more.
Jeremy Rafanello was a surprising starter at right back on Wednesday.
But it was still a surprise to see this lineup. Was Carnell taking the opponent lightly? He spoke repeatedly after the game about his respect for Defence Force, but his lineup choices also said something.
Some watchers recalled that another of Bedoya’s teams made choices in Trinidad in 2017, 20 miles down the road in Couva. He was stuck on the bench for the U.S. men’s team’s infamous loss to Trinidad & Tobago that knocked the Americans out of the 2018 World Cup.
At the final whistle, all those thoughts were long gone. The Union won in a 5-0 rout, with Milan Iloski’s 29th-minute free kick opening the floodgates. Ezekiel Alladoh scored his first goal for the Union off a superb Frankie Westfield cross, Olwethu Makhanya slammed in a header off an Iloski corner, and Bruno Damiani scored twice as a substitute.
Cavan Sullivan also made his first goal contribution for the Union’s first team, with a terrific assist on Damiani’s first goal. The 16-year-old had multiple nifty moments on the ball in his 25-minute run as a substitute, one of which earned a penalty kick after a nice combination play with Westfield. Damiani stepped up to score it.
Cavan Sullivan's first goal contribution for the Union's first team is this sharp assist:pic.twitter.com/qhcXWVBSFE
On the same night that Westfield’s brother Rocco led Father Judge to a second straight Catholic League boys’ basketball final at the Palestra, Frankie was a strong nominee for the Union’s player of the game. He recorded 39-of-46 passing, five scoring chances created, four clearances, one block, and seven duels won of the 12 contested.
That was almost all overshadowed in the 70th minute, when the cameras showed Westfield holding his right hamstring. With Harriel off the field, the only other left back option available was midfielder Ben Bender on the bench.
Westfield shook off the pain for a while, but he exited in the 84th minute for Vassilev. That meant both outside backs were attacking midfielders. At least at that point it didn’t matter anymore.
“Rafa’s a guy who is very versatile, he can play anywhere,” Carnell said afterward. “This was just more by need, and we knew he could do the job. We just needed positive guys to give energy, [to] want to do what’s best for the team, and that’s what Jeremy is.”
The gamble paid off, and with some style in the end. Carnell was rightly pleased at the final whistle, praising his team for surviving Defence Force’s early-game surge before imposing its will.
“I think we did have a challenge for sure, and I think through the second half performance of our guys — give them credit,” he said. “We showed a real professional performance in the second half.”
But he had still gambled, and it’s a good thing he won.
The Union opened their 2026 season with a win on Wednesday night, defeating Defence Force FC, 5-0, in the first of a two-game Concacaf Champions Cup first round series at Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad.
Milan Iloski opened the scoring for the Union in the 29th minute, scoring on a free kick from just outside the 18-yard box. Ezekiel Alladoh added a second shortly after, heading a Frankie Westfield cross into the back of the net in the 32nd minute.
The Union added three more goals in the second half. Olwethu Makhanya scored the Union’s third goal in the 64th minute from a corner set-piece. Bruno Damiani added a fourth off an assist from Cavan Sullivan in the 69th. Damiani added another from the penalty spot to put the Union up, 5-0, in the 81st minute.
The Union also avoided injuries during their match with Defence Force, something Union manager Bradley Carnell noted in his postgame conference.
“Playing away from home, It’s always a tough challenge,” Carnell said. “We always have to sort out a few things.”
Iloski’s free kick was set up by a Defence Force foul on Jesús Bueno. Iloski lined up to take the kick and sent a right-footed strike up and over the Defence Force wall into the right side of the net.
On Damiani’s first goal, the forward came on as a substitute alongside Sullivan and Japhet Sery Larsen in the 65th minute. Sullivan, 17, played a centering pass to Damiani, who laced a left-footed strike into the net to put the Union up, 4-0.
Sullivan earned a penalty for the Union in the 81st after being tripped by Defence Force’s Sheldon Bateau inside the 18-yard box. Damiani slotted the penalty past Defence Force goalie Isaiah Williams to put the Union up, 5-0.
After Wednesday night’s win, the Union lead the series’ aggregate score by five goals. The Union will host Defence Force at Subaru Park for the second game of the series on Feb. 26 (7 p.m., Fox Sports 2).
