Last year, the Union were one of the better road teams in Major League Soccer. Their six wins away from home made them the third most successful traveling team in the Eastern Conference, and tied as the sixth best team in the league. Sustaining that kind of form is difficult, however, and Philly's first two trips offer extremely difficult tests.
First up is Sporting Kansas City, and even though these teams are far apart geographically, they have developed an intense rivalry over the years. Philly and KC met in the XXXX Open Cup final, which ended on penalty kicks, and overall these teams have met 16 times, which is the joint-most matchups for the Union against a Western Conference opponent.