July 18, 2025
Joseph Maiorana/Imagn Images
Philadelphia Union midfielder Cavan Sullivan (6) fights for the ball with Columbus Crew midfielder Sean Zawadzki (25) during the second half at Lower.com Field.
It's been a pretty good past seven days for the Union, who ended a two-game losing streak, notched two more victories, and stayed atop both the Eastern Conference and Major League Soccer.
The new win streak started Saturday, with a 2-0 win over the rival New York Red Bulls at Subaru Park, with both goals coming in the first 25 minutes. The second came from Bruno Damiani, the team's big-ticket offseason signing, who left-footed a finish inside the far post.
The Union have now beaten the Red Bulls in 15 consecutive games across all competitions, a streak dating back to 2019.
Four days later, Union leading scorer Tai Baribo notched his 14th goal and Olwethu Makhanya scored his first of the season – off a set piece from Kai Wagner – in a 2-0 blanking of last-place CF Montreal that boosted the Union's record to 14-5-4 with an Eastern Conference-leading 46 points.
With just 11 matches remaining, the Union are tops on the leaderboard for the Supporters' Shield, which goes to the MLS team with the best overall record.
The Union hold a one-point lead over Cincinnati and two over Nashville. On deck is a road game Friday against Houston (7-11-5), followed by a home game against Colorado (8-10-6) to finish the July schedule. They'll play Cincinnati on Aug. 30 in what could be a pivotal match for the Supporters' Shield standings.
Baribo continues to be a constant source of offense for the Union, as his 14 goals are just three behind MLS-leader and international superstar Lionel Messi (FC Miami). Wagner and Quinn Sullivan share the team lead with eight assists; only eight MLS players have more assists.
Damiani, the Uruguayan forward for whom the team shelled out record transfer fee money, is the Union's second-leading scorer with four goals.
The Union had opened MLS play in June with wins over Charlotte and Chicago but then lost 1-0 to Columbus to close out the month, followed by a 1-0 loss to Nashville, allowing a gut-wrenching goal in the 101st minute on a penalty kick.
History was made in the defeat as 15-year-old Cavan Sullivan, a Philadelphia native, became the youngest player ever to start for the Union and the second-youngest in MLS history.
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