July 29, 2025 • 29 mins
This week on TABLE TALK, Jeff sat down with Josh Shuster from PhiladelphiaSoccerNow.com to talk about the ins and outs of this 2025 Philadelphia Union season. This team is not only having an unexpected year, but dare we say - new coaching leadership is what this organization has needed? It was a great and in-depth discussion!
Topics John and Jeff discussed:
- How Tai Baribo has been the ultimate difference-maker for this Union team, something that wasn’t necessarily expected this year.
- Let’s not forget about the talent and play that Kai Wagner and Jacob Glesnes have brought to the field.
- At this point, we really do have to say that Bradley Carnell is one of the best coaches in Major League Soccer at this point, right?
- Despite their success this year, where does the Union need to improve?
All of this and much more this week on Table Talk!
SUBSCRIBE on YouTube: youtube.com/@thephiladelphiasportstable
Head over to our website for all of our podcasts and more: philadelphiasportstable.com
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Jeff: @jeffwarren.bsky.social
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The Show: @philadelphiasportstable.
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Topics John and Jeff discussed:
- How Tai Baribo has been the ultimate difference-maker for this Union team, something that wasn’t necessarily expected this year.
- Let’s not forget about the talent and play that Kai Wagner and Jacob Glesnes have brought to the field.
- At this point, we really do have to say that Bradley Carnell is one of the best coaches in Major League Soccer at this point, right?
- Despite their success this year, where does the Union need to improve?
All of this and much more this week on Table Talk!
SUBSCRIBE on YouTube: youtube.com/@thephiladelphiasportstable
Head over to our website for all of our podcasts and more: philadelphiasportstable.com
Follow us on BlueSky:
Jeff: @jeffwarren.bsky.social
Erik: @brickpollitt.bsky.social
Follow us on Threads:
Jeff: @mrjeffwarren
Erik: @slen1023
The Show: @philadelphiasportstable
Follow us on Twitter/X:
Jeff: @Jeffrey_Warren
Erik: @BrickPollitt
The Show: @PhiladelphiaPST
Follow us on Instagram:
Jeff: @mrjeffwarren
Erik: @slen1023
The Show: @philadelphiasportstable.
Follow Jeff on TikTok: @mrjeffwarren
Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/PhiladelphiaSportsTable
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Welcome to Table Talk here at the Philadelphia Sports Table
podcast show, the longest running weekly Philly sports podcast show
in the world, twelve years strong. You've got a great
discussion coming your way this week as it pertains to
the Philadelphia Union. That's right, they are on top of
the Eastern Conference within Major League Soccer, a team here
(00:50):
in the Philadelphia area that doesn't always get their due,
but we're talking about them here on this table Talk
interview show. And joining us this week is our very
good friend from Philadelphia's soccernow dot com, Josh Schuster. Buddy Man,
thanks so much for jumping on.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Yeah, man, anytime, Jeff. It's always a pleasure.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
It's always fun. Yeah, it's always fun talking soccer with you. Hey.
But by the way, we've got the Eagles season right
around the corner here. I think it maybe we might
have to have you on some postgame shows if the
guys aren't able to jump on.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Yeah, absolutely, put you right on the spot down Sports Good.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
I'm glad. I'm glad to hear that. Well, Hey, Buddy,
Look to get into this Major League soccer season, specifically
with regard to the Union, we first have to start
off by talking about one particular player, one gentleman named Tyberibo.
I mean he is now a lot of people may
not know this, but he is now the second pro
(01:43):
athlete in Philadelphia to win an All Star MVP here
in twenty twenty five. Yes, we had Kyle Schwarber do
it just a couple of weeks ago at Major League
Baseball's All Star Game, and then tyber Ebo last week
one VP of the Major League Soccer All Star Game.
It's just been an incredible season for him. It's such
(02:06):
a cool storyline as well. So just to get us
started talking about this Union team and Barribo too, because
he really has been an engine and spark plug for
this team. How is ty Berrebo really leaving his mark
with this Union team this season? Josh? And what is
tenure actually is going to end up meaning for this
(02:26):
Union team and even well into the future.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Yeah, you know, we I think I said it last
time I was on that neither of us really had
many expectations for ty Baribo. I mentioned it last time
that when they had signed him, I really was questioning
what Ernest Tannier was was doing. But really, this season
(02:53):
has been a good story, but a couple of weeks ago,
I had text you that ty Baribo and his family
were stuck in Israel because of the war, and they
were in a bunker. And when Carnell was asked about
when ty Beribo was going to be back, his blunt
answer was, we don't know exactly. And so I think,
in to make this a shorter answer for you to
(03:16):
your original question, the time that he was missing is
he had to go back over to get his status,
his work status renewed in different things for America and
different things. The union struggled, he kind of hit its law.
They were having a problem with goal scoring. But what
do you know, he comes back, They're back to winning ways.
(03:37):
It really is kind of amazing. I had checked just
before we had started recording here. He had been in
the Golden Boot leader for MLS for an extended period
of time, and I think missing a number of games
probably has hurt those chances, as Messi is now the
leading scorer. But really he is having just this career year,
and we had kind of seen it towards the end
(03:59):
of last season, but I think everybody, myself included, just
kind of thought that it was a mirage that really
this wasn't going to last. I even thought that maybe
they should sell him based off of his potential, because
I did not think that his value was going to
be any higher. Well, I was wrong.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
He's really the glue. He really is the glue keeping
so much of this together.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Yeah, and he really really is, especially with some of
the players that left this past offseason, he really has
kind of stepped into that role. I think. One of
the other things and maybe we'll get into it a
little bit later, is a lot of people had questioned
bringing back Alejandro Vadoya. Yeah, but I think really in
(04:46):
the way the contract is set up that he kind
of has this front office role, but he also has
this on the field role. His role on the pitch
is critical because I would actually argue that he is glue.
