The Philadelphia Union extended their club-record unbeaten streak to 13 matches with a 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake at Subaru Park on Saturday night. The win, secured following a lengthy VAR review, marked the seventh consecutive victory for the Union and saw interim head coach Ryan Richter become the first manager in MLS history to remain unbeaten through his first 13 regular season matches.
Philadelphia Breaks the Deadlock
Bruno Damiani opened the scoring for Philadelphia in the 31st minute, building on a seven-pass sequence down the right flank. The goal, assisted by Frankie Westfield and Cavan Sullivan, saw Iloski dummy the ball to set up Damiani for a right-footed strike into the bottom-right corner. Damiani's goal was his ninth of his second season and his eighth since the league resumed play following the World Cup break.
Sullivan Sets Teenage Record
The Union doubled their advantage in the 82nd minute after a chaotic sequence in the box. Following a ricochet off Milan Iloski, the ball crossed the goal line, prompting an extended VAR review before the referee confirmed the goal. Cavan Sullivan was credited with his second assist of the night on the play, bringing his season total to 14 assists and setting a new MLS single-season record for goal contributions by a teenager with 21 total.
Late Salt Lake Response
Real Salt Lake responded late in stoppage time, with Saba Lobjanidze scoring in the 96th minute to cut the deficit to 2-1. The goal was assisted by Luc de Fougerolles, who made his RSL and MLS debut during the match. Lobjanidze's strike was his third in six games and his fifth of the season, following an assist from Juan Manuel Sanabria.
Road Struggles Continue
For Real Salt Lake, the loss highlights a struggling road campaign. The club has yet to win an away match since March 7 at Atlanta, holding an overall MLS road record of 1-10-3 this season. The defeat leaves the team with a record of 9-14-5 and 32 points, placing them 12th in the Western Conference and 21st in the MLS Shield standings.
Roster and Injury Updates
The match featured several players returning from international duty or injury. Philadelphia welcomed five starters back to the lineup, including Andre Blake, Neil Pierre, Frankie Westfield, Danley Jean Jacques, and Cavan Sullivan. Real Salt Lake utilized several substitutions to spark a second-half comeback attempt, including the return of Zach Booth, who played his first minutes since suffering a hamstring injury on August 15, and Ari Piol, who returned from an Achilles rupture suffered on February 28.
Upcoming Schedule
The Philadelphia Union will travel to face Chicago Fire FC at Soldier Field on Wednesday, October 14, with kickoff scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET. Real Salt Lake will return to America First Field to host the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday, October 14, with a 7:30 p.m. MT kickoff.
