Philadelphia Union Secure Playoff Spot Behind Sullivan Brothers Performance

Brotherly History in Playoff Clincher

The Philadelphia Union secured an automatic berth in the MLS Cup playoffs with a 4-1 victory over Toronto FC on Saturday. Cavan Sullivan scored two goals while his brother Quinn Sullivan added a goal and two assists in the win.

The pair made history by becoming only the third set of brothers to score for the same club in the same MLS match. They joined Gonzalo and Federico Higuain along with Diego and Yimmi Chara on that list.

Match Breakdown and Scoring Highlights

Cavan Sullivan opened the scoring in the 28th minute. Quinn Sullivan started the sequence with a cross, which Indiana Vassilev controlled before finding Cavan Sullivan for a close range finish into an empty net after Toronto goalkeeper William Yarbrough pulled out of his area. Quinn Sullivan then doubled the lead with a penalty kick in the 41st minute.

Toronto FC pulled back a goal in first half stoppage time when Josh Sargent headed in a corner kick from Djordje Mihailovic. Philadelphia responded in the 58th minute when Bruno Damiani flicked a header to Quinn Sullivan, who led a breakaway and found Cavan Sullivan for a one touch finish. Damiani capped the scoring with a penalty kick in the 73rd minute. Captain Alejandro Bedoya entered late as a substitute in his final MLS regular season game.

Strong Form Ahead of Playoff Matchup

Philadelphia finished sixth in the Eastern Conference with 50 points and a 14-12-8 record. The victory clinched their tenth postseason appearance in franchise history and their eighth in the past nine seasons. Toronto FC dropped to 9-13-12 and remained winless on the road against Philadelphia since March 2019.

Interim head coach Ryan Richter has overseen a strong stretch since taking over during the World Cup break. Under Richter, Philadelphia took 43 out of a possible 57 points while outscoring opponents 48-22. The 17 year old Cavan Sullivan has been key during this run. His two goals extended his record for the most goal contributions by a teenager in a single MLS regular season to 23, passing the previous mark of 20 set by Diego Fagundez in 2013.

Next up, sixth seed Philadelphia will face the third seed New England Revolution in a best of three first round playoff series.