Cavan Sullivan AGAIN! Philadelphia Union star extends record season

By José Nuñez It's only right Cavan Sullivan stole the show one last time in the 2026 regular season. The 17-year-old wunderkind capped a record-breaking regular season with a Decision Day brace at Subaru Park on Saturday night, helping propel the Philadelphia Union to a  4-1 victory over Toronto FC and setting the stage for the teenager’s first Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. The win secured Philadelphia's No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference, lining up a Round One Best-of-3 Series against No. 3 seed New England Revolution . Brotherly love The second half of Sullivan's season was nothing short of sensational, after interim head coach Ryan Richter placed faith in the youngster following the FIFA World Cup break. On the night, Sullivan won a penalty and scored twice, including a goal assisted by his older brother, Quinn Sullivan , pushing his season total to 9g/14a – the most goal contributions (23) by a teenager in MLS history. As he has done repeatedly throughout 2026, Sullivan added another milestone to his already remarkable year on Saturday, one he shares with his brother. With both brothers finding the back of the net against Toronto, Cavan and Quinn became just the  third pair of brothers in MLS history to score for the same club in the same match. Young Player of the Year loading? Saturday's Decision Day performance further cements the teenage phenom as a heavy favorite for the MLS Young Player of the Year award. For Richter, who also coached Cavan at the youth level and in MLS NEXT Pro , this was more of the same greatness the youngster has displayed since his breakout following the World Cup. “Cavan was great. He was out a couple of weeks and came in the last game, just to get back into the rhythm of playing, and was excellent tonight,” said Richter. Unfortunately for Sullivan, his night ended prematurely after a collision with Richard Chukwu in the 82nd minute. He was ultimately substituted in the 90th minute. Richter, however, was not overly concerned about the injury when asked about its severity after the match. “I don’t have an answer yet, but I don’t think that it is that serious,” Richter shared. Sullivan now prepares for a crucial moment in his young career as he gets set for his first competitive international matches for the U.S. men's national team in the upcoming Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal matches against Haiti, shortly after becoming the youngest goalscorer in program history during his debut international window last month. Sullivan will be joined by club teammate Neil Pierre , as the homegrown duo faces Union teammate and Haitian international Danley Jean-Jacques . Playoffs incoming Upon his return from international duty, Sullivan will turn his attention to playoff action, where he will face off against Carles Gil and former Union teammate Dániel Gazdag , Philadelphia’s all-time leading scorer, in their Round One Best-of-3 Series. This time, Cavan will enter the postseason with a far more prominent role than the one he had in the 2025 postseason, when he featured for just 15 minutes. The teenager will also be hoping for a different outcome after last season’s semifinal exit at the hands of New York City FC . Reflecting on the remarkable turnaround he and the Union experienced this season, Sullivan acknowledged the journey that brought the team to this point. “The ups and downs were honestly crazy,” Sullivan shared after the match, going on to shout out the supporters who stood behind the team throughout the season. “A huge thank you to the fans for sticking with us and bringing the motivation to each and every home game. We feel your love, and we cannot wait for the playoffs.” WATCH: Cavan Sullivan powers Philadelphia Union on Decision Day