Carnell, Glesnes, Wagner collect postseason accolades

Philadelphia Union head coach Bradley Carnell was named the 2025 Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year, joining Jakob Glesnes and Kai Wagner with postseason plaudits from the league.

Wagner and Glesnes were both finalists for the Defender of the Year award and were named to the MLS Best XI.

Hired in January, Carnell took over after a tumultuous 2024 season for the Union and was able to right the ship. The Union’s six-year playoff streak came to an end last year, after the Union finished 12th out of 15 teams in the Eastern Conference on a 9-10-15 record. Only one season later, Carnell took the wheel and led the Union to 20 regular season wins, setting a new franchise record. The regular season results added up to 66 points, a drastic 29-point increase from 2024, and just one point behind their 2022 season total when they missed out on the Supporters’ Shield because of the wins tiebreaker and made it to the MLS Cup final.

Carnell achieved a Supporters’ Shield-winning season by trusting his depth, rotating his team often and having faith in his players. Carnell started 25 different players throughout the season for a total of 29 different starting lineups. Tai Baribo lead the Union with 16 goals, but 18 different players have stepped up with a goal throughout the season.

Carnell’s honor is the third year in which a Union manager has been named Coach of the Year after Jim Curtin received the honor in 2020 and 2022. This is tied for the most Coach of the Year honors for a club, level with Columbus, LA Galaxy, and San Jose Earthquakes.

The Union had a strong attack this season, but the strongest and most reliable part of the team was the defense. The Union’s 35 goals conceded in the regular season was the fewest in MLS. Glesnes and Wagner were crucial contributors to the Union’s defensive resurgence. The pair of defenders have worked together for the Union’s most successful seasons, winning the Supporters’ Shield in 2020 and 2025 as well as the MLS Eastern Conference in 2022, falling just short in MLS Cup Final.

Both players earned their third MLS All-Star recognition in 2025 as well as their second appearances in MLS Best XI after both players were recognized in 2022. The 2022 season was historic for the Union defenders, who set an MLS record for the fewest goals allowed in a 34-match season with just 26 goals allowed. Wagner and Glesnes returned to top form in 2025.

Wagner led MLS in tackles and led the Union in assists, contributing on both ends of the field. Glesnes was dependable as ever, logging over 2,600 minutes, second among his teammates to Wagner.

Wagner and Glesnes’ Best XI recognition is only the second time in MLS history that a pair of teammates in the same positional group have been selected in multiple years in the same Best XI, after midfielders Chris Armas and former Union head coach Piotr Nowak did so for Chicago Fire three times in 1998, 2000, and 2001.

Carnell, Wagner, Glesnes, and the Union will be in action next on November 22 or 23 at Subaru Park vs. New York City FC for the Eastern Conference Semifinal after an extended break.