If the Union lead the series’ combined score after the second leg, they will advance to face Liga MX’s Club América in the tournament’s round of 16.
Up next
The Union will visit D.C. United on Saturday for their MLS season opener (7:30 p.m., Apple TV).
Though Agustín Anello has lived more than half his life outside the United States, the Florida native still feels like an American.
So when the Union called with an offer, he was interested. Even better, he had two friends already on the team in Nathan Harriel and Bruno Damiani. From there, Anello did his homework and decided it was time to come home.
“The guys have really made it feel like home, so that’s quite nice,” Anello told The Inquirer. “You know how things work when a lot of things come together, and, yeah, the feeling of coming back to my country to play was also a big factor. So I feel a lot of things came together for this to to be possible.”
He knew of the Union’s track record, including last year’s Supporters’ Shield, and of the style they play. That intrigued him too.
Agustín Anello on the ball during the Union’s last preseason game against CF Montréal.
“Philly reached out, and, obviously, the great season they had the year before, the way they train, the work ethic — they’re all factors that obviously push [and were] important factors, at least, for me to come,” Anello said. “I think it’s a style of play that fits my game style. There’s a lot of transitions, a lot of importance inside the attacking area, a lot of pressing, a lot of passion.”
Anello sees himself fitting in one of the striker spots, but also in one of the attacking midfield spots. Union manager Bradley Carnell has the same idea.
“He’s got a good technique with dribbling, so he can be off the shoulder of the outside back dribbling in a one-v-one,” Carnell said. “He can pick up in the pocket too, [which is] how we like to play as well with interior 10s [attacking midfielders]. So he shows a lot of flexibility within our game model.”
An unusual journey to get here
Anello was born in the Miami suburb of Hialeah to Argentine parents and grew up in Cape Coral, on the west side of South Florida near Fort Myers. He moved with his family to Barcelona, Spain, at age 10 because of his father’s work and didn’t set foot in the U.S. again until the summer of 2022.
“I got to live what my parents lived, what my dad and uncles lived when they were little, playing in the streets with their friends,” he said. “That was a very big thing in my childhood. … I feel full American and full Argentinian at the same time, so, yeah, I think I have that blood running in me.”
Anello rose through the youth ranks of Belgian club Lommel and turned pro there in 2021. In early 2023, he made the first of four moves around Europe over the next 16 months.
He did well enough along the way to attract U.S. Soccer’s attention, and earn an invitation to an under-23 team camp in November 2023 that surveyed candidates for the 2024 Olympic team. His teammates there included Nathan Harriel and Jack McGlynn, whom the Union traded to the Houston Dynamo last February.
That wasn’t when the seed for a move to MLS was planted, but it’s also a moment that Anello and Harriel remember well.
“It was a long time ago, but at the same time, at the camp, he was a great guy,” Harriel said, noting that Carnell sought out him and Damiani when Anello’s name came on the radar. “He’ll be great for the locker room. He fits in really well, hard worker, creative, he’s a good dribbler.”
In August 2024, Anello crossed the Atlantic to join Uruguayan club Boston River. His new teammates included Union prospect José Riasco, who was on loan there, and Damiani. Anello and Damiani became good friends, and that also ended up coming in handy down the road.
“I talked with Bruno mostly,” Anello said, at times when Damiani came home to Uruguay during MLS’s breaks. “He told me good things about the club, how the boys were, the facilities, the training ethic. And, yeah, those things obviously are adding-up factors to take this step.”
(Damiani was away getting his green card when this piece was reported, so wasn’t available for comment.)
¡Gracias, 𝐀𝐠𝐮𝐬! 🥺
Agustín Anello continuará su carrera en @PhilaUnion 🇺🇲
En su pasaje por nuestro club: ⏱️ 57 partidos ⚽️ 12 goles 🤝 3 asistencias 🎯🏆 Golazo inolvidable en Chillán
Anello also had observed the growth of MLS, and American soccer as a whole, from the quality of play to stadiums and training facilities. It also does not hurt to come home in a year when the biggest World Cup in history will be here.
“It’s exciting, to be honest, just seeing the league grow, the World Cup coming up,” he said. “I think there’s going to be a lot more eyes. So, yeah, me and my agents, my family, thought it was the best time to come.”
