ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Bradley Carnell's first year as head coach of St. Louis City SC was successful beyond imagination, with the former Red Bull coach helping guide the expansion club to a widely successful first season in the MLS, including finishing a top of the Western Conference in the 2023 MLS regular season and clinching a spot in the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2024.
Now St. Louis City SC is rewarding him for his efforts, as the club announced the team and Carnell agreed on a new contract extension Wednesday, with terms of the deal undisclosed initially though City SC president Diego Gigliani announced in a press conference the deal is a two-year extension that will take Carnell's contract up to 2025.
“I am excited to continue working with the STL group. My family and I love the St. Louis area and can’t wait to build on top of the strong foundation that was built.” said Carnell in a press release.
A longtime assistant coach of the New York Red Bulls, when Carnell was hired by City SC in 2022, Carnell brought the Red Bull system's famous 'Gegenpressing' system to the club, successfully implementing the tactics, system, and scheme popularized by former RB Leipzig, Manchester United coach and Red Bull exec Ralf Rangnick into the squad, with the results leading to St. Louis becoming the first expansion team to win a conference regular-season title and record 17 wins in the post-shootout era, while tying for the second most team points in a season with 56.
Carnell will hope to continue the momentum in 2024 beginning in first round of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, when City SC hosts the first leg of a two-leg draw against fellow MLS side Houston Dynamo on Feb. 20. The Dynamo reached the Western Conference Finals of the MLS playoffs last year, led by longtime Mexican international and former Spanish La Liga winner with Atletico Madrid Hector Herrera.