Philadelphia Union closed the 2026 regular season in style on Saturday afternoon, defeating Toronto FC 4-1 at Subaru Park with three goals from Sullivan brothers, and one from Bruno Damiani. The Decision Day victory secured sixth place in the Eastern Conference and a Round One playoff matchup with the New England Revolution.
Five Fast Facts
1. Cavan answers the call. The Homegrown struck in the 28th and 58th minutes, setting the tone for a four-goal Union afternoon.
2. Quinn makes his mark. Quinn Sullivan converted a first-half penalty and set up Cavan’s second goal after the break.
3. Philadelphia finds its cutting edge. The Union fired 19 shots to Toronto’s six, despite seeing less of the ball.
4. One more regular-season appearance for No. 11. Alejandro Bedoya took the field in his final regular-season match before retiring at the end of the season.
5. Sixth seed secured. Philadelphia finished on 50 points and will face No. 3 New England in a Round One Best-of-3 Series.
Offside denies Quinn Sullivan
Philadelphia wasted little time pushing forward. The Union took four shots in the opening 15 minutes and thought they had the breakthrough in the 11th when Quinn Sullivan turned in a flowing move. A backheel from Cavan helped create the opening, but a VAR review found Quinn offside and wiped away the early celebration.
Toronto began to see more of the ball, but Philadelphia remained dangerous whenever it found space to break. The first goal that counted came soon afterward.
Brother's Revenge
Seventeen minutes after his older brother was denied, Cavan Sullivan made his finish count. In the 28th minute, Indiana Vassilev found the Homegrown in front of goal and Cavan guided a left-footed finish past William Yarbrough to put the Union ahead.
Quinn got his own moment 13 minutes later. Richard Chukwu brought down Cavan in the box, and Quinn stepped up to drive the resulting penalty into the top-left corner for a 2-0 lead.
The first-half drama was not finished. Frankie Westfield struck in stoppage time after combining with Cavan, only for another offside review to disallow the goal. Toronto made the most of the reprieve, as Josh Sargent headed home a Djordje Mihailovic corner in the seventh minute of added time to cut the Union lead to 2-1 at the break.
Union pull away after the break through Sullivan connection
Toronto's late goal narrowed the score, but Philadelphia quickly regained control of the better chances. Andrew Rick replaced Andre Blake at halftime, and Yarbrough was called upon to deny Bruno Damiani early in the second period.
In the 58th minute the Sullivan brothers combined when Quinn played the ball across the box and Cavan met it first time, steering his shot into the far corner to restore a two-goal cushion. The moment marked Quinn's first-ever primary assisted to his brother Cavan -- a long awaited milestone for both of them.
Bruno Damiani then converted a second Union penalty in the 73rd minute to make it 4-1.
Philadelphia finished with 19 shots to Toronto's six despite seeing less of the ball. The visitors created little after halftime, and Rick kept the final margin intact with a late save from a Mihailovic free kick.
A final regular-season bow for Bedoya
The afternoon also marked the end of a chapter for Alejandro Bedoya, who made the final regular-season appearance of his career. The longtime captain has been a defining presence in Philadelphia since arriving in 2016 and recently announced that he will retire when the Union's season ends.
His regular-season farewell may be not his final appearance in blue and gold. Bedoya and the Union still have a postseason run ahead, with the veteran hoping to add another chapter before bringing his playing career to a close.
What's next
The Decision Day victory ends Philadelphia's four-match winless run and closes the regular season on 50 points, securing sixth place in the Eastern Conference. The Union now move on to a Round One Best-of-3 Series against third-seeded New England Revolution in the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs. New England will host Game 1 and, if necessary, Game 3; Subaru Park will host Game 2. Match dates and kickoff times will be confirmed by Major League Soccer.
