Copyright phillyvoice
Bradley Carnell brought the Philadelphia Union back to the MLS Playoffs, saw them clinch the Supporters' Shield for Major League Soccer's best record in the process, and now will have some individual hardware all his own. Carnell was named the 2025 Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year on Thursday, adding on to what has already been a whirlwind first season in Philadelphia for the 48-year-old manager. Succeeding former longtime coach Jim Curtin, Carnell took the reins of the Union and turned the club around into a defensive juggernaut that surrendered the fewest goals in MLS (35) and the fewest shots (128 that tied with LAFC), all while reaching an MLS-best and all-time club-best 20 wins during the regular season. Within a matter of months, Carnell, a South Africa native, helped retool the Union back into an MLS Cup contender, in an ultimate goal that the club drew one step closer to when they swept Chicago in a first-round best-of-three series last weekend. The Union are still awaiting their opponent for the Eastern Conference Semifinals, which will either be Charlotte or New York depending on the result from the conclusion of that first-round series on Friday night. SIGN UP HERE to receive the PhillyVoice Sports newsletter Follow Nick on Twitter: @itssnick Follow Nick on Bluesky: @itssnick Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports
