The Philadelphia Union are still rolling.

Returning from the international break, Philadelphia earned a 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake at Subaru Park, extending its unbeaten run to 13 consecutive MLS matches. While the final score suggests a close contest, the underlying performance was slightly (only slightly) more convincing. The Union finished with a 1.97-0.76 expected goals advantage, created the better opportunities throughout the night, and largely controlled the match until a stoppage-time concession made the ending more dramatic than it needed to be.

The biggest story was the continued emergence of Cavan Sullivan. The teenager helped spark the opening goal, picked up an assist on the second, and was consistently Philadelphia’s most creative player whenever he got on the ball. Alongside fellow homegrowns Frankie Westfield and Neil Pierre, Sullivan helped give the Union an energy and confidence that has become increasingly apparent during this unbeaten run.

The only real complaint is that a match Philadelphia largely controlled somehow became nervous in the final minutes. Saba Lobjanidze’s goal in the 96th minute ensured there would be no clean sheet for the third consecutive game, and the Union once again looked considerably more comfortable attacking a game than protecting a lead.

Still, thirteen unbeaten is thirteen unbeaten. Philadelphia continues to collect points, develop young talent, and find contributions from throughout the roster. At this point, the Union are starting to look less like a hot team and more like a genuinely dangerous one.

Player Ratings

GK  Andrea Blake — 7

A relatively quiet evening by Blake’s standards. He was called into action early to deny Stijn Spierings and handled everything else comfortably until the late consolation goal. The clean sheet disappeared in stoppage time, but Blake was otherwise composed and authoritative throughout.

LB Kai Wagner — 7

A typically professional Wagner outing. He provided his usual width, circulated possession effectively, and gave Philadelphia stability down the left side. Not his most spectacular performance, but certainly an effective one.

CB Nathan Harriel — 7

Strong, physical, and rarely troubled. Salt Lake struggled to generate quality chances for most of the match, and Harriel was a major reason why. His positioning was excellent and he consistently snuffed out danger before it developed.

CB Neil Pierre — 7

Another mature performance from the young center back. Pierre looked comfortable throughout, handled his defensive responsibilities without fuss, and helped Philadelphia keep Salt Lake’s attack quiet for long stretches. Matches like this continue to build confidence that he can handle significant MLS minutes. At least for as long as he remains in MLS.

RB Frankie Westfield — 8

A very good performance. Westfield combined beautifully with Sullivan in the buildup to the opening goal and was credited with the assist on Bruno Damiani’s finish. Defensively steady, constantly involved, and increasingly looking like a player who belongs in the lineup every week.

DM Danley Jean Jacques — 8

Picked up a yellow card after just two minutes and still managed to control the midfield without putting himself at further risk. Won challenges, covered ground, and helped prevent Salt Lake from finding any offensive rhythm. A quietly excellent match.

DM Jovan Lukić — 7

Another solid, dependable performance. Lukić did much of the dirty work in midfield, kept possession moving, and helped Philadelphia maintain territorial control throughout the evening. Not flashy, but highly effective.

AM Indiana Vassilev — 6

Worked hard and contributed defensively, but this was a quieter outing than some of his recent performances. He remained involved in possession and helped maintain shape, though he never quite imposed himself on the attacking side of the game.

AM Cavan Sullivan — 8

Outstanding.

Sullivan’s influence was everywhere. He helped create the opening goal through clever movement and combination play, picked up the assist on the second goal, and repeatedly found dangerous spaces between Salt Lake’s midfield and defense. The match report highlighted his impact, and the statistics (and eye test) agreed. Every time he touched the ball, something promising seemed about to happen.

At some point we need to stop evaluating Sullivan relative to his age. This was simply the performance of one of the best players on the field.

FWD Bruno Damiani — 8

Exactly what you want from a center forward. More than once I’ve written in this column that “strikers gotta strike.” Well, Damiani finished Philadelphia’s opening goal confidently, nearly added another before halftime, and spent the entire night making life uncomfortable for Salt Lake’s defenders. His movement was sharp, his hold-up play was effective, and he consistently put himself in dangerous positions.

FWD Milan Iloski — 8

Scored the goal that ultimately put the match away and continued his remarkable scoring form. The finish itself was chaotic and required an extended VAR review, but Iloski once again proved he has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. Iloski deserves an assist for literally doing nothing on the Union’s first goal. Had he touched the ball instead of dummy it, there would not have been a goal. And you could tell from his smile that he was legitimately happy for Damiani. Philadelphia’s most dangerous finisher continues to produce.

Substitutes

(64′) AM Quinn Sullivan — 6

Brought energy after entering and helped maintain pressure during the latter stages. Did not record a decisive contribution, but provided useful minutes.

(74′) MF Jesús Bueno — 6

Helped shore up the midfield and keep possession moving. Picked up a yellow card, but otherwise did his job well.

(90+2′) MF Alejandro Bedoya — N/A

Not enough time to fairly evaluate.

(90+2′) AM Ben Bender — N/A

Not enough time to fairly evaluate.

(90+2′) FWD Malik Jakupović — N/A

Not enough time to fairly evaluate.

Geiger Counter

REF Elijio Arreguin — 5

A mostly uneventful night for the officiating crew. The most consequential decision was the lengthy VAR review that ultimately confirmed Iloski’s goal, and there were no major controversies that altered the outcome of the match. The referee generally kept control of proceedings despite several bookings and a somewhat tense finish.

Player of the Match — Cavan Sullivan

This was a close call between Sullivan, Iloski, and Damiani.

Damiani scored the opener and was excellent throughout, while Iloski delivered the decisive second goal. But Sullivan was the player who connected everything. He played a major role in the buildup to the first goal, assisted the second, earned one of the highest player ratings on the field, and consistently looked like Philadelphia’s most dangerous creator.

The teenager continues to produce match-winning moments while looking increasingly comfortable dictating MLS games. That’s a scary thought for the rest of the league.

What’s Next

The Union travel to face Chicago Fire FC on Wednesday, October 14, looking to extend their unbeaten streak to fourteen matches and continue building momentum toward the postseason. 8:30 p.m. ET on Apple TV.