Tai Baribo burns his former Philadelphia Union squad in DC United debut

The Philadelphia Union let Tai Baribo walk this offseason and he responded by scoring the only goal of the game to beat them 1-0 in his DC United debut on MLS is Back weekend. Because of course he did.

Baribo was the Union’s leading scorer last season with 19 goals across all competitions and 35 goals and 6 assists in 67 total appearances for the club.

Philadelphia moved on, DC United signed him as a Designated Player for up to $4.6 million, and the first thing he did was beat his former team with a classy finish past Andre Blake in the 23rd minute off a lightning-quick counterattack.

It is almost too on the nose.

Tai Baribo burns the Union in DC United debut:

Tai Baribo opens his account for @dcunited against his former club 💪

📺 Apple TV: https://t.co/336GJKzKUS pic.twitter.com/wZn6KfoxBW

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 22, 2026

This is not exactly a shock when you look at who Tai Baribo is as a player.

The Israeli international is a decisive, physical striker who makes things happen in and around the box. He was one of the better forwards in MLS last season and DC United knew exactly what they were getting. A club that finished last in the league with just 26 points and five wins in 2025 needed a jolt and they found it.

Credit to Tai Baribo for handling the moment right. He celebrated the goal for his new supporters and was measured about the whole thing postgame. “I celebrate, first of all, not because it’s against Philly,” he said. “I celebrate my own fans.”

That is the right answer. He also made clear where his focus is. “I’m focused on DC United and how to get this club better every game.” Hard to argue with that approach.

The Union are the reigning Supporters’ Shield winners and they lost their opening weekend matchup to a team that was the worst in the league last year. Baribo made the difference. That is a storyline that is going to follow Philadelphia all season whether they like it or not.

Join The Chase