Bethlehem Steel FC will open their preseason slate in a closed-door scrimmage against D.C. United on Saturday, February 2, at 11 a.m. ET. With a squad full of new players, filled out by a sizable group of Union Academy players, expectations are that the club will play with high energy and a hunger to prove themselves in front of the Steel and Union technical staffs. Under a new system brought in by Union Sporting Director Ernst Tanner, the club’s style-of-play will feature a high-intensity press and a focus on winning the ball in the midfield.
Although many of Steel FC’s signed players will participate in the match, Michee Ngalina and Ben Ofeimu have been training with Philadelphia Union all week and played in the Union’s scrimmage against New York Red Bulls last Wednesday, so it's unclear if they will rejoin Steel FC for Saturday's scrimmage.