He hasn’t had much time to train with his new club, since he only joined the squad this month. When Anello started the preseason finale against CF Montréal, he had only been in one full practice session with his teammates.
But he fit in well enough to play the first half and delivered a sharp assist to Milan Iloski for the Union’s second goal of the game. The buildup was good, too: Ezekiel Alladoh made a strong run up the middle with the ball, Anello ran down the left side to get in position, and Alladoh put the pass on a plate.
“It’s good to take a step at a time,” Anello said. “I just want to get integrated as fast as possible, start getting my qualities out, start to get comfortable with the team, and start making an impact.”
That was sage advice, and he has lived up to it so far.
A new push to let Philadelphia bars stay open past 2 a.m. is being mounted by local trade groups and bars as the largest global sporting event arrives in the city in June.
The Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association, which represents restaurants, bars, and other hospitality businesses, wants state lawmakers to create a temporary permit that allows Philadelphia bars to serve alcohol until 4 a.m. during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will come to Philadelphia and 15 other cities in North America from June 11 to July 19.
“When we’re trying to attract tourists from all over the world to a destination in the United States to enjoy the World Cup, we want to make sure that Philadelphia is offering at least the same amenities as the other host cities,” said Ben Fileccia, senior vice president for strategy for the restaurant and lodging association.
Many of the most popular U.S. host cities allow bars to serve alcohol past 2 a.m., including New York, Miami, and Kansas City. Other popular international destinations, such as Mexico City and Toronto, also allow it.
Philadelphia officials did not immediately return a request for comment.
Any changes to bar closing times would have to come from new legislation, as the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board does not have the authority to change the liquor code to allow bars to sell alcohol after 2 a.m., said PLCB spokesperson Shawn Kelly.
The crowd cheers and celebrates USA’s first goal against the Netherlands in the World Cup at Brauhaus Schmitz bar in Philadelphia, Pa., on Saturday Dec. 3, 2022.
Philly’s chance to prove 4 a.m. closing times work
Fileccia said this permit would allow bars to take advantage of the estimated 500,000 soccer fans expected to stay in Philadelphia for the six matches being played at Lincoln Financial Field.
Zek Leeper, co-owner of Founding Fathers sports bar in Southwest Center City, does not see this just as a way to earn more revenue with a surge of tourists coming to Philadelphia.
“This is our chance to prove that 4 a.m. nightlife can work in Philadelphia. Setting up a temporary license also allows the city and state to pull it back, depending on how it goes,” Leeper said. “With the amount of tourists this year, when is this opportunity going to come up again to justify giving this a try?”
Leeper and other local bar owners feel confident that the crowds will show up for late-night matches. “We host soccer games from leagues around the world, and those fans are committed. They have consistently shown up whenever the game is on,” Leeper said.
Steve Maehl (left) of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin laughs as Philly Seagulls President John Fitzpatrick and Dan Peck of Brighton, England (right) look on during the supporter meetup, to kickoff the summer series weekend, at Fadó Irish Pub in Phila., Pa. on Thursday, July 20, 2023.
Philadelphia soccer fans are already known to work deals with local bars to open as early as 7 a.m. Leeper said upward of 50 people will pack into the bar at sunrise to watch games. While there are no games being played in Philadelphia past 9 p.m. during the World Cup, at least eight of the group stage matches in June will be broadcast on the East Coast starting at midnight or 11 p.m.
With a 90-minute match, plus halftime and added time, there could be a handful of cases where bartenders have to face down a packed crowd of fans and ask them to leave before the final whistle, Leeper said.
There’s also the element of international tourists coming from cities that do not have a 2 a.m. cutoff, such as London and Tokyo, leading some visitors to find ways to late-night party outside of licensed establishments, Fileccia said.
Philly bars were allowed to close later during the 2016 DNC
Lawmakers allowed bars to stay open until 4 a.m. during the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Bars and restaurants with contracts or association with the convention could apply for $5,000 special-event permits to serve alcohol past 2 a.m.
Fileccia said the details for a similar permit in 2026 are not available yet, as the effort is just underway. But he and others at PRLA want to bring the Philadelphia Police Department, the Philadelphia Department of Commerce, and other stakeholders to the table to find out the best resolution, he said.
