Photo courtesy of Philadelphia Union

News arrived just as this roundtable was posting that Union coach Bradley Carnell has been fired, according to both the New York Times/The Athletic, and the Philadelphia Inquirer .

Whoever manages the Union after the break will have a great many decisions to make, and our Philly Soccer Page writers weigh in on the “State of the Union” at the World Cup Break.

After a 2025 season that saw the Union win its second Supporters’ Shield trophy, 2026 has been the team’s worst-ever start to a season 1 Win, 10 Losses, and 4 Ties (and one of the worst starts in league history).
What are the reasons for hope, if any? What will—what must—change on the field when the Union’s season restarts, at home, on July 22 against conference rivals New York Red Bulls?
Alex Hayden, Chris Gibbons, Tim Jones, Blake Zuschnitt and Ryan Eichem give their insights on four questions:

1. What is the State of the Union?
2. Who is performing at or above MLS-level expectations?
3. Who should be loaned, cut, or put on Fabinho’s sun rocket? AND
4. How can this season be salvaged?

The Union have played 15 games, garnering just 7 points.

What is the state of the Union?
BLAKE ZUSCHNITT: The Union is at a crossroads. The sale of several important players last winter, along with the injury to Quinn Sullivan, has made for an early season slog.

CHRIS GIBBONS: The Union are rebuilding rather than reloading, and it’s not pretty right now.

RYAN EICHEM: The players that need to produce aren’t producing, and the young talent is having trouble without proven leaders on the field, the result of selling numerous experienced players.

ALEX HAYDEN: The player development model is at work; more new players means more necessary development, hence the on-field performances at the first team level.

TIM JONES: The state of the Union is poor, especially in the current level of quality of play in MLS. While the team plays better quality soccer than the clubs did early in the side’s history, that is only an historical curiosity. Without change, they are the clear favorites for the wooden spoon.

Who is performing at or above MLS-level expectations?
CHRIS GIBBONS: It’s hard to say anyone has been up to their personal standard, and that’s partly why the outcomes have been so poor.

RYAN EICHEM: Not many have been producing at an MLS-level, given the team’s current position. If I had to pick one player, I’d say Cavan Sullivan. He’s taken a solid step up this season, and he has been one of very few bright spots on a dark season.

TIM JONES: Iloski is performing up to expectations. So is Cavan Sullivan. So is Andre Blake. So is Frank Westfield. So is Nathan Harriel. And Agustin Anello seems likely to join them once he is fully conditioned. Bradley Carnell has led the defenders towards progress. It remains to be seen whether the new coach can succeed in the Sisyphean task of lifting the attack.

BLAKE ZUSCHNITT: Who on the Union is performing at or above MLS-level standard expectations? Not many, I’d wager. I think you could make the argument that Makhanya has been consistently at or above MLS level. However, the vast inconsistencies in his game make for some adventurous moments at times. The list ends abruptly beyond him.

ALEX HAYDEN: This season’s saving grace, if there can be any at their position in the table, is the existing competency and chemistry between Makhanya, Westfield, and Harriel in the defensive line. Those three gentlemen have demonstrated MLS level ability, and on occasion, have gone beyond it. Makhanya and Westfield are still young, they are going to make mistakes, but they have been shaped into promising defenders. Japhet Sery and/ or Geiner Martinez will join the rest of this back line in this evaluation at some point.
Augustin Anello and Danley Jean-Jacques are the current frontrunners for inspiring quality in the lines above them.

Who should be loaned or cut?
ALEX HAYDEN: The answer everyone wants to see for this is Bruno Damiani, and fine, you can have it. However, Olivier Mbaizo’s 59 minutes against New England raised multiple concerns. I worry that the league’s quality has risen past the Cameroonian’s ability. If the club is going to pay him, at least have the decency to send him to a USL team in need where he might get minutes.

TIM JONES: Bedoya should retire once Quinn Sullivan is ready to play in matches, perhaps transitioning to a coaching role for the rest of this year’s contract. Otherwise, it is too soon to cut ties with anyone else. Including Carnell. Think how long it took most players when they were new to the club to gel into a good side, especially attackers.

CHRIS GIBBONS: Bruno Damiani’s time is done in Chester. After that, it’s hard to say – many players are just off their game, others haven’t had enough of a sample size to know what they’re capable of. Even an average finisher would make this team top 5 in the East.

RYAN EICHEM: Others have said Damiani, and I don’t disagree. He’s not scored once this season, something a striker must do. Mbaizo hasn’t looked good either, especially with how solid Harriel has been. If you want to keep him around for depth, that’s fine, but otherwise, you might be able to get a bit of funds and wage space (not that management would use it) to reinvest.

BLAKE ZUSCHNITT: I was a staunch defender of Bruno Damiani last season, especially given the expectation that his xG numbers would rubber band back into goals at some point. And I think saying he should be “loaned, cut, or put in Fabinho’a sun rocket” is a bit harsh, given the moves that have essentially eviscerated the Union’s high-quality service of years past.
However, clearly things are not working this season as it stands, and they don’t look much improved with Alladoh as a starter either. Whether it be bringing in a new attacking piece who can offer better service, or deploying the attacking options differently, I’d like to see some change. But I don’t think getting rid of players on an already light roster is the answer here.

How can this season be salvaged?
ALEX HAYDEN: If by “salvage” you mean getting anywhere close to last season’s position, we are too far deep into the season to consider salvaging it.

CHRIS GIBBONS: It can’t, at least not on points. Figuring out who stays next season should be priority number one.

TIM JONES: Add an experienced European goal scorer who has pace sufficient to threaten the space behind the oppositions’ restraining line, a new Mikael Uhre in effect.

RYAN EICHEM: 10 points out of a playoff spot with 20 games to go is not terrible. It’s obviously not good, but this season isn’t over. I didn’t necessarily agree with Carnell still having a job, since it’s been proven that his second-season syndrome is prevalent. Maybe a new manager bounce is what could propel this team to the playoff spots. The strikers also need to start scoring.

BLAKE ZUSCHNITT: I would like to see some change to how the Union deploys its attacking options. Whether or not that can “salvage” a season as miserable as this one has been remains to be seen, but I’d love to see Cavan used centrally in a 4-2-3-1, with Iloski pushed out wide where he saw success last season. Looking forward to the return of Quinn Sullivan as well, as that should provide some juice in both the counter-press and in the service department.