Union’s Oliver Semmle and Ian Glavinovich got a ‘fun’ opportunity during the Club World Cup

The duo was on hand for the final game in Philly of FIFA's monthlong tournament. Both walked away in awe, but Argentine defender Glavinovich bagged a commemorative keepsake.

Union goalkeeper Oliver Semmle, left, and defender Ian Glavinovich are all smiles following Friday's final Club World Cup game in Philly between Chelsea and Palmeiras.Read moreKerith Gabriel / Staff

by Kerith Gabriel

Published July 8, 2025, 5:00 a.m. ET

Ian Glavinovich beamed like a little kid.

Strolling through Lot K with Lincoln Financial Field serving as a backdrop, he alongside Union teammate Oliver Semmle had just taken in the final match in Philadelphia of the FIFA Club World Cup on Friday.

Glavinovich was on hand to cheer on Brazilian side Palmeiras, which came up short, 2-1, in a quarterfinal against English Premier League giants Chelsea. However, he was also there in support of Aníbal Moreno, the Argentine midfielder who plays for Brazil’s other major team based in São Paulo.

“It felt good to be here to watch him play,” Glavinovich said noting his excitement to see Moreno, who he noted was a childhood friend, compete in the city Glavinovich plays for. “It was nice tonight to see all the fans, and the team battled hard. It was fun to watch.”

What hasn’t been fun to watch this season for Union fans was Glavinovich needing surgery to repair a torn meniscus suffered in the team’s match against Orlando City on April 5. When asked how he was feeling this night, Glavinovich smiled and gave only a thumbs-up, as if to indicate that everything post-operation was progressing according to plan.

According to leading health sites on the subject, recovery time can last from four to six weeks. Glavinovich, who underwent surgery on April 8, offered no timeline but appeared to walk just fine as he clutched a Palmeiras jersey gifted to him by Moreno.

What both did discuss, however, is a Union side that is returning to full strength this week, as the five players out for international duty — Quinn Sullivan and Nathan Harriel (U.S. national team), Andre Blake (Jamaica), Danley Jean Jacques (Haiti), and Tai Baribo (who played in the Union’s loss on Saturday) — are all back in the fold.

“We’ve had to really test our depth and test ourselves,” said Semmle, one of the team’s three goalkeeping options. “We had some guys who were away that are really the core of our team, but we were able to battle through it and get some really good results. It was really great to see that we were able to get some positive results.

“Now, I think everyone is focused on the task at hand and excited to get back into a routine with all of the guys back in the locker room.”

The Union has dropped two in a row in Major League Soccer play after an 11-game unbeaten streak that fueled the club to the top of the Eastern Conference for nearly two months.

Next up are two games in a four-day span — against the same opponent. The Union hosts Eastern rivals the New York Red Bulls, first in an Open Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday (7 p.m., Paramount+), followed by an MLS regular-season match on Saturday (7:30 p.m., Apple TV, MLS Season Pass).

Both games are at Subaru Park. But watching soccer at Lincoln Financial Field?

“It’s really exciting,” Semmle said. “The fans were great, the stadium was loud, and it really gave you that feeling that you’re watching a big-time game with two really great teams. I think it shows that people really care about the sport in this town, and for me, that’s always a great thing to see.”

Glavinovich echoed his teammates’ sentiments and added: “It’s a lot of fun to watch [the game] on this stage,” he said, alluding to the near sold-out stadium at the Linc for the Club World Cup quarterfinal. “It’s going to be cool to see how it looks for the World Cup, I’m excited to see that and how the fans are for that.”