Fans react to the Eagles play the Chiefs in the NFL Super Bowl LIX, in a bar near Frankford and Cottman Aves., Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, in Philadelphia.
Will there be enough interest in late-night partying?
With millions of tourists in Philadelphia this year for the international and national events, there will be increased foot traffic throughout the city, but will there be a late-night crowd to meet the moment?
That is the question Chuck Moran, executive director of the Pennsylvania Licensed Beverages and Taverns Association, is asking despite his support for temporarily keeping bars open later.
“The one thing that I’ve been hearing across the state is that ever since COVID, the late-night crowds have left,” Moran said. “There could also be issues with finding staff who want to work till 4 a.m. in a bar.”
Moran said he would rally behind the cause but would look to other measures to maximize revenue for local restaurants and bars, such as allowing liquor-license holders to operate a “satellite location,” letting them serve liquor at a second establishment under their original license. That would open the door to partnerships with restaurants without liquor licenses, Moran said. State Rep. Pat Gallagher, a Philadelphia Democrat, introduced a bill to do just that last June.
No legislation on keeping Philly bars open later has been introduced yet, but Fileccia hopes to get the ball rolling with lawmakers in the coming months before the first match in Philly on June 14. Even with the window closing on getting new rules passed, Kelly said the PLCB turned around special-event permits in less than two weeks before the start of the 2016 DNC.
After months of speculation, it finally became official on Tuesday that the Ivory Coast national team will call the Union’s facilities home during the World Cup.
The news wasn’t too surprising. Côte D’Ivoire, as the nation is internationally known in French, will play two of its Group E games in Philadelphia: its opener on June 14 against Ecuador and its finale on June 25 against Curaçao. In between, Les Éléphants will play Germany on June 20 in Toronto.
The winner of Group E also could return to Philadelphia for the round of 16 game on July 4 if it wins a round of 32 contest on June 29 in Foxborough, Mass.
“We welcome Les Éléphants to Philadelphia Union’s stadium as their home away from home, and promise to show them the best of what we have to offer during their time here this summer,” Meg Kane, host city executive of Philadelphia’s World Cup organizing committee, said in a statement.
The team should get an especially warm welcome from the West African immigrant community in West and Southwest Philadelphia. Ivory Coast is one of the many countries in the melting pot, and the Ivory Coast team in the former Philadelphia Unity Cup soccer tournament was a perennial title contender.
From the Union’s side of things, their WSFS Bank Sportsplex was expanded last year for moments like this. English club Chelsea got a taste last year when it used Chester as a base camp during the Club World Cup, and the Ivory Coast will be the first visiting squad to take full advantage.
“Hosting Côte d’Ivoire on our campus is a tremendous honor for the Philadelphia Union and our entire region,” Union president Tim McDermott said. “We’ve built one of the most unique sports campuses in North America specifically to support and develop world-class soccer, and there’s no better validation of that vision than welcoming recent African champions to train here.”
McDermott added that “from Chester to Wilmington to Philadelphia, this is an incredible opportunity to showcase the passion, hospitality, and excellence of our facilities and our soccer community on the global stage.”
Franck Kessié (right) is one of Ivory Coast’s veteran stars.
His mention of Wilmington was intentional, even though a key detail was missing.
FIFA traditionally publishes the base hotels for teams at World Cups, even though it’s a seemingly obvious security risk. For this World Cup, when the governing body assembled the group of potential sites for base camps across the continent, each training venue was paired with a hotel nearby.
The Union’s facilities were paired with the Hotel DuPont in Wilmington, an easy bus ride down I-95 from Chester. But the hotel was not named in the announcement.
Philadelphia’s organizing committee and the Delaware Tourism Office did say on social media that Wilmington “will host Côte D’Ivoire,” and some national teams have announced the hotels at which they’ll stay.
The Union’s facility is the only base camp that FIFA offered in the Philadelphia area. The next-closest is in Atlantic City, centered on Stockton University, and no one has claimed it yet. The closest base camp that has been publicly announced is Brazil’s in Morristown, N.J., with the Seleçao playing in East Rutherford and Philadelphia.
Ivory Coast will arrive here after an 8-0-2 run through African World Cup qualifying, with 25 goals scored and zero conceded. The team also has won three Africa Cups of Nations, most recently in 2023, and reached the quarterfinals this year. But it has never gotten past the group stage at a World Cup.
