A new year has brought about a new era for the Philadelphia Union.
The club officially introduced Bradley Carnell as their new head coach on Thursday, bringing him to Philadelphia following two seasons at the helm of St. Louis CITY SC.
The 47-year-old South African, who has also led the New York Red Bulls, assumes the vacancy created in November by the dismissal of longtime manager Jim Curtin.
"This place has no doubt a great foundation that's been laid over the last 10-plus years," Carnell told reporters at Thursday's introductory press conference, where he was joined by sporting director Ernst Tanner.
"It's an exciting project, it's a wonderful project to be a part of, a wonderful team to be a part of. And I'm looking forward to getting back to the ways that Ernst and the development of this club and the philosophy of this club – getting back to the ways that define us."
Imparting an identity
Carnell takes over a Philadelphia side coming off a disappointing 2024 campaign. The Union failed to qualify for the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2017, finishing 12th in the Eastern Conference with 37 points (9W-15L-10D record).
In recapturing the identity that previously made them so successful, Carnell said he's aiming to instill a playing style defined by "something different, edgy and difficult to play against."
"This is something that's part of me: What you see is what you get," he said. "It's in my DNA as a player, as a coach and I've had a history of doing that at all the places I've been at, whether as a player or a coach."
In assessing candidates for Curtin's replacement, Tanner cited Carnell's previous MLS experience as a factor in his favor. Carnell guided RBNY on an interim basis in 2020 before taking the reins at St. Louis. He was credited with steering the club's successful expansion season in 2023, when they set the MLS record for most regular-season wins by a first-year club (17).
"I would not have been shy to bring somebody in from Europe, to be honest, under the pre-conditions I mentioned," said Tanner. "But certainly it is easier if somebody knows about what we are talking in terms of our league and we found the right guy here."
Developing young talent
Carnell's youth development track record also aligns with the Union's ethos. Philadelphia have become one of the league's best developers of homegrown talent, with a lengthy list of academy products who have broken through for the club's first team and abroad.
They also boast arguably the most intriguing prospect in MLS: 15-year-old prodigy Cavan Sullivan, who became the youngest debutant in league history last season (14 years, 293 days).
"One of the club's core philosophies is development," Carnell said. "And I think if you've looked at my history over the last two-and-a-half years or three years as a coach, giving debuts and homegrowns – this is me to a core. This is my DNA in terms of development.
"...I'm all for that," he added. "I'm excited about Cavan's development as well as developing some other youngsters here in camp."
Regaining status
Carnell's ultimate objective will be restoring Philadelphia's status as an Eastern Conference power coming off 2024's letdown campaign. To that end, Tanner hinted at potential incoming roster reinforcements as part of the club's new direction.
"I can understand that there is a lot of pessimism in our fanbase regarding the last season, maybe the last one-and-a-half seasons," Tanner said. "And that was the reason why we changed [coaches]. What I can promise is that we will definitely add some players in addition to the one we did already, that we will utilize all the mechanisms, all the possibilities the league gives us according to our new rules.
"But we also trust in what we have. That's not only the players we're bringing up from the second team. I think we have a way better roster and we can get way more out of it than we showed in the last season. And it might take a little bit, but you can be assured that from the 13th or 14th of January when we are the first time on the pitch, we will get back to work and work as hard as possible to make that happen."
