Cavan Sullivan brace powers Philadelphia Union to 5-0 win

Philadelphia Union crushed San Diego 5-0 at Snapdragon Stadium, with Cavan Sullivan scoring twice in a dominant second half. The result leaves both clubs ninth in their respective conferences on 30 points from 24 matches, although Philadelphia now owns a 2-0 record in the season series?

How it happened

Philadelphia struck just before half-time when Sullivan converted Indiana Vassilev’s assist in the 45th minute. The same combination produced again in the 61st minute, before Bruno Damiani added a third six minutes later from Francis Westfield’s pass. Aníbal Godoy’s 87th-minute own goal and Malik Jakupovic’s 90th-minute finish completed the visitors’ five-goal haul.

The numbers

San Diego had more of the ball, holding 58% possession and completing 467 accurate passes from 552 attempts. Philadelphia created the greater volume of shooting opportunities, however, registering 21 total shots to San Diego’s 10, including 13 from inside the box compared with nine.

The Union also forced San Diego goalkeeper into five saves, while Philadelphia goalkeeper Andre Blake made five saves of his own. San Diego won 11 corners to Philadelphia’s four, but the hosts could not turn that set-piece pressure into a goal.

Who decided it

Sullivan set the result’s tone with a rating of 9.5 after 77 minutes, scoring twice and putting both of his shots on target. Vassilev supplied two assists, two key passes and a tackle in 70 minutes, earning an 8.5 rating, while Damiani added a goal and two key passes in a 77-minute display rated 8.1.

Why it matters

San Diego remain ninth in the Western Conference with 30 points, eight wins, six draws and 10 losses. Philadelphia also sit ninth in the Eastern Conference on 30 points, with the same 8-6-10 record, but their goal difference is 2 compared with San Diego’s 5.