SAN DIEGO— California welcomed the Philadelphia Union on Sunday as the road squad faced a tough test against a San Diego side that boasted 32 goals at home this season, tops in the Western Conference in Major League Soccer, in a pivotal match for both clubs battling for an MLS playoff spot.
Following a brace and an assist from prized homegrown Cavan Sullivan, two assists from Indiana Vassilev and Malik Jakupovic’s first MLS goal, the Union left Snapdragon Stadium with a 5-0 victory, claiming all three points on the evening.
“Another great performance on the road this time, and I’m just really proud of, you know, the energy that we’re playing with, the commitment to do all the things that we’re asking, and the work against the ball and the recoveries,” interim head coach Ryan Richter said to the media. “And then, yeah, we’re doing a lot of really sharp things, and guys, you know, I can tell from the side, guys are feeling confident, guys are showing the best versions of themselves, and it’s fun to watch. It’s fun to be a part of, and we have to make sure that we stay focused and not get ahead of ourselves, but continue on this path that we’re on.”
The starting eleven remained mostly the same for Philadelphia, with Milan Iloski and Indiana Vassilev getting the start on Sunday while Quinn Sullivan and Ezekiel Aladoh began the match on the bench.
The home side got the first attempt on goal with an Onni Valakari right-footed shot from the center of the box. Andre Blake made the save on the first shot after Frankie Westfield was beaten, and the Union caught a break on the second chance.
The Union began to build into the match in the 17th minute, but San Diego keeper Duran Ferree and the club’s defense stood tall against the Union offense.
Danley Jean Jacques missed a sitter, and then Bruno Damiani picked up the first yellow card for the Union in the 27th minute.
Philadelphia tried to create some chances, but the Union kept getting stymied by their inability to get shots on target.
San Diego got another chance, which Blake saved before spilling the ball. It gave the home side its first big opportunity of the match, but San Diego could not convert.
After a red card was rescinded and changed to a yellow, the Union closed out the first half in style. Cavan Sullivan scored his first goal of the match with assists from Vassilev and Bruno Damiani, while Iloski had the far post covered, giving the away team the lead heading into halftime.
The Union nearly doubled their lead early in the second half when Iloski ran in on goal, but his shot deflected off the crossbar.
In the 60th minute, former Philadelphia Union homegrown David Vazquez subbed into the match, with the former Union midfielder looking to make a statement against his former club.
Cavan Sullivan scored his second goal of the match in the 61st minute, with Indy picking up his second assist of the night. Kai Wagner played a great ball to start the buildup before finding Vassilev.
“For all the special things that that Cavan does,” the interim head coach said. “These are the areas we’re asking him to get into because that’s where he can be effective and score a lot of goals. And he’s been committed to that, to running to the cutback spot, to getting himself in the box. I know his great composure by Indy to pick him out on the play, and then you know when he gets in that position, the job is to finish it. And he’s been over the last few weeks. He’s been really efficient, and it’s nice to see the confidence that he’s playing with, and you see it come out in the big moments.”
With a brace on the night, Homegrown midfielder Cavan Sullivan has now recorded a goal contribution in seven consecutive games. He also became the second player aged 16 or younger in MLS history to record a brace.
Bruno Damiani joined the scoring party with his seventh goal of the season, assisted by Frankie Westfield. It was Damiani’s first goal since August against Inter Miami and put the Union up 3-0, with Cavan Sullivan picking up the hockey assist.
The Philadelphia Union extended their lead in the 87th minute courtesy of an own goal by San Diego’s Aníbal Godoy. Off a Union set piece, the defender headed the ball into his own net to make it 4-0.
The Boys in Blue ended the match with Malik Jakupovic scoring his first MLS goal, putting the finishing touch on the victory as Philadelphia left San Diego with all three points. For the homegrown forward from Michigan, it was his first professional goal since April with Union II. Quinn Sullivan picked up the assist, giving him an assist for the second match in a row.
“I would say Malik has had an up and down year,” Richter mentioned of the Homegrown forward. “You know he was part of the second team for a lot of time while we were coaching there, and it was an up and down year for him after a strong couple months the year before, and he’s learning the patience that it takes, the work that it takes, and the attitude that it takes to put yourself in a position to be successful. And over the last few weeks, he really turned a corner. So for him to get rewarded with the goal tonight, even though it was only in limited minutes, you know, he deserved that for the work that he put in over the last month.”
With the victory, Philadelphia moves into the seventh seed, just one point behind Orlando City. The Union end the matchday on 33 points with a plus-seven goal differential. Philadelphia has scored 15 goals while conceding only once over its last four matches.
The Union extended their MLS unbeaten streak to 10 matches, one shy of tying the club record.
“We’re in a really good moment right now, and that is a great achievement, and the group should be proud of themselves, and you know the coaching staff should be proud of themselves, the entire staff should be proud of themselves,” Richter mentioned to the press. “But we need to make sure that we don’t get ahead of ourselves and understand there’s still a long way to go, and we need to keep the focus, like we have been, of approaching every opponent like it’s an important game, and because they all are, and we need to keep that energy and that focus in the right place.”
The Union go back on the road next Saturday to face Sporting Kansas City, who are coming off an impressive 3-1 victory over LAFC on Saturday evening.
That match is scheduled for an 8:30pm kickoff from Children’s Mercy Park and will be available on Apple TV.
Main article photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Union.
The One Team We Agree On 
Leave a comment