Throughout the last couple of years, the Philadelphia Union has been known for developing its young talents and sending them over to Europe for solid transfer fees. Names such as Brendan Aaronson, Mark McKenzie, and Paxten Aaronson come to mind, and these players will only be the start of the youth revolution for Philly.
In their current squad, players such as Jack McGlynn, Quinn Sullivan, and Jesus Bueno have been performing phenomenally as of late, but there is one individual who has stuck out in the last few matches. This player goes by the name of Quinn Sullivan, and the 19-year-old has been solid in his last few performances.
Making the most of the opportunity
Throughout the 2023 MLS season, Quinn Sullivan has not had many opportunities with the first team, with most of his appearances coming in the month-long tournament of the Leagues Cup. But within the last few weeks, Sullivan has been needed due to the absence of striker Julian Carranza. In fact, Sullivan got the opportunity to start in Philadlephia‘s recent match against FC Dallas, where he was able to put in a top performance.
In the 24th minute of the match, Sullivan was able to put Philadelphia on top after a beautiful through ball from Kai Wagner. Sullivan received the pass and slotted it home to the left side of the net to give the Philly a 1-0 lead. His dominant night on the pitch did not end there, as he looked like one of the Union’s best players on the pitch throughout the night. Along with the goal, he was able to complete 16 of his 18 passes, creating one chance on the night, and also ending the match with a 7.8 match rating (According to FotMob).
Jim Curtin decided to put his trust in the 19-year-old homegrown, and while the Union did tie the match, Sullivan showed why Curtin trusted him. He is someone who provides a needed spark for the team when he is on the pitch and will continue to get more looks as the Union gets closer and closer to the playoffs.
Versatility that the Union crave
Along with his recent dominant performances, an area in which Quinn Sullivan helps the Union is his ability to be versatile on the pitch. Jim Curtin can either use him as a midfielder or as a forward, which could be key for the Union in the playoffs. An example of Sullivan’s versatility can be seen in a few of his latest performances for the club.
As stated previously, Quinn played as a striker for the match against FC Dallas, but in his most recent substitute appearances against LAFC and Charlotte FC, Sullivan came on as a midfielder. He was able to perform well in both these roles, which is something that Jim Curtin could definitely use to his advantage in the near future.
All in all, the recent performances of Quinn Sullivan is definitely something that will excite Jim Curtin and Ersnt Tanner, who will be glad to see the youth development and the academy paying off. Sullivan could possibly be one of the next big names on the Union to head to Europe, and these recent performances have shown why this can happen.
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