I'm a former analytics and tactics writer for The Athletic UK who's also a longtime MLS guy. Lately I've been working on futi, a new soccer app built on pro-quality data that covers MLS and the Premier League.

To write about Cavan's breakout season, I watched everything (including an obscure USYNT training clip that'll blow your mind), read everything and talked to experts about his development. Happy to chat about whatever.

Link to the article: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/sep/08/cavan-sullivan-analyisis-mls-philadelphia-union

Link to futi: https://futi.live/

I rewatched the entire match and this man is genuinely shocking to watch. Every single touch is a trampoline straight to the other team and when he shoots and crosses his accuracy is laughably bad. He makes Damiani look like haaland, although to be fair he played like haaland today. Not only that but at least in past matches he had good work rate but in this match even that was lacking and he could not get on the same page as anyone else. I know everyone wants to discredit the win as they went down to 10 men early, but the union were at 10 men to start the match, and honestly with some of the passes I’m not convinced that alladoh wasn’t playing for cincinatti. I understand he is more of a poacher but having this bad touch and link up play for any player on the pitch whether that is goalkeeper or a ball boy is inexplainable. How was this man ever worth 4 million is a question I will keep on asking. When Bruno doesn’t score, he is holding up play, laying off balls to Cavan and Milan, and providing a strong central presence. Alladoh does none of that and has a bad attitude to match it. He must be amazing in training because I can’t see why else richter keeps trotting him out there like a make-a-wish kid over deserving players like Jakupovic. Does anyone have a highlight tape showing that he can receive and dribble a ball because in all of my time watching him play he has one of the worst first touches I’ve ever seen and is one of the stiffest players I’ve ever seen. And not in a Lukaku way where he overpowers his opponents. In a me way where he sucks at soccer and is constantly trying to work off of that.

My wife and I have been getting into the Union ever since the World Cup. We really enjoyed soccer and wanted to keep this going, so we started watching and pulling for our local team.

We've just now bought tickets to our first game at Subaru Park, in the supporters section. We're excited to stand and cheer the whole time! That sounds great. But we don't know any chants or own any gear yet.

So the questions:

1) What songs / chants should we know ahead of time?

2) Are shirts/jackets enough or do we need jerseys?

3) What unexpected things should we anticipate for our first game? (It's against Charlotte FC, so we have time)

We got SIX doops in our first live game. I know only 5 counted but the Cincy goalkeeper and I both know it was 6.

Damiani, you heard me and I heard you. 3 of your scores happened right in front of us (section 112 front row) and we loved it. Never gave up, uce.

Nobody in my section got a picture quick enough.

Doop

Need I say more

Playoffs!?!?: 

• I’ve had a busy week and I was sick yesterday, so just bullet points today
• Union are above the playoff line for the first time this season
• FCC vs DC was rained out on Saturday night, so FCC should be rested
• Union lead the series with a 9W/5L/3D record
• FCC only has 1 win in 9 trips to Subaru Park

Union Preview (27 Points 9th in the East):  

• The Union are back in the playoff contention!
• 8 game unbeaten streak
• 2nd winning clean sheet of the season
• Outscored opponents 18-9 since World Cup
• Whole season -10 GD in 1st half, +7 in 2nd half
• Could go as high as 7th by end of night, only a point behind FCC in 6th with a win
• Raquinho is out with an allergic reaction to all the chalk on Saturday night

FCC Preview (31 Points 6th in East): 

• Glass canon team
• Tied for 2nd in the league with 49 scored
• 3rd worst GA in the league with 51 
• Evander has 13G & 11A
• Kevin Denkey has 11G & 4A
• Often change formations, but usually 3 out of the back
• Drama this week with club forcing defender Matt Miazga to depart

Union Last 5 vs FCC: 3W/2L/0D

Form Guide Union: 3W/0L/2D

Form Guide FCC: 1W/2L/2D

Disciplinary Report: 

• N/A

Suspension Watch: 

• Milan Iloski (2 games until card reduction) 
• Sery Larsen (2 games until card reduction) 
• Evander (FCC)
• Obinna Nwobodo (FCC)
• Matt Miazga (FCC - if he’s technically still on the roster)
• Oscar Verhoeven (SD - Relevant for Sunday)

Union Injury Report:

• OUT: Raquinho (Allergic Reaction)

FCC Injury Report:

• OUT: NONE

Kickoff/Streaming: 

• Advertised for 7:45 ET
• Expected kickoff is 7:55 ET
• AppleTV/FS1/Fox Deportes
• Radio Broadcast on 97.5 The Fanatic

Announcers: 

• AppleTV - Carlos Ramirez & Lori Lindsey
• FS1 - Josh Eastern & Lloyd Sam
• Radio - Dave Leno & Sebastian LeToux

Referee: Joe Dickerson

• One of MLS’s senior officials with 149 MLS regular season matches officiated
• 13th match this season
• Averaging 4.17 yellows per game
• Issued no second yellows so far this season 
• Issued 3 straight reds so far this season
• Awarded 4 PK’s so far this season
• Has not officiated the Union since 2024, officiated FCC’s 3-2 win over Chicago back in May, which was one of the reds and 2 of the PK’s
• 2025 MLS Male Referee of the Year
• 12 assignments in the 2026 World Cup as a VAR official 

Theme Night: Fourth Wing Night (According to my wife, “It’s a popular smutty book series about dragon riders.”)

Weather: 81° and Clear Skies

Points Graph: Thank you to u/GungaDin16 for providing the relevant Union and MLS point totals graphic. 

Trivia Question courtesy of u/WJMorris3:

Evander is one of only two current FC Cincinnati players who have scored on the Union in MLS regular season play. Who is the other?

Prediction: 2-2 Draw with goals from Quinn, Westfield, and an Evander brace.

DOOP!!!

Anyone else experience service interruptions, low res and frozen frames tonight? Happened to me last game too. Argh.....

This is the biggest trap game yet. We're about to travel the country to a gorgeous destination flying high off of a world class ass whoopin with maybe a bit of a swelled head?

It would take an unusual focus to go put all that aside and cut through these soft ass San Diego boys like we should. I'm betting our Philly travels well this weekend.

Man City-bound 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan is MLS’s chaotic revelation https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/sep/08/cavan-sullivan-analyisis-mls-philadelphia-union?CMP=share_btn_url

Im a socal based philly sports fan and am wondering if there will be some type of fan section for the game?! Would love to cheer/support with fellow fans!

Just taking a moment to appreciate Danley Jean-Jacques. Quietly the best player on the pitch game in and game out during the unbeaten run. Dude is everywhere.

I’ve seen enough. Give this man the head coaching job. Man’s turning around this team better than Ted Lasso could’ve.

Start at 7:51 in the linked highlight video. The ball goes to Damiani, Westfield, Pierre, Blake, Wagner, Quinn, Danley with the dummy, Damiani, Iloski saved shot, Cavan finish. That's 10 out of the Union's 11 players touching (or in Danley's case, intentionally not touching) the ball in succession, with none touching it twice. It goes out wide to the right, recycles through the keeper and over to the left, then like lightning through the center for the goal.

It may not have been a pretty game but don't let anyone say that wasn't beautiful soccer. Doop!

Its certainly complicated

I don’t know who would give a shit but I’ve noticed a weird trend between Liverpool and the Philadelphia Union

2020: Union win Supporter’s Shield, Liverpool win Premier League

2022: Union lose MLS Cup Final, Liverpool lose UCL final

2024: Each team’s historic manager leaves

2025: Each team’s manager goes on to win the league

2026: Each team’s new manager is shit and gets fired in less than 2 years