City SC sacks Bradley Carnell midway through dismal season

ST. LOUIS – Bradley Carnell is out as head coach of St. Louis City SC following a disappointing first half of his second season, the club announced Monday. Team technical director John Hackworth will serve as interim head coach as the club conducts a search for a full-time replacement.

Carnell was hired as the club’s first manager in January 2022. Under Carnell, the club finished with the best record in the MLS Western Conference, with a record of 17-12-3. In doing so, City SC became the first expansion-era club in the post-shootout era to win a conference regular-season title.

A success some fans attribute to his downfall.

“Expectations were enormous,” City SC fan Ed Seuc told FOX 2. “It’s not necessarily fair.”

But Carnell and the City Boys could not avoid a sophomore slump.

“Big difference from one year to the next,” Seuc said.

But Carnell and the City Boys could not avoid a sophomore slump. After Saturday’s disappointing 4-3 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps, City SC sits with a 3-7-10 record, which places the club 12th in the Western Conference and 26th overall in the Supporter Shield standings.

“Given Bradley’s many contributions to the club, this was not an easy decision,” City SC Sporting Director Lutz Pfannenstiel said. “Unfortunately, based on our … results to date, we believe a coaching change is in the best interest of the club as we regroup and look to improve both our performance and our results.”

The team is averaging just under a point per game and is winless in its last nine matches.

“People around here we expect to win and when are teams aren’t winning the fans aren’t happy,” City SC fan Matt Bohall said Monday.

City SC President and GM Diego Gigliani credited Carnell for the organization’s success in year one.

“On behalf of everyone at CITY SC, we would like to extend our deepest gratitude to Bradley for his time with the club. (Bradley) was integral to the club’s success during our historic first campaign,” he said.

“Bradley, Claudia and their family embraced St. Louis and we wish them nothing but the best moving forward.”

Fans say the message from the front office is clear. Despite being a new franchise, they expect to win.

“It is nice to see that they are trying to make a push and win and not just being complacent and happy being out of the playoffs,” Bohall explained.

Newly-minted interim head coach John Hackworth has nearly 30 years of coaching experience, including two different stints as an assistant with the U.S. Men’s National Team, as well as head coaching jobs with the MLS side Philadelphia Union and the USL’s Louisville City FC, which won the 2018 USL Championship.

City SC hosts the San Jose Earthquakes at CityPark Wednesday night. San Jose has lost five in a row and is winless in its last nine matches.

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