Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.
Ryan Richter believes the Philadelphia Union’s upturn in form is down to the impressive performances of Cavan Sullivan, who once again shone in their last MLS outing.
Philadelphia extended their unbeaten league run to eight matches thanks to a 2-0 win over CF Montreal, with Danley Jean Jacques and Sullivan on target at Subaru Park.
Sullivan scored his third goal in as many games, becoming the youngest player in MLS history to record a five-game goal contribution streak at 16 years and 342 days old.
He also had a team-high three shots on target, while only Bruno Damiani and Milan Iloski had more touches in the opposition box (seven) than Sullivan’s six.
The Union are now up to ninth in the Eastern Conference ahead of taking on FC Cincinnati in midweek, and interim boss Richter has lauded Sullivan’s “incredible” talent.
“He is finishing plays off, getting himself into positions to score goals that don’t all need to be like his goal against Red Bull, when he makes an incredible play,” said Richter.
“You can contribute to the game and get your goals and assists, be decisive and productive in the game by being in the right place at the right time.
“Not a perfect performance, but another win at home, and we need to keep this going in the right direction and try to improve as a team, and not be satisfied with the result.”
Records broken, streaks continued. pic.twitter.com/xxTwWxBvCL
— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) September 6, 2026
Cincinnati, meanwhile, saw their match against D.C. United postponed because of inclement weather, with the match called off after an almost three-hour lightning delay.
This was to be the first of two matches between the clubs this season. They are also scheduled to play on October 24, with the date for the rearranged fixture yet to be announced.
Philadelphia Union – Cavan Sullivan
Sullivan scored his fourth MLS goal of 2026 in Philadelphia’s win over Montreal, and he will be keen to make another impression on home turf.
The only players to score more goals in a single MLS regular season prior to turning 17 are Freddy Adu (five in 2004) and Santino Quaranta (five in 2001).
Evander has had yet another prolific season in the MLS, with only Nicolas Fernandez Mercau (14), Petar Musa and Lionel Messi (both 18) scoring more league goals than his 13.
The Brazilian has, however, never been on the winning side against Philadelphia, drawing all three matches he has played against them in MLS.
MATCH PREDICTION: PHILADELPHIA UNION WIN
Philadelphia completed the league double over Cincinnati last season, including a 4-1 home win. The Union have lost only one of their eight home matches against Cincinnati (including playoffs), a 2-1 defeat in 2024 (W5 D2).
The Union’s unbeaten streak in league play under Richter stands at eight (W6 D2) following their win over Montreal. Their 2.5 points per match are the most by any MLS team since the end of the World Cup break, after the Union ranked last for 2026 prior to the break (0.5).
Waking up above the playoff line pic.twitter.com/Ilj15NcJjf
— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) September 6, 2026
Cincinnati’s 4-0 defeat to Nashville SC last time out was their second regular-season loss by four or more goals in 2026 (6-1 loss at New England). after having no such losses since 2023.
They have suffered 12 regular-season losses by four or more goals overall, with only D.C. United having more (13) since Cincinnati joined MLS in 2019.
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