SOCCER: D.C.'s Tai Baribo gets immediate reunion with former club, Union

When Philadelphia Union faces D.C. United on Saturday in Washington for its MLS opener, fans will see a mix of new faces—and one very familiar one—on the home side.

Tai Baribo, who scored 25 goals over the past two seasons for Philadelphia, has joined D.C. United in a $4 million Designated Player deal. The striker replaces 2024 MLS Golden Boot winner Christian Benteke, whose contract option was declined.

Baribo led Philadelphia last season with 16 goals, helping the Union achieve a 20-8-6 record (66 points), capture the Supporters' Shield, and reach the Eastern Conference semifinals.

In contrast, D.C. United had the league’s worst record at 5-18-11 (26 points) and missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year—the longest active drought in MLS.

Baribo will team up with another new offensive threat, Louis Munteanu, 23, who joins from CFR Cluj in Romania through a club-record transfer of up to $10 million. Veteran goalkeeper Sean Johnson, with more than 400 MLS appearances, takes over in goal, adding leadership to a D.C. defense that conceded 66 goals last season—the most in the Eastern Conference.

Philadelphia is also in transition after losing top defenders Kai Wagner and Jakob Glesnes. Wagner, who led the team with 11 assists in 2025, moved to Birmingham City in England, while Glesnes was traded to the Los Angeles Galaxy.

"If your team does well, it's no wonder that you're going to be getting a few phone calls," Philadelphia coach Bradley Carnell said. "The Union has a great reputation for hiring good people and great players. It's just a conveyor belt now."

The offseason moves have made Philadelphia significantly younger. Replacing Baribo, 28, is 20-year-old Ezekiel Alladoh from IF Brommapojkarna in Sweden, in a club-record $4.5 million transfer. Defenders Geiner Martinez, 23, and Japhet Sery Larsen, 25, step in for Glesnes, 31, and Wagner, 29.

The series has been lopsided recently, with D.C. United failing to win in the last nine meetings (0-6-3). In Washington, Philadelphia claimed a 6-0 victory in their most recent matchup.

"There’s a lot of emotion to it for all of us, especially how the last game went at home against them. It has to be personal," D.C. defender Lucas Bartlett said. "It’s a team with a target on their back. They were first in the East." -Field Level Media/Reuters