He is the one constant who has been here for
an extended period of time, and when you let the
kind of players they let go this this previous offseason,
(05:10):
they really did need to sign him Alejandra Bodoya to
one year, one year deal, not to move it away
from Typerrebo. But again, he is having a great season.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Yeah, absolutely, Well, there are two other individuals also having
pretty good season for this Union team. We can't forget
that Kai Wagner as I've always called them Wagner because
I'm because I'm an old white guy who mispronounced his names,
but got it right this time. Kai Wagner and Jacob
Is it Jacob Glessness, Yes, my gosh, I got it right.
(05:42):
What the heck is going on here, Josh, I'm getting
these names right? My goodness. Anyway, they were also representatives
I should say Union team representatives at the All Star
Game as well. Both have been having a really good season.
I mean, Wagner wasn't initially selected as an All Star
amazingly enough, but was added as a replacement later, and
Jacob has had He really has been the anchor for
(06:05):
this Union defense. So I wonder if we can talk
about these players here, get your thoughts about what these
two guys have meant to this team this season and
really how they're going to continue their impact here in
the coming weeks and months. So let's start with Kai Wagner.
I mean, what are your thoughts on where he has
right now, where he is right now during this season, really,
(06:25):
what he means for the team.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
I'm actually gonna robe him both in together. Okay, is
true for both. Okay, if you would have told me,
Jeff before the season started and we kind of did
our season preview, yeah, that both Wagner and Glassness were
both going to be All Stars after their season last year,
I probably I probably would have laughed, yeah, because really,
(06:49):
when we're talking about the fall that the Union had
that really led to Jim Curtin's departure, when there's two
players that I think needed a new voice, and Carnell
being that new voice, I think it's these two individuals
that needed it more than anything. I think what had
happened was both of these individuals have been in rumblings
(07:11):
of being sold for so long, especially Kai Wagner. I
mean he has really been talked about going over to
Europe for a while now, especially in the Bundesliga. Maybe
not at the first tier, but in the second tier
of Bundesliga. The reality is, I think they just got
comfortable here and I think bringing in a new voice
(07:35):
that had them, that held them to accountability, I think
has changed everything for their seasons. I'm really glad that
they did not sell. The Union did not sell either
of them because their value had really crashed into the floor.
It's not a matter of if the Union are going
to sell them. The Union always sell their players. They
(07:57):
It's just the reality and this is a common say
she we're going to be having about Ty Baribo. I
would not be surprised if Wagner, Glaceness and Baribo are
all gone at the end of this offseason because they
have either increased their value so high or they have
reclaimed their value to what the Union front office will
(08:18):
probably view as a fair point fair price point. But really,
I think the biggest thing and why they were All
Stars this year is because they're consistent. Yeah, last year
there was a lot of highs, but there were a
lot of really low lows, in particular with Wagner and Gleasness.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Were I think we're going to get into that theme
of consistency perhaps a little bit more when we talk
about Bradley Carnell and a little bit and what he's
really been able to bring in terms of foundational pieces
to this team. But before we get to him again, folks,
we are talking to Josh Schuster from Philadelphia soccernow dot
(08:59):
com and if do you want to give people your
socials out there? I don't know if you want to
or not where they can find you.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
I'm like that fly guy Josh ninety one or some
I don't even know. I'm right now. I'm on vacation,
and I said that I am on a social media break,
so I have I don't even know. That shows you
how plugged I am with social media.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
I love it, exactly. It just really stinks anymore. It
really does, even though I'm on every freaking platform all
the time. Gosh, well, here is un Jeff, exactly exactly.
If you're watching on YouTube, We've got our social media
sites up where you can follow us and interact with us.
We'd love for you to not only leave some comments
(09:40):
on various social sites, you know, like our YouTube video here,
and make sure that you're following us out there. You're
gonna get some additional content from us. We're on Instagram, Twitter,
slash x, I'm over on the TikTok at. Mister Jeff Warren,
Eric and I are over on Blue Sky as well
as threads, and you can like our Facebook page as well.
(10:02):
And again, if you can, like subscribe to the Philadelphia
Sports Table podcast show here on YouTube, that would be fantastic.
But moving along with our conversation, and before we get
to our first break here, or I should say, our
only break here, I wanted to talk about the fact that,
you know, we're seeing the fact that the Union are
(10:24):
willing to, you know, perhaps deal some guys, even like
even the middle of the season, because this week they
have loaned David Vasquez to San Diego for the rest
of the season, and based on reports it looks like
this could be a permanent deal here. The Union received
one hundred thousand dollars in general allocation money that's going
to be split between twenty five and twenty twenty six.
(10:47):
And yes, he wasn't guaranteed first team minutes, Josh, but
this guy, I don't know, this kind of seemed like
a surprise to me. I'm wondering, you know, before we
go to break here, you know, what are your thoughts
when you heard this and really what it means in
terms of the future future with like you were just
talking about the fact that Bibo and Wagner they might
(11:08):
not even be on this team. You know, David Vasquez
is a pretty decent player, and they're they're really just
willing to deal them here at this point. Anyway, what
were your thoughts on David Vasquez leaving town here.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Nothing surprises me. Yeah, And to be honest, he's played
one match this year. He's played nineteen minutes. If they
can get anything for him, I'm okay with it. I
do know that they are in the process of hoarding
general allocation money. They are when you're asking me what
(11:42):
this is, kind of signaling. The last time they did
this they went all in on michel Ula. So I'm
not saying to look for a huge signing that's trying.
But they have invested a lot of their general allocation
money into the farm system. However, there is only so
much that they can really put there, so I'm guessing
(12:05):
that probably what is going to be happening is some
of their academy players. The Union two are doing very
well this year. They are having a very very good season.
