Shortly after the announcement of their 2016 MLS Regular Season schedule, D.C. United announced they would play the NASL's Tampa Bay Rowdies in a preseason friendly on Saturday, February 13, at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg. The game comes 10 days before the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinals matchup with Liga MX side Queretaro and just more than a week after a rumored matchup with Norwegian side SK Brann.
The Rowdies finished 5th in the combined 2015 NASL season, and 8th out of 11 in the Fall campaign. Former D.C. alum Freddy Adu is still plying his trade there, but Maicon Santos (another D.C. alum) has left to play with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, and Marcelo Saragosa was released at the end of the season. The Rowdies have MLS alums Matt Pickens (Colorado Rapids), Kalif Alhassan (Portland Timbers) and most recently signed Danny Mwanga from Orlando City SC so they would presume to not be slouches for D.C. as part of both team's preseason schedules.