Soccer <\/p>\n
It was one pressing moment among hundreds executed by the Philadelphia Union<\/a> in every match \u2013 a fleeting instant, nothing for the scoresheet, a seemingly forgettable footnote to a dominant 4-1 win<\/a> over their frenemies FC Cincinnati<\/a> last month.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n It sure did catch head coach Bradley Carnell\u2019s attention, though.<\/p>\n \u201cQuinn Sullivan, in the game against Cincy, we\u2019re pressing down the right side, and Frankie [Westfield] closes, and we’re closing from the weak side with Tai Baribo, and we’re closing from the [No.] 6s, and we deflect [a pass and] the ball goes for a throw-in,\u201d Carnell later narrated to MLSsoccer.com.<\/p>\n \u201cBut Quinny celebrates \u2013 he’s got this celebration, of like, \u2018boom,\u2019 you know? And this was amazing, because they’ve embraced now the challenge of working against the ball, because they’ve seen what it does for them to score goals and create goal-scoring opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The relish with which Sullivan<\/a> exulted in the so-called dirty work was telling: an embrace of his team\u2019s game model, a vindication of how Carnell has goosed the throttle on the Philly press since his arrival over the winter.<\/p>\n It reflected how much the 21-year-old homegrown has come to epitomize his club\u2019s ethos, and by extension, his hometown\u2019s pugnacious spirit, which the Union will flash when big-money Atlanta United<\/a> visit the unfriendly confines of Subaru Park on Saturday (7:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass<\/a>).<\/p>\n Sullivan remembers that play, too.<\/p>\n \u201cTruly heat of the moment; the ball had pretty much gone from right side to left side, and it was a long pressing moment, and we eventually ended up in a throw-in, but I think that was more like, we were on top of them the whole time and it was just like, \u2018Let’s go, this is working,\u2019\u201d he told MLSsoccer.com this week.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we had worked so hard on in preseason, you felt the effects of it. And that was kind of a full-circle moment of like, this work we put in is going to be worth it. Yeah, that was a good one \u2013 I think the celebration was a little bit too much. But it was definitely exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u2014 Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 29, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n There\u2019s been plenty of end product for the elder of Philly\u2019s talented homegrown siblings, too. He’s tied for third in MLS with four assists in his first eight games, ranks fourth in the league in key passes and his underlying metrics are downright dazzling: ranking in the 92nd percentile in non-penalty expected goals and the 99th percentile for shots, progressive carries, expected assisted goals, progressive passes received and touches in the attacking penalty area, among other striking data points.<\/p>\n It suggests steady growth from 2024, where Sullivan stacked up 5g\/8a in 2,402 league minutes, and he\u2019s offering all this in multiple positions on the field beyond his preferred attacking midfield spot.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I just need to play center back and goalkeeper to check off the list!\u201d Sullivan deadpanned. \u201cBut I definitely take pride in my versatility. It helps you get on the field, especially when I was younger and trying to break in, it was great that I could play striker and midfield and 10 and always do a job, whichever my best position was.<\/p>\n \u201cThat growth and that experience in my younger ages of my career help me now kind of have an understanding of where to play.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Volume up to hear @CangyApple<\/a> & @Higginbotham05<\/a> calling for a Quinn Sullivan USMNT call-up for the Gold Cup this summer. pic.twitter.com\/W58MawYlyb<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Matthew Doyle (@MattDoyle76) March 30, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n Accompanied by that relentless running, defensive commitment and deeply Philly-esque combative edge, it\u2019s a complete package that\u2019s drawing buzz for a US men\u2019s national team call<\/a>, particularly given the USMNT\u2019s alarmingly limp performances under Mauricio Pochettino in last month\u2019s Concacaf Nations League<\/a> finals weekend.<\/p>\n \u201cThe last games weren’t great at all. It just wasn’t good. I think even your most staunch US men’s national team supporter would say that it wasn’t good,\u201d said Danny Higginbotham, an MLS Season Pass analyst who worked on the Union\u2019s local broadcasts in previous seasons.<\/p>\n \u201cWith Quinn’s flexibility, his ability to play in multiple positions, the energy that he brings, I think sooner or later, I’m sure he’s going to be given the opportunity. Because I think one of the things that we’ve seen is Pochettino, he’s gone to a lot of MLS games, so I don’t see a reason why he potentially can’t be given an opportunity.”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n .@QuinnSullivan33<\/a> is the first Homegrown to reach 100 @MLS<\/a> appearances for the club!#DOOP<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/IB4OzcipFG<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) March 30, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n Beyond his creativity and directness, there\u2019s a tenacity to the attacker, a throwback quality that reminds some of past generations of USMNT standouts.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s what you call blue collar over here, but we call working class in England,\u201d said Higginbotham. \u201cPeople will accept you having a bad game \u2013 no matter what sport it is in Philly, they\u2019ll accept you having a bad game. But if you have a bad game because you\u2019ve not tried hard enough, people will let you know.<\/p>\n \u201cSo when you’ve got someone like Quinn, who understands the Philadelphia mentality, understands what the city stands for, then he very much shows what the city is all about on the pitch. Yes, he’s a talented player, but his work ethic is phenomenal.\u201d<\/p>\n All this makes Sullivan one of the Union\u2019s key figures in multiple contexts, a walking manifestation of the long-term vision to rely on local prospects to build a competitive squad in a proudly gritty city\u2019s image.<\/p>\n \u201cI’m glad people see that. I hope a lot of people see that, especially our fans. I definitely take pride in growing up in the city itself,\u201d said Sullivan. \u201cWhen me and [former Union center back] Brandan Craig were on the team, we always used to say, like, we’re the only two true homegrowns, right? From Philly through and through, grew up in the city.<\/p>\n \u201cLook, we love all the homegrowns, but we take a little extra pride in that. That obviously was instilled in me just through growing up. But also, Philadelphia is the Sullivans’ home, and we all stay pretty close to home, and think the family as a whole has that mentality. That’s where I think it’s rooted from.\u201d<\/p>\n That \u2018Sullivans\u2019 plural part is also noteworthy, because Quinn all too often gets overlooked amid the rising tide of hype about his younger brother Cavan<\/a>, the 15-year-old prodigy who\u2019s arguably the Union\u2019s best-known personality despite him having logged a modest 27 career minutes in MLS play thus far.<\/p>\n There\u2019s some banter between the siblings on this \u2013 as with almost everything in their joyously competitive household \u2013 but little in the way of tension, it seems. Quinn is a vital part of Cavan\u2019s story, and says he doesn\u2019t mind the spotlight so often being pointed slightly to his left despite contributing a great deal more at first-team level.<\/p>\n \u201cI’m always happy for Cavan, and the attention he gets is well deserved. But no, that’s not like fuel for me or anything like that,\u201d Quinn said. \u201cSeeing him do well is good fuel, and being on the same field as him and watching him have success, actually that’s better for me than whatever it is, the jealous side, or anything like that. Watching him make appearances and make a difference in the game, that’s more inspiring than all that.\u201d<\/p>\n Their teammates, though, can tell who\u2019s actually watching the games.<\/p>\nDo-it-all midfielder<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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USMNT prospect<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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Philly through and through<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Sibling motivation<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n