I know, I don't know that we really want to
get into the breakdowns deep into the Union two squad here,
but they last year they had a really good season
(12:26):
and this year they've continued. So I would imagine that
we're going to be seeing a lot of this money
being designated to be able to pay for contracts for
some of these kids that really are playing at a
level that they shouldn't be playing at and they really
do need to have a spot on the roster. And
one thing that I'll say with Carneal is he is
(12:47):
not afraid to rotate the squad, right, so you're you
the you know, if you pull up the statistics, I mean,
there are a lot of players who have played a
lot of matches, which this is something that honestly is
very new. Jim Curtin he had players he really liked,
(13:07):
and he dressed those players and only played those players.
So it's interesting to see that there is a good
amount of rotation that is happening with the Union squad.
And so I think part of what the Union are
living into is this pipe dream that they've kind of
(13:27):
had for a while of really becoming a homegrown system.
And so I'm not as opposed to them putting more
money into their farm system because really, in the MLS,
the only way to really become a championship contender every
year you have to either draft or you have to
(13:49):
sign your own players because there's certain restrictions on the
number of people from different countries you can have. The
MLF is very very hard and I'm not giving Ernest
Tanner an excuse here. It is very hard to just
build a squad in MLS with all of the restrictions,
and the fact that he has the financial restrictions also
(14:11):
put on him by ownership is pretty incredible.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Dare I say there is a potential plan here, Josh,
dare I say it because you and I have talked
about this team now for you know, over all these
months that you've been on discussing the union, and it's like,
my gosh, you know, especially at the end of last season.
I remember our discussion. It was like they are nowhere.
This team and organization is horrendous. There's no direction, there's
(14:38):
no path, no plan ahead at all. Dare I say,
seems like there could be a plan of action here
that may actually be coming together. Can't believe it.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Yeah, And Jeff, I I struggle with being able to
respond to your comment because the reality is, I don't
think the union have changed there, Planka. I think what
we're beginning to see is that as much as the
union respected Jim Curtin, I think the reality is that
(15:11):
they're beginning to realize that there was really no way
that Jim Curtain. I think he grew tired of giving
kids a chance.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Yeah, And what they really need is they really need
with all of these academy kids to be able to
see which ones can actually have a future and which
ones they can sell that have potential that may not
live into that potential. And so I think what we're
seeing is when they brought in Carnell, the understanding was
this was a rebuilding season. I don't even think the
(15:41):
Union expected for them to be at the top of
the Eastern Conference. And I don't think that there's anything
wrong with him saying that, hey, we've overachieved. This is great, right,
because if you listened in the off season, they had
mentioned they were going to make some signings, which didn't
necessarily happen a whole lot, but they also mentioned that,
you know, it was kind of they kind of prepped that,
(16:01):
you know, this is a rebuilding year. Your kids, yes,
pay pens.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
Well.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
Now, the conversation that the front office needs to have
is sometimes you know, it's the MLB trade deadline as well,
Sometimes front offices need to reward teams that are going
above expectation because otherwise the clubhouse kind of feels it. Yeah,
the Union are in that kind of phase. You know,
when the transfer window opens again, they're going to need
(16:30):
to have some conversations and honestly, that may be why
Vasquez trade was made, was so they can have some
money to be able to bring in players at the
transfer deadline.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
Yeah, it's really interesting, and we've got more and more
Philadelphia Union talk coming your way. We are going to
take a break. We will be back in just a bit.
All right, we are back again. We are here with
our good friend Josh Schuster from Philadelphia Soccer Now dot com.
And I wanted to, you know, get into the head
(17:01):
coach here, Bradley Carnell, because he has really taken this
team to new heights after last season. We were just
talking about it right before the break, and I know
we talked about this the last time that you were
on the show as well, But things seem more solid
in terms of who Bradley Carnell is, what he has
brought to this team. He really does seem to be
(17:22):
the head coach that this team needed, that the talent
on this team needed. A new era here in Union
soccer appears really to be upon us in this first
half of the season here. I don't think it appeared
to necessarily be luck, but Bradley Carnell again really creating
a foundation, a foundation for what players are able to do.
(17:45):
You talked about his philosophy of rotating players at this point, Josh,
we really do have to say that Bradley Carnell is
one of the best head coaches in Major League Soccer
at this point, right.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
So I'm hesitant to go in all of Major League Soccer. Ok,
he has had some success, He's also had some not
great success. He himself, I think it's it's the perfect
marriage of a team that was struggling with consistency and
a coach that was struggling with consistent seasons. They've kind
(18:22):
of met each other and they've fallen in love, and
that's great. But when you fall in love, there's always
the honeymoon phase. Right, So I'm going to say, I
don't care where the Union finished this year. If he
is not the Head Coach of the Season, if he
doesn't win the award, it's criminal. I don't understand. I mean,
(18:43):
the Union weren't even projected to be a top five
squad in MLS, so as long as they don't fall
outside of that, I mean, he has exceeded expectations more
so than any other coach in fact the MLS this year.
I would argue, if you look at beginning of the
year projection to what it is now, other than the Union, honestly,
(19:04):
it's been pretty much what everybody thought. Yeah, I am
genuinely shocked at the job that Carnell has done. I
wasn't a huge fan of the hiring, but I'm happy
to be wrong. I just thought the players didn't need
(19:25):
another player's coach, And maybe Carnell is more of the
Andy Reid model of players coach that we often hear about,
or Mick Is described this way with Eagles, that he
will defend his players at the podium to the ends
of the earth, but then when you get behind closed
doors he rips India. And maybe that's how Carnell is.
