Homegrown interim Ryan Richter has Philadelphia Union unbeaten in 11
The short version
- Philadelphia Union are unbeaten in 11 matches under interim coach Ryan Richter
- Richter replaced Bradley Carnell in May after a 1-10-4 start; the Union have climbed from last overall to sixth in the East
- Richter, from Southampton, Pa., played in the Union organization and coached across its academy and Union II
- Union host Orlando City Saturday, 7:30 pm ET on Apple TV
A former Union player and academy coach from Southampton, Pennsylvania, Richter has taken the club from last place in MLS to sixth in the Eastern Conference.
Ryan Richter has guided the Philadelphia Union on an 11-match unbeaten run since the MLS FIFA World Cup break, turning around a season that had begun with a 1-10-4 record. The Union host Orlando City at Subaru Park on Saturday at 7:30 pm ET on Apple TV as part of Matchday 28.
Richter, 37, took over on an interim basis after Bradley Carnell departed in May. Carnell had been named Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year after leading Philadelphia to the Supporters' Shield last year, but the club fell to last place in the overall MLS standings before the coaching change. The Union now sit sixth in the Eastern Conference.
A native of Southampton, Pennsylvania, Richter has spent much of his adult life with the organization. He was selected by the Union in the 2011 Supplemental Draft but never made an MLS appearance for the first team, playing instead for the second team in its Bethlehem Steel FC era alongside future US internationals Mark McKenzie and Auston Trusty.
He later coached at every level of the club's developmental pyramid, from the youngest academy age groups to the helm of Philadelphia Union II in MLS NEXT Pro, and served as an assistant under Jim Curtin with the senior squad.
The revival has been built on internal development rather than heavy spending, though the club did pay a reported $4 million to bring back left back Kai Wagner after his sale to Birmingham City. Teenagers Cavan Sullivan and Neil Pierre and 20-year-old right back Frankie Westfield have larger roles; all three are currently with the US men's national team. Pierre returned from a loan at Danish club Lyngby and credited Richter with restoring belief in the locker room.
Sporting director Jon Scheer told MLSsoccer.com that the club's approach shows it can develop staff as well as players, and that Richter grew in confidence and clarity in his sessions after the World Cup break.
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