Star players include midfielders Franck Kessié (Al-Ahli, Saudi Arabia) and Ibrahim Sangaré (Nottingham Forest, England) and forward Amad Diallo (Manchester United, England). Two others have ties to the U.S.: forward Wilfried Zaha plays for Charlotte FC in MLS, and forward Yan Diomande went to school at DME Academy in Daytona Beach, Fla.
Diomande also played for AS Frenzi, a team near Orlando in the United Premier Soccer League — an amateur and semipro circuit that’s effectively the fourth tier of the American game. He won the best player award in the 2023 National Finals when he helped his team win the title, and scouts started watching him there.
In January of last year, Diomande signed with Spain’s Leganés, which was in La Liga at the time. Leganés was relegated at the end of the season, but Diomande did enough to earn a $23 million move to Germany’s RB Leipzig.
He has taken off like a rocket since then, with eight goals and five assists in 21 games. Leipzig has reportedly put a $118 million price tag on him, with big-time suitors including England’s Liverpool and Arsenal and Germany’s Bayern Munich.
If Diomande plays well at the World Cup, the spotlight will grow even bigger, and Philadelphia will have had a front-row seat.
After 37 days of preseason, three centerback signings, three striker signings, and negotiations for a left back that aren’t done yet, the Union will play their first game of 2026 on Wednesday.
Bradley Carnell’s squad should be favored in its visit to Defence Force FC of Trinidad & Tobago in the Concacaf Champions Cup (6 p.m., FS2). But this group of Union players hasn’t played an official game together, and, as the manager said in the preseason, you don’t know until you know.
Now, it’s time to find out.
“I think we’re always ready,” Carnell said in a news conference from Trinidad on Tuesday morning. “We know it’s early in our in our season, and we know that there’s a schedule coming up that’s really tough. And so we’ve been working hard over the last couple of weeks to get everybody integrated as best as we could.”
Carnell had to contend with a series of absences during camp. Indiana Vassilev and Milan Iloski suffered injuries that they’ve recovered from, Bruno Damiani and Cavan Sullivan started the year with knocks, and Damiani was away for a few days this month to finish getting his U.S. green card.
Jovan Lukić also was a late addition to the list, as Carnell revealed Tuesday that the midfielder took a hit to the ribs in a recent practice.
“It’s preseason — there’s always a couple of things here and there,” he said. “But we’ve got a good competitive group here, ready to go.”
Of Lukić’s status, he said, “we’re still assessing that, and we’ll see if that makes sense or not” for him to play Wednesday.
Bruno Damiani (left) recently got his U.S. green card.
The Union have never played Defence Force, partially because no team from Trinidad has reached the Champions Cup since the 2016-17 edition. Defence Force hasn’t qualified since 2002, though it has a notable history as winners in 1978 and 1985.
The present-day squad is led by a familiar name, winger Kevin Molino. He played for Orlando, Minnesota, and Columbus from 2011 to 2023, then joined Defence Force in late 2024.
“This is the challenge and the joy of the Champions Cup,” Carnell said.
As if hosting a U.S. team in the region’s top soccer tournament wasn’t a big enough deal, Wednesday’s game will come right after Trinidad held its annual two-day Carnival around Mardi Gras.
That should add even more buzz to the atmosphere at Hasely Crawford Stadium, one of Concacaf’s most historic venues. It’s the home of Trinidad and Tobago’s national soccer teams and the site of one of the U.S. men’s team’s all-time wins: the 1989 triumph to earn qualification for the 1990 World Cup, ending a 40-year tournament drought.
Andre Blake is the only current Union player who has played a senior-level game in the venue, a World Cup qualifier last November that ended in a 1-1 tie. That might surprise some fans, but it’s true. Danley Jean Jacques hasn’t yet with Haiti, and Alejandro Bedoya never did with the United States.
Union defender Nathan Harriel said that while “there’s temptation — it’s really easy to go out and want to be a part of something,” the team is making sure this stays a business trip.
“There’s a lot of people here. It’s loud, noisy,” he said. “At the same time, we’re focused on the one thing at hand, and that’s getting a result on Wednesday. There’s distractions in any city you go to. … Just being able to manage that in the best way possible and just stay focused on the mission at hand is the most important.”
