Where we left off last year
2025 season: 66 points, 1st in the Eastern Conference, 1st in MLS
On the field, 2025 was a smashing success for the Philadelphia Union. I do mean "smashing", by the way. They smashed their way through teams left and right on the back of their return to a high-pressing, extremely vertical style and claimed the Supporters' Shield along the way. It wasn't Jim Curtin who masterminded the Union's success after all. Bradley Carnell did just fine in his place. The team fell to New York City FC in the Eastern Conference semifinals, but none could argue the campaign was anything less than a major hit.
Off the field, 2025 left the Philadelphia Union in a far less pleasant place. Chief soccer officer Ernst Tanner was placed on administrative leave while MLS reopened an investigation into allegations of inappropriate workplace behavior. You can read more about those allegations in The Guardian. With a future hazier than it’s been in years, it seems there’s a culture to rebuild in Philly.
What changed in the offseason
Notable arrivals:
- Ezekiel Alladoh, ST: Signed from the Swedish first division for a club-record transfer fee in the ballpark of $4.5 million, Alladoh is a 20-year-old striker who will see immediate minutes for Bradley Carnell. With speed, strength, and smart vertical movement, Alladoh should be a good fit for the Union’s system.
- Agustin Anello, ST: A young forward who’s recently broken out in Uruguay? Sign the Philadelphia Union up for that. It worked in the case of Bruno Damiani last year and the same could be true of Anello, a 23-year-old U.S.-born attacker who impressed at the same Uruguayan club as Damiani.