(19:47):
I don't know. The Union players don't really talk about it,
but he really is from all appearances, very much players
coach like Jim Curtin, And I don't know if it's
just minor tweaks the system that he did, or he
just listened to every single player that came into his
office and said, you know, what are you looking for
(20:08):
in this upcoming season and they just feel like the
coach is listening to them. I don't know what it is,
but whatever it is, it's working and he has just
done a phenomenal job. I'm glad they hired him, and
I'm glad that sometimes I'm completely clueless when it comes
to soccer, because otherwise the Union probably want to be
in the shape they are right now.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
Yeah, dude, how many times do we have to talk
about the fact that the players in any sport and
the relationship that you have with your coach is going
to manifest productive type of results when you get on
the field, on the ice, on the court, wherever. I mean,
we are consistently seeing it time and time again. I
probably sound like a broken record to our listeners out there,
(20:51):
but really, I mean, you look at Nick Sirianni, like
you mentioned, I can't wait to see what Rick Tocket's
going to do for this Flyers team, what type of
coach and the relationship he's going to have with some
of these guys this coming season. We see it time
and time again in sports where that that relationship, that
bond that a coach has with their players can manifest
into pretty amazing type of results. So as we're moving
(21:14):
along here, you know, even though this team is riding
high on top of the Eastern Conference at this point,
there are definitely still improvements that can be made on
this team. This is not a one hundred perfect Philadelphia
Union Major League Soccer team. So just to bluntly ask,
what needs to be improved here, Josh Most when looking
(21:35):
at this Union team game after game, what are your thoughts?
Speaker 2 (21:39):
Scoring? Ibar Evo has fifteen goals? Jeff, what is the
highest number after that in terms of goals scored in
twenty plus matches?
Speaker 1 (21:50):
Oh, what is it? I don't know. Four.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
There are four players with four So after that tie
for second place, it goes to about five players with
two goals.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
Okay, you can.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
Literally take the top the scores two through four, and
they still aren't even equaling Tyberibo's production.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
Oh my gosh, I didn't realize it was that. I
was actually going to say like six or seven. Gosh.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
I've been very kind to mikel Ua.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
Yeah, throughout the season.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
It is time to sell him. I don't care if
you don't get the money back. The man he has
four goals and twenty matches played, and he has four assists.
He's just not producing. The fact that he only has
four assists playing on the opposite side of Tyberibo, who
has fifteen goals is my numbing. I don't understand how
(22:49):
you can have that little production with someone who's putting
the ball in the net at almost a goal a
game clip Tyberibo has played twenty one matches and he
has fifteen goals.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
Incredible.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
I don't understand how what you're struggling to produce with
that you aren't even getting the attention. They're basically leaving
him alone and a man can't score. It is time
to admit that the Michlu experiment did not work and
it's time to move on. They desperately need scoring because
people popping in a goal or two here or there
(23:20):
through twenty matches is not going to cut it anymore.
I am really concerned if they sell ty Berribo this offseason.
I have no idea where the scoring is going to
come from on this roster because as of right now,
(23:42):
it is not here. And in terms of the system,
I don't really see anything that will translate to the
same level of production as ty Baribo. The problem is
strikers and forwards will get you the most money when
it comes to transfers. Ty Berribo is still young. We've
(24:03):
talked about this. The Union just sell players off. They
are the Tampa Bay Rays, the Pittsburgh Pirates of MLS
and if you're expecting them to be big spenders. And
part of it is I just don't think that ownership
is creative enough to find ways to bring an additional
income to be able to buy players like Miami. Right.
(24:25):
The whole reason why Messi's in Miami is because they
were able to work a deal around Apple TV. Yes,
where he gets part of that income. That's creative. The
Union front office has not shown the ability to be
creative in any way, shape or form. So long answer
is what I gave. Short answer scoring score needs scoring.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
All right, Well, as we're finishing up the conversation here,
I'd like to get your thoughts Josh on what the
or who I should say the under the radar player
is this season for the Union who might not be
getting his due when it comes to the fan base
when it comes to the Major League Soccer world overall,
(25:07):
Who's that one under the radar player this season?
Speaker 2 (25:10):
Why I'm gonna say for right now, I'm gonna give
it to Bedoya. Yeah, I just think that what he
has added when I think of under the radar, I
don't think of things that appear on a statue right
like I would argue in hockey, you're looking at a
(25:33):
third line guy, a fourth line guy, right bottom six guy.
What Bedoya has added in terms of stability with all
of the sales that have taken place through all of
the years, none more critical than going into this season.
You know, two years ago the Union are ride and high,
(25:55):
and it looked like they were a lock for the
number one spot in the Eastern Conference last year, and
joy did that not happen. Now you're you're kind of
looking at Okay, we're where you thought we thought you
were going to be last year, top of the Eastern Conference.
And really I attribute a lot of that to Bedoya.
(26:15):
He's really been very okay with having a big time
substitute role. You can see him on the bench, he's talking,
explaining things to the youngsters, he's going to Union two matches.
He's really living and living into that mold of that
front office. But also won the pitch roll, and so
(26:36):
I think, really you have to give him some props,
like he's the captain for a reason.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
He's been balancing it very well. To be honest with you,
I mean, Lenn and I talked about it a few
months ago on the show. You and I talked about
it before, and it's like, well, do you want the
front office responsibilities or do you want to be on
the field. And you know, a lot of us said,
you know, it probably wasn't really going to work out. Well,
he has balanced it. I'm glad I'm wrong with that.
He has bounced it well.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Yeah, I mean all of us were all of us
were really question how can you do these two jobs?
And the biggest concern I had with Bedoya this year
is I mentioned it for the last however long we've
been talking union soccer. He was an extension of Jim
Curtin's coaching system. Yeah, and when you saw him out there,
he was the one player that Curtain looked to, and
he was the one player that all the players on
(27:22):
the pitch looked to. I didn't know how he was
going to handle a new voice, Yeah, but he's been
okay with kind of taking that behind the scenes more role.
