Last Major League Soccer (MLS) season was an unexpected one for the Philadelphia Union, who had never finished in the bottom five of the Eastern Conference. The Union finished 12th in the Eastern Conference and 23rd overall in MLS. Never before had the Union finished so low, and many didn’t expect much improvement, especially with new coach Bradley Carnell taking the helm, but Philly showed what Philly does, and the Union came back with a new fire, finishing the regular season at the summit.
The Union went into the previous season ready to continue to compete for the Supporters’ Shield, the trophy that goes to the regular season winner, as they have for most of their time in the MLS. The Union started last season convincingly, losing none of their first seven, but things quickly turned south with the team winning just one of a staggering 16 games. Improvements came, but too little too late, with five wins in 11 matches, condemning them to an early exit from the season.
“I saw too many players today in the locker room who probably don’t care that we get out of the playoffs. That’s something that really pisses me off, when you see players who like, don’t care, and just go home now and think, ‘Okay, nice, I have a vacation in front of me,’” Kai Wagner, Union defender, expressed.
It was clear that change was needed, and change happened at the Union camp. The most scrutinized position in soccer isn’t on the field but off, and head coach Jim Curtin was at the forefront. After the season, he and the Union parted ways, and Bradley Carnell was put in charge. New signings followed in the likes of Milan Iloski and Indiana Vassilev, as well as loans like Jovan Lukic. Fan favorite Daniel Gazdag, a longtime Union midfield conductor, departed after 125 appearances for the Union.
The Union started the 2025 season with three wins in a row. This was followed by a shaky period of five games, where only one ended with a Union win, including a loss against blockbuster side Inter Miami FC, housing the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, who all once featured in together at Barcelona during a reign of terror on world soccer. It was safe to say that the Union of the past was gone and midtable was their fate, but a run of 11 games without a loss proved to differ. The Union’s final 14 games saw them lose just five, and with a 1-0 win over New York City FC (NYCFC), the Union lifted the Supporters’ Shield and in doing so, the number one seed.
What comes next? At the time of writing the Union have beaten the Chicago Fire in the division quarterfinal, and face either Charlotte FC or NYCFC in the semifinal. Major League Soccer better watch out, and only time will tell if Philadelphia has another champion side in them.
