Carnell lauds Philadelphia's 'hunger and desire' after clinching Supporters' Shield
Having failed to make the playoffs last season, the Philadelphia Union overturned the odds to clinch the Supporters' Shield in 2025.
Bradley Carnell credited the Philadelphia Union for their "hunger and desire" to prove doubters wrong after clinching the MLS Supporters' Shield on Saturday.
The Union, who finished 12th in the Eastern Conference last season, go into this year's MLS Cup Playoffs as the top seed thanks to a 1-0 win over New York City FC.
Mikael Uhre scored the only goal of the game for the Union in the 40th minute to take them to 66 points, securing the trophy for Carnell in his first season at the club.
It is the first time Philadelphia have won the Supporters' Shield since 2020, and Carnell was thrilled with how well they have performed since he took over from Jim Curtin in January.
"It's sweet," Carnell told MLS Season Pass. "These guys invested in the very beginning to get rewarded, and I'm so happy for them.
"What they've done, what they've committed, what they've rebuilt, you just have to tip your hat to everybody here at the club.
"This is what we've seen from the guys all the way through the season: this hunger and this desire just to prove people wrong last year, whatever happened.
"For me personally as well, whatever happened. It was this combination of, I would say, two failures, right? To grow it together, to build something together, for them to absorb information and then execute. It's amazing."
Elsewhere, San Diego FC made history on Saturday as their 4-2 victory over the Houston Dynamo saw them set a new expansion-season points record.
The win took them to 60 points with one game to spare, eclipsing Los Angeles FC's record of 57 points from 2018. Their 18 wins this season are also a high for an expansion team in the competition.