I mean when he's on the pitch, he still is
Alejandro Badoya, and the players looked to him. But have
you heard him gripe and complain about playing time or anything. No, No,
(27:43):
he's just happy, I think to He's just happy to
be a part of the system and to be a
part of the squad. So he's really done a great job.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
It has been an interesting Union season, a very six
s full one and as we mentioned, because of Brebo mainly.
But we're still gonna be following this team for sure
well into the future. Again, folks, he is Joshuster from
Philadelphia soccernow dot com. Check out everything they have over there.
Great great website, great great folks over there, and Josh,
(28:18):
you are awesome as always. Thanks so much for jumping on.
Let's talk more Union down the road, and we're certainly
gonna get into some Eagles talk at some point too,
maybe doing some postgame shows.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
Bo.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
I'd love to have you back on my friend. Sounds good, Jeff,
that's gonna do it for us here on table Talk
this week. Please share our podcast with your friends and
family members who are Philly sports fans or sports fans
in general. We thank you our listeners for being part
of this online community with us and within this space.
Please make sure to check out our website, Philadelphia Sportstable
(28:51):
dot com for all of our podcasts, and follow us
on our social sites over on Twitter at Philadelphia PST,
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as well. Take care and we'll catch you next time.
Welcome to Table Talk here at the Philadelphia Sports Table
podcast show, the longest running weekly Philly sports podcast show
in the world, twelve years strong. You've got a great
discussion coming your way this week as it pertains to
the Philadelphia Union. That's right, they are on top of
the Eastern Conference within Major League Soccer, a team here
(00:50):
in the Philadelphia area that doesn't always get their due,
but we're talking about them here on this table Talk
interview show. And joining us this week is our very
good friend from Philadelphia's soccernow dot com, Josh Schuster. Buddy Man,
thanks so much for jumping on.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Yeah, man, anytime, Jeff. It's always a pleasure.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
It's always fun. Yeah, it's always fun talking soccer with you. Hey.
But by the way, we've got the Eagles season right
around the corner here. I think it maybe we might
have to have you on some postgame shows if the
guys aren't able to jump on.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Yeah, absolutely, put you right on the spot down Sports Good.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
I'm glad. I'm glad to hear that. Well, Hey, Buddy,
Look to get into this Major League soccer season, specifically
with regard to the Union, we first have to start
off by talking about one particular player, one gentleman named Tyberibo.
I mean he is now a lot of people may
not know this, but he is now the second pro
(01:43):
athlete in Philadelphia to win an All Star MVP here
in twenty twenty five. Yes, we had Kyle Schwarber do
it just a couple of weeks ago at Major League
Baseball's All Star Game, and then tyber Ebo last week
one VP of the Major League Soccer All Star Game.
It's just been an incredible season for him. It's such
(02:06):
a cool storyline as well. So just to get us
started talking about this Union team and Barribo too, because
he really has been an engine and spark plug for
this team. How is ty Berrebo really leaving his mark
with this Union team this season? Josh? And what is
tenure actually is going to end up meaning for this
(02:26):
Union team and even well into the future.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Yeah, you know, we I think I said it last
time I was on that neither of us really had
many expectations for ty Baribo. I mentioned it last time
that when they had signed him, I really was questioning
what Ernest Tannier was was doing. But really, this season
(02:53):
has been a good story, but a couple of weeks ago,
I had text you that ty Baribo and his family
were stuck in Israel because of the war, and they
were in a bunker. And when Carnell was asked about
when ty Beribo was going to be back, his blunt
answer was, we don't know exactly. And so I think,
in to make this a shorter answer for you to
(03:16):
your original question, the time that he was missing is
he had to go back over to get his status,
his work status renewed in different things for America and
different things. The union struggled, he kind of hit its law.
They were having a problem with goal scoring. But what
do you know, he comes back, They're back to winning ways.
(03:37):
It really is kind of amazing. I had checked just
before we had started recording here. He had been in
the Golden Boot leader for MLS for an extended period
of time, and I think missing a number of games
probably has hurt those chances, as Messi is now the
leading scorer. But really he is having just this career year,
and we had kind of seen it towards the end
(03:59):
of last season, but I think everybody, myself included, just
kind of thought that it was a mirage that really
this wasn't going to last. I even thought that maybe
they should sell him based off of his potential, because
I did not think that his value was going to
be any higher. Well, I was wrong.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
He's really the glue. He really is the glue keeping
so much of this together.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Yeah, and he really really is, especially with some of
the players that left this past offseason, he really has
kind of stepped into that role. I think. One of
the other things and maybe we'll get into it a
little bit later, is a lot of people had questioned
bringing back Alejandro Vadoya. Yeah, but I think really in
(04:46):
the way the contract is set up that he kind
of has this front office role, but he also has
this on the field role. His role on the pitch
is critical because I would actually argue that he is glue.
He is the one constant who has been here for
an extended period of time, and when you let the
kind of players they let go this this previous offseason,
(05:10):
they really did need to sign him Alejandra Bodoya to
one year, one year deal, not to move it away
from Typerrebo. But again, he is having a great season.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Yeah, absolutely, Well, there are two other individuals also having
pretty good season for this Union team. We can't forget
that Kai Wagner as I've always called them Wagner because
I'm because I'm an old white guy who mispronounced his names,
but got it right this time. Kai Wagner and Jacob
Is it Jacob Glessness, Yes, my gosh, I got it right.
(05:42):
What the heck is going on here, Josh, I'm getting
these names right? My goodness. Anyway, they were also representatives
I should say Union team representatives at the All Star
Game as well. Both have been having a really good season.
I mean, Wagner wasn't initially selected as an All Star
amazingly enough, but was added as a replacement later, and
Jacob has had He really has been the anchor for
(06:05):
this Union defense. So I wonder if we can talk
about these players here, get your thoughts about what these
two guys have meant to this team this season and
really how they're going to continue their impact here in
the coming weeks and months. So let's start with Kai Wagner.
