Coming off their Leagues Cup elimination and after conceding two first-half PK goals on the road in their return to MLS play, it would have been easy for the Philadelphia Union to pack it in, accept the loss to NYCFC in the Bronx, and prepare for a better performance midweek as Lionel Messi and Inter Miami travel to Chester, PA on short rest Wednesday night.
But not under Ryan Richter.
“I know what my mindset is and the one that I ask them to approach this with - we have to be competitive every single day, we never quit in games, we attack every game going to win, and all of my decisions are going to be based on that. And I ask them, you can be mad at me, no problem, but I promise you I will always take the decision of what’s best for the team and what leads us to win, because that’s what we’re trying to do. I hope they feel that energy from myself and the coaching staff.” - Interim Head Coach Ryan Richter on his mindset leading the Philadelphia Union
The first of Union’s three unanswered goals at Yankee Stadium was claimed by Haitian midfielder Danley Jean-Jacques just three minutes into the 2nd half.
Kai Wagner played a left-footed free kick into the box from Matt Freese’s right side, which was flicked on by the head of Cavan Sullivan and into the path of Jean-Jacques.
The header glanced on by Sullivan hit Jean-Jacques in the thigh, popped into the air, and fell in the middle of the penalty area just outside the 6-yard box. NYCFC keeper and former Union homegrown Matt Freese stayed on his line, while defender Max Murray waited for his keeper to claim the loose ball.
Jean-Jacques took advantage of the lackadaisical play and poked the ball into the back of the net to score his third goal of the season, cutting Union’s deficit to one.
In the 54th minute, NYCFC’s Will Sands thought he had reestablished the Pigeons' two-goal lead after putting a strong header originating from a corner on frame and labeled for the top shelf, but Andre Blake did what he does best and tipped the ball over the bar to safety, keeping the game 2-1.
15 minutes after Blake’s big save on Sands, it was Bruno Damiani who hit the back of the net in transition to bring the match level in the 69th minute in the Bronx. Jesus Bueno got the play started after dispossessing NYCFC’s Malachi Jones in Union’s defensive half and playing the ball forward to Milan Iloski to spring Union on the attack.
Iloski carried the ball forward, waited for Cavan Sullivan to make the overlapping run to the outside on his right, and played the ball into the 16-year-old's path as he entered the box.
Cavan controlled the ball nicely, drew the defender, and squared the ball to Bruno Damiani, waiting patiently near the penalty mark, who sent the ball into the back of the net with the first touch of his left foot to level the game at two with 20 minutes to go.
The goal was Bruno Damiani’s second of the season. Cavan Sullivan’s assist was his sixth of the 2026 season and his second of the game.
In the 75th minute, it was Jesus Bueno who once again sprung Union into transition after cleaning up in the midfield and playing a ball forward to Quinn Sullivan, this time on the left side of the field.
Sullivan sprinted onto the ball played forward by Bueno, elegantly touched it past a sliding Will Sands, and entered into the box with teammates arriving in the middle.
Sullivan surveyed his options, took a peek at the net to draw the attention of Matt Freese, and laid the ball off to Bruno Damiani waiting in the same part of the field as his first goal, who fired the ball into the back of the net with his first touch to give Union a late 3-2 lead on the road.
“Like his goal against Necaxa, tonight’s goals were two strikers' goals - run to the right spot, be available for your teammate, one-touch finish, bang, easy business. And then the work that he does outside of that, that I always say makes the team better…but his job is to put the ball in the back of the net and to see him do that twice in a big moment is really good” - Ryan Richter on Bruno Damiani's two-goal performance
Quinn Sullivan's assist was his first of the 2026 season, and Damiani's match-winning goal was his second of the night and third of the campaign.
Bruno Damiani (9) scored twice with assists from both Sullivan brothers in Philadelphia Union's 3-2 comeback win.
Image Provided / Philadelphia Union
That’s the second straight MLS match in which the Philadelphia Union have erased a two-goal deficit to claim all three points, and it’s the fourth straight win in league play since Interim Head Coach Ryan Richter took charge, bringing the Blue and Gold just five points out of the final playoff spot in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference.
“You feel the energy of the team in moments during the last minute of the game. Danley wins a throw-in by bodying a guy off the ball, and the guys celebrate that like they scored a goal. Neil bodies a guy, and it goes out for a throw-in; the team celebrates like they scored a goal themselves. This energy, it’s…it makes the difference. I feel like we are a real team, and everyone is pulling in the same direction, and I believe strongly that that's the most important piece.” - Ryan Richter
DOOP will head back home and quickly turn their attention to Lionel Messi and co as the reigning MLS Cup champs, Inter Miami, visit Chester, PA on Wednesday evening.