And for those players who’ve played in Concacaf tournaments before, especially the Champions Cup, they know to always expect the unexpected.
“I remember a few years ago in El Salvador, a dog ran on the field and grabbed the ball,” Harriel said, recalling the Union’s 2023 visit to Alianza. “So at the same time, you have to enjoy it, because you never know when you’ll be back. And you have to respect every opponent in this tournament — everybody is qualified to be in it, and we understand that.”
The historic Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad, where the Union will play Defence Force FC in the Concacaf Champions Cup on Wednesday.
The theory after the U.S. women’s soccer team’s January camp was that the SheBelieves Cup in March would be the first big step toward World Cup qualifying in the fall.
Tuesday’s announcement of the tournament roster signaled that the step might not be as big as believed.
The 26-player squad doesn’t lack for marquee names. Naomi Girma, Sam Coffey, Lily Yohannes, Rose Lavelle, Trinity Rodman, and Alyssa Thompson are among them. But just as significant are two names not on the squad.
Sophia Wilson is back from maternity leave and participating in the Portland Thorns’ preseason camp out west. Catarina Macario hasn’t played since December for the U.S. or her English club, Chelsea, but there’s been a lot of chatter that a reported heel injury isn’t the only reason. She turned down a new contract offer in London and could be headed to the NWSL’s San Diego Wave.
Catarina Macario (right) likely is leaving Chelsea after three years at the London club.
U.S. manager Emma Hayes has made it clear that she won’t call in players who haven’t been playing for their clubs lately. That makes sense. Still, Monday’s news raised some eyebrows. Hayes was not surprised to be asked about the two stars and said she would have called in both, were they healthy.
“‘Soph’ and I spoke, and she’s just not ready,” she said, noting that the Thorns didn’t deem her fit yet either. “The return to play protocol, it’s just not given her enough time, I think, for her to be in the place that she wanted to be in. So it’s right that she’s not part of this squad, however much I want her to be.”
The manager described Macario as “getting closer and closer [to returning] every day” and said she didn’t know when the forward will return to club action.
“She’s not available for selection yet at Chelsea. ”I don’t know when that is going to come — I don’t know if it’s a week, two, three weeks away.”
The situation is different with two other major absentees. Mallory Swanson, the third member of the “Triple Espresso” forward line, is also a new mother and hasn’t returned to work with the Chicago Stars. Centerback Tierna Davidson has resumed training with Gotham FC after a torn ACL last year — “we’ve missed her,” Hayes said — but isn’t yet in game shape.
“A player coming back from injury, you have to give them the time to be able to find their best version of themselves,” Hayes said. “I expect Tierna, when she is cleared to play for Gotham, to be competing, to come back into this side as soon as she, ideally, starts competing for Gotham on a regular basis. But most importantly, when her body is ready.”
As for players who are on the 26-woman squad, the battle to be the new starting goalkeeper is one of the biggest stories. Phallon Tullis-Joyce, Claudia Dickey, and Mandy McGlynn are the three on this squad as the competition continues.
Tullis-Joyce has the most club pedigree at Manchester United, at least for now. But she hasn’t always looked the part in a U.S. jersey. Dickey, of the Seattle Reign, has looked sharper in starting five of the last seven U.S. games, though Tullis-Joyce missed December’s games with an injury and January’s as they weren’t in a FIFA window.
Phallon Tullis-Joyce hasn’t played for the U.S. since the Americans lost to Portugal in October at Subaru Park.
“I’ve been really happy with Claudia Dickey and Mandy McGlynn from [the] last camp,” Hayes said. “With Phallon, we didn’t get the chance to select her because she was injured in the back end of November, December, so I’m looking forward to having Phallon back with the group. And, for now, I’m happy with this group.”
The U.S. will play Argentina, Canada, and Colombia in this year’s tournament, on March 1, 4, and 7, respectively. Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, N.J., will host the last day’s doubleheader, Argentina-Canada and U.S.-Colombia. As ever, a sellout crowd will be expected, with a few Philadelphia accents in the stands from fans making the trip north.
Six days later, the NWSL season will kick off in Washington with Rodman’s Spirit hosting Wilson’s Thorns. That will be Rodman’s first game since signing her big new contract in D.C. The potential for Wilson to return to action that night will make it an even bigger occasion.
