United have announced that they will travel to Clearwater, Fla., for preseason in preparation for the 2018 MLS regular season that starts on March 3 against Orlando City SC.
Players will report to the team in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 22 and will train in the nation’s capital until Jan. 27. The team departs for Florida the following day and will train in Clearwater until Feb. 8. United will end their first training camp with an exhibition match against Swedish top-tier club Malmö FF on Feb. 8 at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. Live stream information about this match will be available at a later date. The Black-and-Red return to Washington on Feb. 9.
United travel back to Clearwater for their second preseason training camp that runs from Feb. 14 to Feb. 22. The Black-and-Red were invited by the Tampa Bay Rowdies to participate in the 2018 Rowdies Suncoast Invitational for the third year in a row. The invitational is one of the premier preseason tournaments in the country and will return to Al Lang Stadium for a third consecutive season.
“The Rowdies Suncoast Invitational is an important preseason tool for us to gain match fitness and incorporate our new offseason signings,” Ben Olsen, United head coach, said. "We want to thank the Tampa Bay Rowdies for organizing this tournament again and we’re eager to travel to Florida and test ourselves in this year's competition.”
United are joined by the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Philadelphia Union, Montreal Impact and New York City FC in a friendly tournament aimed at giving players and coaches competitive matches to gear up for the 2018 season.
The Rowdies Suncoast Invitational will feature two United games with the Black-and-Red kicking off at 5 PM ET against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, Feb. 17 at Al Lang Stadium (TICKETS). United play their second fixture on Wednesday, Feb. 21 against the Jacksonville Armada FC at Joe DiMaggio Stadium (TICKETS).
Following the Suncoast Invitational, United travel to Las Vegas to face new USL side Lights FC in a preseason exhibition match on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 11 PM ET. In preparation for the start of the Major League Soccer season, the Black-and-Red will take on Lights FC as part of the team's inaugural Soccer Spring Training event, which aims to bring MLS competition to Las Vegas. The Black-and-Red then return home to train prior to their opening MLS regular season match on March 3.
 D.C. United Preseason Dates | ||
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 22 | Players report to Washington, D.C. | |
| Jan. 28 | Team departs for first training camp in Clearwater, FL | |
| Feb. 8 | United v. Malmö FF | IMG Academy | TBD | |
| Feb. 9 | Team returns to Washington, D.C. | |
| Feb. 14 | Team departs for second training camp in Clearwater, FL | |
| Feb. 17 | United v. Philadelphia Union| Al Lang Stadium | 5 PM ET | Tickets Available |
| Feb. 21 | United v. Jacksonville Armada FC | Joe D. Sports Complex | TBD | Tickets Available |
| Feb. 22 | Team departs for Las Vegas, NV | |
| Feb. 24 | United v. Las Vegas Lights FC | Cashman Field | 11 PM ET | |
| Feb. 25 | Team returns to Washington, D.C. | |
| March 3 | United v. Orlando City SC | 2018 MLS Opener | Orlando City Stadium | 7:30 PM ET | |
*Dates and times subject to change
About St. Pete/Clearwater
Situated on a sun-drenched peninsula separating the Gulf of Mexico from Tampa Bay, St. Pete/Clearwater is the most popular destination on the Gulf of Mexico with 35 miles of white-sand beaches, and 361 average number of sunny days per year. Affirming the area’s growing reputation as a top international destination, The New York Times listed St. Pete in its ranking of Top 52 Best Places to Visit, in the company of the world’s most “vibrant cities and spectacular coastlines, unexpected sports and new attractions.” A big reason why is St. Pete’s cultural scene that’s made up of the Dali Museum, Chihuly Collection and more than 80 urban murals.
For the fourth year in a row, St. Pete/Clearwater garnered more recognition than any other Florida destination on TripAdvisor's Traveler's Choice Awards of Top 25 U.S. Beaches. Two area beaches made the coveted list, which is determined by more than 25 million TripAdvisor user reviews. Making the honored list this year were local favorites St. Pete Beach at No. 3 and Clearwater Beach at No. 4. For more information, go to VisitStPeteClearwater.com.
