On Wednesday afternoon, the Philadelphia Union announced personnel changes to its sporting staff, relieving Bradley Carnell of his duties as Head Coach and lifting Jon Scheer's interim tag as the club's next Sporting Director. As the Union heads into the nearly two-month World Cup break, Ryan Richter will serve as interim manager while the front office conducts a global search for its new head coach. Let's digest these heavy bits of news.
Less than eight months after leading the Blue and Gold to its second Supporters' Shield as Major League Soccer's best regular season team, the Philadelphia Union announced Wednesday the firing of Head Coach Bradley Carnell during his second season in charge of the club.
The decision comes after Union's 6-4 loss to Inter Miami last Sunday night, sending DOOP into the World Cup break with a record of just one win, four draws, and 10 losses for a total of seven points in the standings, leaving them dead last in the MLS table.
Carnell took charge of the Union in January of 2025 following the departure of long-time manager Jim Curtin after the team failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
Despite having one of the lowest roster spends in MLS, Carnell galvanized the group to a 9-3-3 start through the first 15 games of the 2025 season, a drastically different start than the one they've had in his second season at the helm.
Carnell's squad to start year two in Philadelphia looked a lot different than the one he lifted the Supporters' Shield trophy last October. In addition to the departure of Forward Mikael Uhre, who scored the Shield-clinching goal against NYCFC, the Union faithful said goodbye to 3 separate mainstays in the starting XI and 2025 MLS All-Stars in Kai Wagner, Tai Bario, and Jakob Glesnes in the off-season.
The club then went out and spent more than they ever have in an offseason transfer window, adding Geiner Martinez, Japhet Sery-Larsen, Philippe Ndinga, Agustin Anello, and club-record signing Ezekiel Alladoh. However, the Union has the lowest roster spend in Major League Soccer, with a combined player salary of $11.7 millon, according to MLS' Player Salary Guide.
These signings were likely planned by Ernst Tanner, the former Sporting Director, and carried out by Jon Scheer, the man now tasked with leading the Union as their "GM" type leader. He has an extensive knowledge of the club, having been a part of it since 2018. He first helped run the academy and brought it to the heights it currently sits at; now, he will be in charge of getting the first team to rise up.
Scheer's knowledge of the academy will likely serve as the main pipeline for player acquisition for the foreseeable future, as this past off-season's signings haven't hit well at all. Let's see if he can shape a roster of mostly academy graduates with foreign signings that can mesh well with that philosophy.
There has been no mention of Ernst Tanner's status; he is serving a suspension until June 1st for his grave misconduct after multiple investigations. With no direct word coming from the club despite Sheer's promotion, one could assume Tanner's time in Philly is done. Only time will tell, and we will likely hear more about that on the first day of June.
The Union's on-pitch leadership will now be Ryan Richter's responsibility until the Union's front office finds a new head coach. With 56 days until their next game, the Union will be looking all over for one. However, one has to think the cheeky thought about what Jim Curtin is doing right now as the club is still paying him until the end of his 2026 Contract.
As the Philadelphia Union turn the page on this era of their sporting history, one thing is certain: the next moves they make will define the next chapter of the story of the club. Jon Sheer and the next Head Coach will be tasked with defining the DNA of the Union for years to come. Only eight more weeks until we see whether we're on an upward path or the path continues toward the worst-ever MLS season.
