Philly Leader

Philadelphia Union has appointed Bradley Carnell as the new head coach, marking him as the fourth individual to hold this position in the club's history. Carnell, originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, previously led CITY SC to become the 2023 Western Conference Champions with a record of 17-12-3. This achievement made them the first expansion team to secure a conference regular season title and record 17 wins.

"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," stated Philadelphia Union Sporting Director Ernst Tanner. "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 expressed his enthusiasm about joining Philadelphia Union: “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,” said Carnell. “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.”

At 47 years old, Carnell brings with him a decade of professional coaching experience, including eight seasons in Major League Soccer (MLS). He recently managed St. Louis CITY SC for two seasons as their inaugural head coach after being appointed in January 2022. During his tenure there, he achieved a record of 22-15-25 over 62 regular-season matches.

Before his time at St. Louis, Carnell served as assistant manager and interim head coach with New York Red Bulls from March 2017 until January 2022. As interim head coach from September 5 to November 19, 2020, he guided New York through 14 matches with a record of 6-3-5, leading them into their eleventh consecutive postseason appearance.

Carnell's coaching career began at the University of Johannesburg men's team (2012-15) before moving on to roles at Orlando Pirates (2016-17) and Free State Stars (2015-16) in South Africa.

As a former defender, Carnell played professionally for eighteen years from 1993 until 2011. He debuted at sixteen with Wits University in South Africa before playing for VfB Stuttgart and Borussia Monchengladbach in Germany’s Bundesliga among other teams.

Internationally, he represented South Africa in forty-two national team appearances between 1997 and 2010 which included participation in major tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup and African Cup of Nations.