The Philadelphia Union extended their unbeaten streak to 13 matches with a 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake on Saturday night at Subaru Park, marking the seventh consecutive win for the club. The victory at the Chester, Pennsylvania, venue allowed interim head coach Ryan Richter to become the first head coach in Major League Soccer history to remain unbeaten in his first 13 regular season matches.
Sullivan Sets Teen Record
The match was defined by a significant milestone for Philadelphia's Cavan Sullivan. Following a goal contribution in the 31st minute, Sullivan reached 20 total goal contributions for the season, tying the record set by New England Revolution's Diego Fagúndez for the most by a teenager in a single MLS regular season. Sullivan now leads the league with 14 assists this season.
Philadelphia's opening goal arrived in the 31st minute through forward Bruno Damiani. The play began with a seven-pass build-up on the right side, involving Sullivan and Frankie Westfield, who delivered a low-driven cross into the penalty spot. Milan Iloski provided a dummy for the open Damiani, who finished the play with a right-footed strike to secure a 1-0 halftime lead. Damiani has scored eight goals since the team resumed play following the World Cup break.
Late Goal Not Enough
The second half saw Philadelphia double their advantage following a lengthy video assistant referee review. After a chaotic sequence where the ball ricocheted off Milan Iloski and crossed the line, the referee confirmed the goal for the home side in the 82nd minute. This marked Iloski's 17th goal of the season, tying him for the third-most goals in the league and making him the second-most prolific scorer in Philadelphia Union history.
Real Salt Lake attempted to mount a comeback through several substitutions. The visitors saw Georgian international Saba Lobjanidze score in the 96th minute to cut the deficit to 2-1. Lobjanidze's goal was assisted by Canadian newcomer Luc de Fougerolles, who made his RSL and MLS debut during the match. With that assist, de Fougerolles became only the ninth player in RSL history to record an assist in their debut appearance.
RSL Road Struggles
For Real Salt Lake, the loss highlights a difficult season on the road. The club has not won an away match since March 7 at Atlanta, leaving them winless in their last 13 away games across all competitions. The club's overall MLS road record for the 2026 season stands at 1-10-3.
Despite the loss, the match featured several notable returns for the Utah-based club. Australian striker Ari Piol returned to action for the first time since suffering an Achilles tear on February 28, appearing two months ahead of his projected return schedule. Additionally, Utah native Zach Booth made his first appearance since suffering a hamstring injury on August 15 against Minnesota United.
Disciplinary and Defensive Action
The match was a highly competitive affair with several disciplinary actions. In the early stages, Philadelphia's Danley Jean Jacques received a yellow card in the 2nd minute, and DeAndre Yedlin was cautioned for Real Salt Lake in the 13th minute. Later in the match, Philadelphia's Frankie Westfield was cautioned in the 23rd minute, and Dominik Marczuk of RSL received a yellow card in the 62nd minute. Bruno Damiani also received a caution in the 89th minute.
Philadelphia's goalkeeper Andre Blake made several key interventions to preserve the lead, including a save in the 4th minute against Stijn Spierings and another in the 69th minute on a shot by Sergi Solans.
Upcoming Schedule
The Philadelphia Union will travel to face the Chicago Fire at Soldier Field on Wednesday, October 14, at 8:30 p.m. ET. Real Salt Lake returns to America First Field on Wednesday, October 14, to host the San Jose Earthquakes, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. MT.