I mean, what are your thoughts on where he has
right now, where he is right now during this season, really,
(06:25):
what he means for the team.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
I'm actually gonna robe him both in together. Okay, is
true for both. Okay, if you would have told me,
Jeff before the season started and we kind of did
our season preview, yeah, that both Wagner and Glassness were
both going to be All Stars after their season last year,
I probably I probably would have laughed, yeah, because really,
(06:49):
when we're talking about the fall that the Union had
that really led to Jim Curtin's departure, when there's two
players that I think needed a new voice, and Carnell
being that new voice, I think it's these two individuals
that needed it more than anything. I think what had
happened was both of these individuals have been in rumblings
(07:11):
of being sold for so long, especially Kai Wagner. I
mean he has really been talked about going over to
Europe for a while now, especially in the Bundesliga. Maybe
not at the first tier, but in the second tier
of Bundesliga. The reality is, I think they just got
comfortable here and I think bringing in a new voice
(07:35):
that had them, that held them to accountability, I think
has changed everything for their seasons. I'm really glad that
they did not sell. The Union did not sell either
of them because their value had really crashed into the floor.
It's not a matter of if the Union are going
to sell them. The Union always sell their players. They
(07:57):
It's just the reality and this is a common say
she we're going to be having about Ty Baribo. I
would not be surprised if Wagner, Glaceness and Baribo are
all gone at the end of this offseason because they
have either increased their value so high or they have
reclaimed their value to what the Union front office will
(08:18):
probably view as a fair point fair price point. But really,
I think the biggest thing and why they were All
Stars this year is because they're consistent. Yeah, last year
there was a lot of highs, but there were a
lot of really low lows, in particular with Wagner and Gleasness.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Were I think we're going to get into that theme
of consistency perhaps a little bit more when we talk
about Bradley Carnell and a little bit and what he's
really been able to bring in terms of foundational pieces
to this team. But before we get to him again, folks,
we are talking to Josh Schuster from Philadelphia soccernow dot
(08:59):
com and if do you want to give people your
socials out there? I don't know if you want to
or not where they can find you.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
I'm like that fly guy Josh ninety one or some
I don't even know. I'm right now. I'm on vacation,
and I said that I am on a social media break,
so I have I don't even know. That shows you
how plugged I am with social media.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
I love it, exactly. It just really stinks anymore. It
really does, even though I'm on every freaking platform all
the time. Gosh, well, here is un Jeff, exactly exactly.
If you're watching on YouTube, We've got our social media
sites up where you can follow us and interact with us.
We'd love for you to not only leave some comments
(09:40):
on various social sites, you know, like our YouTube video here,
and make sure that you're following us out there. You're
gonna get some additional content from us. We're on Instagram, Twitter,
slash x, I'm over on the TikTok at. Mister Jeff Warren,
Eric and I are over on Blue Sky as well
as threads, and you can like our Facebook page as well.
(10:02):
And again, if you can, like subscribe to the Philadelphia
Sports Table podcast show here on YouTube, that would be fantastic.
But moving along with our conversation, and before we get
to our first break here, or I should say, our
only break here, I wanted to talk about the fact that,
you know, we're seeing the fact that the Union are
(10:24):
willing to, you know, perhaps deal some guys, even like
even the middle of the season, because this week they
have loaned David Vasquez to San Diego for the rest
of the season, and based on reports it looks like
this could be a permanent deal here. The Union received
one hundred thousand dollars in general allocation money that's going
to be split between twenty five and twenty twenty six.
(10:47):
And yes, he wasn't guaranteed first team minutes, Josh, but
this guy, I don't know, this kind of seemed like
a surprise to me. I'm wondering, you know, before we
go to break here, you know, what are your thoughts
when you heard this and really what it means in
terms of the future future with like you were just
talking about the fact that Bibo and Wagner they might
(11:08):
not even be on this team. You know, David Vasquez
is a pretty decent player, and they're they're really just
willing to deal them here at this point. Anyway, what
were your thoughts on David Vasquez leaving town here.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Nothing surprises me. Yeah, And to be honest, he's played
one match this year. He's played nineteen minutes. If they
can get anything for him, I'm okay with it. I
do know that they are in the process of hoarding
general allocation money. They are when you're asking me what
(11:42):
this is, kind of signaling. The last time they did
this they went all in on michel Ula. So I'm
not saying to look for a huge signing that's trying.
But they have invested a lot of their general allocation
money into the farm system. However, there is only so
much that they can really put there, so I'm guessing
(12:05):
that probably what is going to be happening is some
of their academy players. The Union two are doing very
well this year. They are having a very very good season.
I know, I don't know that we really want to
get into the breakdowns deep into the Union two squad here,
but they last year they had a really good season
(12:26):
and this year they've continued. So I would imagine that
we're going to be seeing a lot of this money
being designated to be able to pay for contracts for
some of these kids that really are playing at a
level that they shouldn't be playing at and they really
do need to have a spot on the roster. And
one thing that I'll say with Carneal is he is
(12:47):
not afraid to rotate the squad, right, so you're you
the you know, if you pull up the statistics, I mean,
there are a lot of players who have played a
lot of matches, which this is something that honestly is
very new. Jim Curtin he had players he really liked,
(13:07):
and he dressed those players and only played those players.
So it's interesting to see that there is a good
amount of rotation that is happening with the Union squad.
And so I think part of what the Union are
living into is this pipe dream that they've kind of
(13:27):
had for a while of really becoming a homegrown system.
