Bradley Carnell hired by the Philadelphia Union as manager, succeeding Jim Curtin

Almost two months after the firing of 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 previous experience at several MLS teams, is the new man in charge. He previously coached St. Louis City SC and New York Red Bulls and recently had a brief 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 other two men who held the role, John Hackworth (2012–14) and Curtin (2014–24), were promoted from assistant roles.

The union had been fairly quiet since the dismissal of Curtin on 7 November. Aside from the team’s end-of-year announcement, sporting director Ernst Tanner’s only move has been to re-sign longtime captain Alejandro Bedoya to another one-year deal, re-sign right back Olivier Mbaizo to a multi-year deal, trade a bunch of college draft- selection and acquires Argentine center back Ian Glavinovich on loan.

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In particular, there wasn’t much talk of the leadership job, with only two names making it public.

The first was the German coach Thomas Letsch, who was known to Tanner from previous connections in Europe. At one point Letsch was seen as a front runner in some circlesbut in other circles that view was contested. He ended up taking a higher profile job, Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg – coincidentally Tanner’s former home – in mid-December after the club sacked its manager.

Carnell’s name began floating around as a potential candidate in early December, then faded away. It appeared again middle of the monththen it was quiet again until Thursday.

“I am honored to be named head coach of the Philadelphia Union and would like to thank the Union ownership group and Ernst Tanner for their confidence in me,” Carnell said in a statement. “Philadelphia is a great city, built on communities of hard-working and passionate people who truly love their football. I am excited for this opportunity to build on an already solid foundation and aim to help elevate 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 press conference at Subaru Park on Thursday afternoon.

Fans may also wonder if Carnell’s hiring is underwhelming given the apparent opportunity to hire a foreign name like Letsch. But his CV is worth reading.

After spending five years as a New York Red Bulls assistant (including a temporary stint in charge in late 2020), Carnell was appointed to the St. Louis’ interim manager when the club started 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 stalled in the playoffs when St. Louis was toppled by no. 8 seed Sporting Kansas City in the first round – an upset with the added indignity of a budding in-state rivalry. Carnell received a letter 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 matches assisting Canada’s manager Jesse Marsch, including a friendly against the United States. (Marsch, a close friend of Curtin’s for decades, certainly has a few opinions about the Union’s move.)

Naturally, Tanner expects Carnell to deliver the kind of style of play he wrote in St. Louis, helping bolster a defensive unit that gave up way too many bad goals last year. There is also a clear expectation to give the Union’s big young prospects playing time, a point Tanner made in a statement accompanying the hiring announcement. The main reason for suddenly sacking Curtin after 10 years in charge was a disagreement over the big philosophy for the coming season.

“Bradley has the qualities we were looking for in a manager and the experience needed as we commit to returning to our identity as a team,” Tanner said. “His approach emphasizes a high-pressing style of play while organizing a structured defence. In addition, he shares the club’s vision to develop players. We are confident that he will bring a clear sporting philosophy that will lift the team and deliver 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 these leads will also matter. He better be able to get the most out of Cavan Sullivan before the teenage phenom turns his focus to Manchester City, and do so alongside CJ Olney, Neil Pierre and other youngsters on the brink.

Expect it to be another major talking point on Thursday afternoon.

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