Philadelphia Union Are Off To A Historic 3-0 Start
Coming off a disappointing season, where they missed the playoffs the playoffs for the 1st time since 2017, the Philadelphia Union fired longtime Head Coach Jim Curtin. They replaced him with Bradley Carnell. Expectations for Carnell’s first season in Chester were meager, but the Union have smashed through them early on.
With three wins in a row to kick off 2025, something they’ve never done before in their MLS history, the Union sits at the top of the Eastern Conference. Their flawless record marks the best start to any Union season yet. Most recently, on March 9, they blanked New England 2-0. Goals from Tai Baribo and Jovan Lukic in the second half locked up the win.
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Since stepping in on January 2, Carnell has changed the team’s DNA. His aggressive pressing style has paid off – the team’s +7 scoring margin ranks among the best three-game openings in MLS history.

Young Talent Leading The Way For Philadelphia Union
A big factor in that has been striker Tai Baribo, who now has 6 goals in 3 games, including a hat trick against Cincinnati FC in the Union’s lone home game this season. But so has a newer face on the Union’s 1st team, Olwethu Makhanya, who like Carnell, hails from South Africa.
At just 20, Durban-born Makhanya has played every minute under Carnell. He first joined the Union back in 2023 as a teenager, but it took him a bit to find his place on a new team in a new country. Up until this season, he spent his time with the Union II.
But the departure of Jack Elliott opened up a spot for Makhanya, which he has taken and run with. Not only did he make the team, he made the starting 9.
“It’s an opportunity that I’ve been working really hard for and praying for,” said defender Olwethu Makhanya.
So far they have beaten Orlando 4-2, Cincinnati 4-1, and New England 2-0. Up next, they come back home to host Nashville SC (1-1-1). The game can be listened to on the radio right here on the Fanatic, and on TV via Fox or the Apple TV MLS Season pass.