D.C. United have announced the team will travel to Florida for the 2016 preseason in preparation for both the MLS regular season and the upcoming Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals.
Players report in Washington January 22 and depart for camp in Bradenton, Florida, the following day. United will train at the prestigious IMG Academy in Bradenton, and play three exhibition matches against Scandinavian teams. The Black-and-Red face IF Elfsborg on January 29 and Jönköpings Södra IF February 2. Both teams play in the top division in Sweden, after Elfsborg finished fourth in the league last season and Jönköpings won the second division in 2015 and have been promoted back to the Allsvenskan. United will also play Norwegian side SK Brann on February 5. Brann, one of the biggest clubs in Norway, also earned promotion back into the country’s top division this last season.
D.C. United return to Washington to attend D.C. United’s Day to Unite season ticket member event and 2016 primary kit reveal on February 6. The team departs for Clearwater, Florida on February 11. The Black-and-Red play three exhibition matches at Al Lang Stadium; Feb. 13 against the Tampa Bay Rowdies (NASL), Feb. 17 against the Philadelphia Union (4 PM ET) and Feb. 20 against the Montreal Impact (4 PM ET). The matches against the Union and Impact are part of a brand-new preseason exhibition series called the Tampa Bay Rowdies Suncoast Invitational, and will be streamed live on dcunited.com. The SCCL roster then departs from Clearwater for Querétaro, Mexico on February 21, while the rest of the team return to Washington that same day. United face Querétaro F.C. February 23 at 7 PM local time (8 PM ET), and return to Washington the following day.
D.C. United then host Querétaro March 1 at 8 PM and depart for Los Angeles March 4 for the season opener against the LA Galaxy on March 6.
About IMG Academy
IMG Academy is the world’s largest and most advanced multi-sport training and educational institution. IMG Academy helps countless youth, adult, collegiate and professional athletes reach their full potential in and out of sport by providing world-class teaching and coaching, tailored programs and professional facilities. Based in Bradenton, Florida, IMG Academy also serves as a training and competition venue for amateur and professional teams, a host site for a variety of events, and a hub for sports performance research and innovation.
About Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League
The CONCACAF Champions League is the region’s most prestigious club tournament, qualifying its champion directly to the FIFA Club World Cup. One of the founding members of Major League Soccer, D.C. United are making a second consecutive appearance in the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League (SCCL) quarterfinals and fourth time overall, and are 9-4-8 all time in SCCL play. D.C. United booked a ticket to the 2015/16 SCCL by finishing atop the 2014 MLS Eastern Conference regular-season standings. The Black-and-Red have won nine international and domestic titles (CONCACAF Champions Cup: 1998; InterAmerican Cup: 1998; MLS Cup: 1996, 1997, 1999, 2004; U.S. Open Cup: 1996, 2008, 2013). In the 1998 CONCACAF Champions Cup final, D.C. defeated Mexico’s Toluca, 1-0.
Major D.C. United Preseason Dates
- January 22
- Players report in Washington
- January 23
- Players depart for training camp at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida
- January 29
- D.C. United v IF Elfsborg (3:30 PM)
- Live Stream
<ul><li>D.C. United v Jönköpings Södra IF (3:30 PM)</li><li>Live Stream</li></ul></li><li>February 5
<ul><li>Team returns to Washington</li></ul></li><li>February 11
<ul><li>Team departs for Clearwater, Florida</li></ul></li><li>February 13
<ul><li>D.C. United v Tampa Bay Rowdies (7:00 PM)</li></ul></li><li>February 17
<ul><li>D.C. United v Philadelphia Union (4:00 PM)</li></ul></li><li>February 20
<ul><li>D.C. United v Montreal Impact (4:00 PM)</li></ul></li><li>February 21
<ul><li>SCCL roster departs Florida for Querétaro, Mexico</li><li>Rest of team returns to Washington</li></ul></li><li>February 23
<ul><li>SCCL quarterfinal: Querétaro F.C. v D.C. United (7:00 PM local time)</li></ul></li><li>March 1
<ul><li>SCCL quarterfinal: D.C. United v Querétaro F.C. (8:00 PM)</li></ul></li><li>March 6
<ul><li>MLS Season Opener: LA Galaxy v D.C. United (7 PM local time)</li></ul></li></ul>
Note: All dates and times subject to change
