Shortly after ringing in the new year, Philadelphia Union welcomed a new era of leadership, announcing Bradley Carnell as the club’s fourth-ever head coach.
The 47-year-old South African manager was introduced to the media for the first time on Thursday afternoon in a press conference alongside Sporting Director Ernst Tanner at Subaru Park.
“We were very convinced, when we were starting the discussions, about his ability to bring us back on track. Back to a winning team and making the most out of our resources. I'm really convinced that we have the right person sitting in this room,” Tanner said.
“I still have him in mind as a player in the Bundesliga for different good clubs. I liked his attributes as a player, and I hope that I can even like his attributes as a coach more.”
As for Carnell - he described the opportunity to lead the Union as, 'the perfect fit'.
“This place is, no doubt, has a great foundation that's been laid over the last 10 plus years. It's an exciting project. It's a wonderful project to be part of. A wonderful team to be part of,” Carnell said.
“I'm looking forward to getting back to the ways that developed this club and the philosophy of this club. Getting back to the ways that define us, define the players, define the style, define the community.”
MLS Experience
Out of a pool of nearly 100 applicants that was later narrowed down to a final 10, Carnell stood out as a candidate who both aligned with the club's playing style and methodology, and boasted a wealth of league knowledge.
Carnell joins the Union with eight years of Major League Soccer coaching experience – he served as an assistant and interim at New York Red Bulls from 2017 to 2021 before taking over at St. Louis CITY SC as their first head coach in 2023. There, he led the expansion side to the top of the Western Conference in the club’s inaugural season.
Philly grit
While he didn’t face the Union during his tenure in Missouri – St. Louis will visit Philadelphia one month into the season on March 22nd – he arrived well-versed on what it means to be a part of the city’s renowned sports culture.
“There's something special about when you speak about the major leagues in Philadelphia, you know, there's always a grittiness, there's always a toughness, there's always an edge that each team plays with,” Carnell said.
“I'm excited to be part of that community…and continue to build the culture.”
Tanner and Carnell have a long-shared cohesive ideology about the sport -- they've stayed connected through soccer circles in Germany and the United States for years. Tanner even described it as, 'the same conviction'.
Throuhgout their meeting with the media, the pair assured those listening that their shared hope is for an intense, high-pressing, intimidating on-field product, reflective of the years that the Union saw their best successes.
"I believe being on the front-foot, proactive, in your face, aggressive, and very counter attacking," Carnell said.
"I'm not here to judge anything what happened last year. It's not my space and not my place. But like I said, the foundations are strong, and that's a good platform to work with."
Prioritizing development
He’s no stranger to the club’s philosophies, either. Development is one of Philadelphia Union’s foundational pillars, and Carnell, who made his professional debut in South Africa at age 16 himself, considers elevating players, at all stages, to be part of his coaching identity.
“I think if you've looked at my history over the last two and a half years or three years as a coach now, giving debuts and playing homegrowns – this is me to a core. This is my DNA in terms of development. “
“I'm not talking about development just as young guys on [Union II]. There's definitely development still to be done with seasoned pros. I'm excited to get my feet on the ground and get cracking to work here, because I still feel that even the seasoned, established pros can still grow it a little bit.”
With a promising group quickly climbing the pathway to the pros and a robust contingent of young first-teamers eager to take another step forward, Carnell’s developmental acumen will be paramount in the season to come.
“We needed a strong communicator with young people that showed the right abilities to work with them. Also, of course, has the awareness for player development, young players in particular. That's what Bradley did already,” Tanner said.
“I think that we have a fantastic group of young players. Probably the best in the country. It takes some time, we all know that. And we all know that we cannot only play with young players, but we need to do our best for that development, and that was one of the most important criteria.”
What’s next?
In less than two weeks, the team, under new leadership, will be back together in Marbella, Spain to start their preparations for the 2025 season. Then, they'll head back to Clearwater, Florida for the official start of preseason.
Carnell’s debut as head coach will come on February 22nd on the road against Orlando City SC, and on March 1 against FC Cincinnati, he'll make his debut at Subaru Park. For tickets to the team’s home opener, click here.