And so I'm not as opposed to them putting more
money into their farm system because really, in the MLS,
the only way to really become a championship contender every
year you have to either draft or you have to
(13:49):
sign your own players because there's certain restrictions on the
number of people from different countries you can have. The
MLF is very very hard and I'm not giving Ernest
Tanner an excuse here. It is very hard to just
build a squad in MLS with all of the restrictions,
and the fact that he has the financial restrictions also
(14:11):
put on him by ownership is pretty incredible.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Dare I say there is a potential plan here, Josh,
dare I say it because you and I have talked
about this team now for you know, over all these
months that you've been on discussing the union, and it's like,
my gosh, you know, especially at the end of last season.
I remember our discussion. It was like they are nowhere.
This team and organization is horrendous. There's no direction, there's
(14:38):
no path, no plan ahead at all. Dare I say,
seems like there could be a plan of action here
that may actually be coming together. Can't believe it.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Yeah, And Jeff, I I struggle with being able to
respond to your comment because the reality is, I don't
think the union have changed there, Planka. I think what
we're beginning to see is that as much as the
union respected Jim Curtin, I think the reality is that
(15:11):
they're beginning to realize that there was really no way
that Jim Curtain. I think he grew tired of giving
kids a chance.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Yeah, And what they really need is they really need
with all of these academy kids to be able to
see which ones can actually have a future and which
ones they can sell that have potential that may not
live into that potential. And so I think what we're
seeing is when they brought in Carnell, the understanding was
this was a rebuilding season. I don't even think the
(15:41):
Union expected for them to be at the top of
the Eastern Conference. And I don't think that there's anything
wrong with him saying that, hey, we've overachieved. This is great, right,
because if you listened in the off season, they had
mentioned they were going to make some signings, which didn't
necessarily happen a whole lot, but they also mentioned that,
you know, it was kind of they kind of prepped that,
(16:01):
you know, this is a rebuilding year. Your kids, yes,
pay pens.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
Well.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
Now, the conversation that the front office needs to have
is sometimes you know, it's the MLB trade deadline as well,
Sometimes front offices need to reward teams that are going
above expectation because otherwise the clubhouse kind of feels it. Yeah,
the Union are in that kind of phase. You know,
when the transfer window opens again, they're going to need
(16:30):
to have some conversations and honestly, that may be why
Vasquez trade was made, was so they can have some
money to be able to bring in players at the
transfer deadline.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
Yeah, it's really interesting, and we've got more and more
Philadelphia Union talk coming your way. We are going to
take a break. We will be back in just a bit.
All right, we are back again. We are here with
our good friend Josh Schuster from Philadelphia Soccer Now dot com.
And I wanted to, you know, get into the head
(17:01):
coach here, Bradley Carnell, because he has really taken this
team to new heights after last season. We were just
talking about it right before the break, and I know
we talked about this the last time that you were
on the show as well, But things seem more solid
in terms of who Bradley Carnell is, what he has
brought to this team. He really does seem to be
(17:22):
the head coach that this team needed, that the talent
on this team needed. A new era here in Union
soccer appears really to be upon us in this first
half of the season here. I don't think it appeared
to necessarily be luck, but Bradley Carnell again really creating
a foundation, a foundation for what players are able to do.
(17:45):
You talked about his philosophy of rotating players at this point, Josh,
we really do have to say that Bradley Carnell is
one of the best head coaches in Major League Soccer
at this point, right.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
So I'm hesitant to go in all of Major League Soccer. Ok,
he has had some success, He's also had some not
great success. He himself, I think it's it's the perfect
marriage of a team that was struggling with consistency and
a coach that was struggling with consistent seasons. They've kind
(18:22):
of met each other and they've fallen in love, and
that's great. But when you fall in love, there's always
the honeymoon phase. Right, So I'm going to say, I
don't care where the Union finished this year. If he
is not the Head Coach of the Season, if he
doesn't win the award, it's criminal. I don't understand. I mean,
(18:43):
the Union weren't even projected to be a top five
squad in MLS, so as long as they don't fall
outside of that, I mean, he has exceeded expectations more
so than any other coach in fact the MLS this year.
I would argue, if you look at beginning of the
year projection to what it is now, other than the Union, honestly,
(19:04):
it's been pretty much what everybody thought. Yeah, I am
genuinely shocked at the job that Carnell has done. I
wasn't a huge fan of the hiring, but I'm happy
to be wrong. I just thought the players didn't need
(19:25):
another player's coach, And maybe Carnell is more of the
Andy Reid model of players coach that we often hear about,
or Mick Is described this way with Eagles, that he
will defend his players at the podium to the ends
of the earth, but then when you get behind closed
doors he rips India. And maybe that's how Carnell is.
(19:47):
I don't know. The Union players don't really talk about it,
but he really is from all appearances, very much players
coach like Jim Curtin, And I don't know if it's
just minor tweaks the system that he did, or he
just listened to every single player that came into his
office and said, you know, what are you looking for
(20:08):
in this upcoming season and they just feel like the
coach is listening to them. I don't know what it is,
but whatever it is, it's working and he has just
done a phenomenal job. I'm glad they hired him, and
I'm glad that sometimes I'm completely clueless when it comes
to soccer, because otherwise the Union probably want to be
in the shape they are right now.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
Yeah, dude, how many times do we have to talk
about the fact that the players in any sport and
the relationship that you have with your coach is going
to manifest productive type of results when you get on
the field, on the ice, on the court, wherever. I mean,
we are consistently seeing it time and time again. I
probably sound like a broken record to our listeners out there,
(20:51):
but really, I mean, you look at Nick Sirianni, like
you mentioned, I can't wait to see what Rick Tocket's
going to do for this Flyers team, what type of
coach and the relationship he's going to have with some
of these guys this coming season. We see it time
and time again in sports where that that relationship, that
bond that a coach has with their players can manifest
into pretty amazing type of results. So as we're moving
(21:14):
along here, you know, even though this team is riding
high on top of the Eastern Conference at this point,
there are definitely still improvements that can be made on
this team. This is not a one hundred perfect Philadelphia
Union Major League Soccer team. So just to bluntly ask,
what needs to be improved here, Josh Most when looking
(21:35):
at this Union team game after game, what are your thoughts?
