The Philadelphia Union are 25 matches into the 2025 season and they've reached the top of the table, sitting at first in both the East and the Supporters’ Shield standings as the first team to 50 points.
The success comes on the heels of significant change within the organization; during the offseason, the club hired a new leader in Head Coach Bradley Carnell and subsequently added a cast of vibrant young players to the roster early in the year.
The fresh energy on campus quickly permeated into the team's already strong foundation, made of seasoned pros and eager youth grown in the club's best-in-class development system. As purpose, vision, and style of play became firmly aligned from the top down, the Philadelphia Union made their mark on the league, securing points in 20 of their 25 outings so far.
There are nine matches left in the regular season, plus a rescheduled US Open Cup semifinal match, and it’ll take effort from the entire team to stay on top, just like it has since matchday 1. They'll begin their final push on August 9th against Toronto FC at home, but until then, here’s a glimpse at the season so far through quotes from players and staff.
“We are pushing each other as a team to get better, and that's what we need to do now in the final stretch of the season, because we want to end where we are now -- on the top.”
Jakob Glesnes | Defender, Norway
“The group is galvanized. We’re having fun. We’re just enjoying the moment and pushing each other every single day.”
Bradley Carnell | Head Coach, South Africa
“We saw it in 2022 that when we got on a roll, and then it was really tough for guys to play against us when you have that momentum. Now, it's just about keeping that going.”
Mikael Uhre | Striker, Denmark
“We believe in everyone – the younger guys, the older guys, the mentality. We believe in each other, and as long as we believe in each other, then we have what it takes.”
Olwethu Makhanya | Defender, South Africa
“Creo que la linda familia que se ha ido formado este año nos a ayudado a hacer un mejor equipo, creo que ahora solo somos un simple grupo de amigos siendo feliz con una pelota y creo que esa a sido la clave para el éxito que llevamos.”
“The beautiful family that has formed this year has helped us become a better team. We're now just a simple group of friends being happy with a ball, and I think that's been the key to our success.”
Jesus Bueno | Midfielder, Venezuela
“There is trust, respect, and a clear vision shared between us all which is a recipe for success."
Indiana Vassilev | Midfielder, USA
“There is something special about this locker room. Of course, we have good players, but a lot of teams have good players. I think there is something special about the character of these players."
Tai Baribo | Striker, Israel
“The competition pushes all of us to stay sharp – nobody gets too comfortable. At the same time, there’s real respect and support in the locker room. We compete hard, but we lift each other up too. That mix keeps the level high without losing the unity. You can feel that energy every day, we’re all trying to be the best version of ourselves, and we’re doing it together."
Markus Anderson | Striker, USA
“It’s a group with a lot of passion. We have really, really good challenges in every single training session, so that the players have to work really, really hard. It's sometimes hard for us coaches to pick the right XI, because everybody is doing great in training and deserves to start at the weekend.”
Frank Leicht | Assistant Coach, Germany
