St. Louis City SC has fired its first head coach, Bradley Carnell, just six months after he was given a contract extension.
Carnell led City SC to the best record in the Western Conference in the MLS team’s first year, defying all expectations for an expansion franchise. Despite earning the No. 1 seed in the playoffs last year, the team lost in the first round to rival Sporting Kansas City.
This year, the team has struggled with injuries and put up a record of 3 wins, 7 losses and 10 draws. It hasn’t won a game since May 11.
City SC President and GM Diego Gigliani thanked Carnell for his time with the club and his performance last season but said the team’s record this year indicated a change was necessary.
“Do we have confidence in believing in the process and just giving everything more time, or do we think that this requires a bigger change to cause more of a mental reset and a reset amongst the team?” Gigliani said. “And in this case, 20 games in is when we felt that moment had arrived.”
City SC Sporting Director Lutz Pfannenstiel said it was not a rash decision but something that had been brewing for some time.
“In recent weeks we did look flat. We did not look as sharp as we were last year, and that is the moment when you feel you have to make a change, and that's why we did it,” he said.
Reaction to Carnell’s ouster has been mixed among fans.
“The in-game tactics, the timing of subs - it’s been frustrating for me,” said Justin Graham, co-host of Ball Watching, a fan-run City SC podcast. “In my opinion, I am not overly surprised.”
While Graham sees the firing as justified, his co-host disagrees.
“It doesn’t feel like us (City SC) to do things like this. I don’t think this is a long-term move. I don’t agree with it,” Jake Koenig said. “We could be kicking ourselves for this.”
City SC supporters groups, known for their singing and chanting at home games at CityPark, expressed gratitude for Carnell and last year’s inaugural season but also acknowledged the need to move on.
“Coach Carnell gave City fans a magical first season and showed us what resilience and hard work looks like. He treated our fans kindly and with sincere love,” said Carlos Restrepo, president of STL Santos. “Players and coaches are temporary, but fans are forever.”
Technical Director John Hackworth will manage the team on an interim basis as City SC begins the search for a new head coach. He has worked in multiple roles at City SC since its beginning, including a stint as the head coach of City 2, the organization’s developmental squad.
Pfannenstiel said he thinks Hackworth can bring back some of the intensity and sense of urgency the team had last year.
“We think he can do that. That’s why, after really, really long thoughts, we want to go with Hack. We love to have the underdog role, because that is what we are made of. The will, the mindset, the aggression — it was still there, but it became a bit softer and a bit flatter. Getting fresh blood, fresh thoughts and a lot of motivation and a lot to play for, you will see a team that will be ready.”
In addition to a new head coach, City SC will have new players arriving in mid-July. The beginning of the summer transfer window is expected to bring in at least three new players, including midfielders Cedric Teuchert from Germany and Australian Jake Girdwood-Reich.
City SC’s next match is Wednesday night at City Park against the San Jose Earthquakes.