Speaker 2 (21:39):
Scoring? Ibar Evo has fifteen goals? Jeff, what is the
highest number after that in terms of goals scored in
twenty plus matches?
Speaker 1 (21:50):
Oh, what is it? I don't know. Four.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
There are four players with four So after that tie
for second place, it goes to about five players with
two goals.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
Okay, you can.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
Literally take the top the scores two through four, and
they still aren't even equaling Tyberibo's production.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
Oh my gosh, I didn't realize it was that. I
was actually going to say like six or seven. Gosh.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
I've been very kind to mikel Ua.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
Yeah, throughout the season.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
It is time to sell him. I don't care if
you don't get the money back. The man he has
four goals and twenty matches played, and he has four assists.
He's just not producing. The fact that he only has
four assists playing on the opposite side of Tyberibo, who
has fifteen goals is my numbing. I don't understand how
(22:49):
you can have that little production with someone who's putting
the ball in the net at almost a goal a
game clip Tyberibo has played twenty one matches and he
has fifteen goals.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
Incredible.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
I don't understand how what you're struggling to produce with
that you aren't even getting the attention. They're basically leaving
him alone and a man can't score. It is time
to admit that the Michlu experiment did not work and
it's time to move on. They desperately need scoring because
people popping in a goal or two here or there
(23:20):
through twenty matches is not going to cut it anymore.
I am really concerned if they sell ty Berribo this offseason.
I have no idea where the scoring is going to
come from on this roster because as of right now,
(23:42):
it is not here. And in terms of the system,
I don't really see anything that will translate to the
same level of production as ty Baribo. The problem is
strikers and forwards will get you the most money when
it comes to transfers. Ty Berribo is still young. We've
(24:03):
talked about this. The Union just sell players off. They
are the Tampa Bay Rays, the Pittsburgh Pirates of MLS
and if you're expecting them to be big spenders. And
part of it is I just don't think that ownership
is creative enough to find ways to bring an additional
income to be able to buy players like Miami. Right.
(24:25):
The whole reason why Messi's in Miami is because they
were able to work a deal around Apple TV. Yes,
where he gets part of that income. That's creative. The
Union front office has not shown the ability to be
creative in any way, shape or form. So long answer
is what I gave. Short answer scoring score needs scoring.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
All right, Well, as we're finishing up the conversation here,
I'd like to get your thoughts Josh on what the
or who I should say the under the radar player
is this season for the Union who might not be
getting his due when it comes to the fan base
when it comes to the Major League Soccer world overall,
(25:07):
Who's that one under the radar player this season?
Speaker 2 (25:10):
Why I'm gonna say for right now, I'm gonna give
it to Bedoya. Yeah, I just think that what he
has added when I think of under the radar, I
don't think of things that appear on a statue right
like I would argue in hockey, you're looking at a
(25:33):
third line guy, a fourth line guy, right bottom six guy.
What Bedoya has added in terms of stability with all
of the sales that have taken place through all of
the years, none more critical than going into this season.
You know, two years ago the Union are ride and high,
(25:55):
and it looked like they were a lock for the
number one spot in the Eastern Conference last year, and
joy did that not happen. Now you're you're kind of
looking at Okay, we're where you thought we thought you
were going to be last year, top of the Eastern Conference.
And really I attribute a lot of that to Bedoya.
(26:15):
He's really been very okay with having a big time
substitute role. You can see him on the bench, he's talking,
explaining things to the youngsters, he's going to Union two matches.
He's really living and living into that mold of that
front office. But also won the pitch roll, and so
(26:36):
I think, really you have to give him some props,
like he's the captain for a reason.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
He's been balancing it very well. To be honest with you,
I mean, Lenn and I talked about it a few
months ago on the show. You and I talked about
it before, and it's like, well, do you want the
front office responsibilities or do you want to be on
the field. And you know, a lot of us said,
you know, it probably wasn't really going to work out. Well,
he has balanced it. I'm glad I'm wrong with that.
He has bounced it well.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Yeah, I mean all of us were all of us
were really question how can you do these two jobs?
And the biggest concern I had with Bedoya this year
is I mentioned it for the last however long we've
been talking union soccer. He was an extension of Jim
Curtin's coaching system. Yeah, and when you saw him out there,
he was the one player that Curtain looked to, and
he was the one player that all the players on
(27:22):
the pitch looked to. I didn't know how he was
going to handle a new voice, Yeah, but he's been
okay with kind of taking that behind the scenes more role.
I mean when he's on the pitch, he still is
Alejandro Badoya, and the players looked to him. But have
you heard him gripe and complain about playing time or anything. No, No,
(27:43):
he's just happy, I think to He's just happy to
be a part of the system and to be a
part of the squad. So he's really done a great job.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
It has been an interesting Union season, a very six
s full one and as we mentioned, because of Brebo mainly.
But we're still gonna be following this team for sure
well into the future. Again, folks, he is Joshuster from
Philadelphia soccernow dot com. Check out everything they have over there.
Great great website, great great folks over there, and Josh,
(28:18):
you are awesome as always. Thanks so much for jumping on.
Let's talk more Union down the road, and we're certainly
gonna get into some Eagles talk at some point too,
maybe doing some postgame shows.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
Bo.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
I'd love to have you back on my friend. Sounds good, Jeff,
that's gonna do it for us here on table Talk
this week. Please share our podcast with your friends and
family members who are Philly sports fans or sports fans
in general. We thank you our listeners for being part
of this online community with us and within this space.
Please make sure to check out our website, Philadelphia Sportstable
(28:51):
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as well. Take care and we'll catch you next time.
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