Tag: Carnell

Nearly two months after firing Jim Curtin, and not long before this year’s preseason starts, the Union finally announced their new manager on Thursday.

Bradley Carnell, a 47-year-old South African with past experience at multiple MLS teams, is the new man in charge. He previously coached St. Louis City SC and the New York Red Bulls, and recently had a short stint as an assistant with Canada’s men’s national team.

Carnell is the fourth manager in the Union’s 16-year history, and notably the first to be hired from outside the organization since the club’s inaugural boss, Peter Nowak (2009-12). The two other men who held the role, John Hackworth (2012-14) and Curtin (2014-24), were promoted from assistant roles.

The Union had been pretty quiet since dismissing Curtin on Nov. 7. Other than the team’s end-of-year roster announcement, sporting director Ernst Tanner’s only moves have been re-signing longtime captain Alejandro Bedoya to another one-year deal, re-signing right back Olivier Mbaizo to a multiyear deal, trading a bunch of college draft picks, and acquiring Argentine centerback Ian Glavinovich on loan.

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There notably wasn’t much chatter about the manager job, with only two names making it into public view.

The first was German coach Thomas Letsch, who was well-known to Tanner from past connections in Europe. At one point, Letsch was seen as the frontrunner in some quarters, but in other quarters that view was disputed. He ended up taking a higher-profile job, Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg — coincidentally Tanner’s former home — in mid-December after the club fired its manager.

Carnell’s name started floating around as a potential candidate in early December, then faded away. It resurfaced in the middle of the month, then things went quiet again until Thursday.

“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.”

It’s certainly fair to wonder what took so long. That question and others should come up when Tanner and Carnell hold a news conference at Subaru Park on Thursday afternoon.

Fans might also wonder if Carnell’s hiring is underwhelming, given the seeming possibility of hiring a foreign name like Letsch. But his resumé is worth reading.

After spending five years as a New York Red Bulls assistant (including an interim stint in charge in late 2020), Carnell was appointed St. Louis’ inaugural manager when the club launched in 2023. His team won the Western Conference regular-season title that year, a rare feat for an expansion team, with a 17-12-5 record and a fast-paced style of play.

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The campaign crashed to a halt in the playoffs, as St. Louis was toppled by No. 8 seed Sporting Kansas City in the first round — an upset with added ignominy of a brewing in-state rivalry. Carnell got a vote of confidence after the season with a contract extension, but started 2024 with a 3-7-10 record and was fired at the end of June.

In September, Carnell spent a few games helping Canada manager Jesse Marsch, including a friendly against the United States. (Marsch, a close friend of Curtin for decades, surely has a few opinions about the Union’s moves.)

Tanner obviously expects Carnell to deliver the kind of playing style he authored in St. Louis, and to help shore up a defensive unit that gave up far too many bad goals last year. There’s also a clear expectation to give the Union’s major young prospects playing time, a point Tanner made in a statement with the hiring announcement. The main reason for suddenly dismissing Curtin after 10 years in charge was a disagreement over the big-picture philosophy for the coming season.

“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,” Tanner said. “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.”

That last part certainly matters after the Union failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017. If Carnell doesn’t win, he’ll be judged harshly — and so will Tanner for hiring him.

But how Carnell handles all those prospects will also matter. He’d better be able to get the most out of Cavan Sullivan before the teen phenom turns his focus to Manchester City, and do right by CJ Olney, Neil Pierre, and other youngsters on the cusp.

Expect that to be another major talking point Thursday afternoon.

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