NEW YEAR, NEW COACH: Union names ex-Red Bulls interim, assistant coach Carnell

CHESTER, Pa. – Two days into the new year, the Philadelphia Union has a new coach.

The Union on Thursday announced that it has named Bradley Carnell as the fourth head coach in club history.

In his last role as a head coach, the Johannesburg, South Africa native led St. Louis CITY SC to the 2023 Western Conference championship with a 17-12-3 record, the first expansion team to win a conference regular season title and record 17 wins.

Carnell also was a former interim head coach and assistant coach with the New York Red Bulls.

He replaces Jim Curtin, who was fired as Union coach after 11 years in charge. Philly missed the playoffs last season for the first time since 2017.

“Bradley has the attributes we were looking for in a manager and the experience needed as we commit to getting back to our identity as a team,” Union sporting director Ernst Tanner said in a statement. “With knowledge of both MLS and international markets, he is tactically astute and aligned with our sporting strategy. His approach emphasizes a high-press style of play while organizing a structured defense. Additionally, he shares the club’s vision for developing players. We are confident he will bring a clear sporting philosophy that elevates the team and delivers a competitive season. We look forward to welcoming him to Philadelphia.”

Carnell, 47, brings 10 years of professional coaching experience, including eight seasons in Major League Soccer. He spent two seasons as manager of St. Louis CITY SC, after being named to the position in January 2022. During his tenure, the team went 22-15-25 in 62 regular season matches. St. Louis won the Western Conference and ranked third in the league with 62 goals and with a plus-17 goal differential during the 2023 campaign.

The 2024 season was another matter. STL City ws in 12th place out of 14 teams in the Western Conference and 26th overall with a 3-7-10 record and 19 points when Carnell was given the axe on July 1.

“I’m honored to be named head coach of the Philadelphia Union, and I would like to thank the Union ownership group and Ernst Tanner for their trust in me,” Carnell said in a statement. “Philadelphia is an amazing city, built on communities of hardworking and passionate people who truly love their soccer. I am excited for this opportunity to build upon an already solid foundation and aim to help raise the Union organization to the next level that our fans and city can be proud of.”

Prior to joining St. Louis, Carnell served as assistant manager and interim head coach with the Red Bulls from March 2017 to January 2022. As interim head coach from Sept. 5 to Nov. 19, 2020, Carnell went 6-3-5 in 14 matches, directing the team to its 11th consecutive postseason appearance. As an assistant, he helped guide the Red Bulls to the 2018 Supporters’ Shield.

Carnell began his coaching career as the head coach of the University of Johannesburg men’s team (2012-15) before serving as an assistant manager at Orlando Pirates (2016-17) and Free State Stars (2015-16) in South Africa.

The former defender played professionally for 18 years (1993-2011), making his debut at 16-years-old with Wits University in South Africa (1993-97). He most notably collected three goals and nine assists in 134 matches between VfB Stuttgart (1998-2003) and Borussia Monchengladbach (2003-05), both part of Germany’s Bundesliga. He also played four seasons (2005-09) with Karlsruher SC and Hansa Rostock (2009-10) in Germany’s Bundesliga II, before making his final stop with Supersport United in South Africa (2010-11).

Carnell represented South Africa in 42 national team appearances from 1997-2010, including three starts in the 2002 World Cup and four starts in the 2002 African Cup of Nations (AFCON).