After a near 2 month break for the World Cup, the Philadelphia Union welcomed fans back to Subaru Park in style with a 3-1 win over the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday night, the team’s first league win at home dating back to October of last year and the first under interim head coach, Ryan Richter.
“The overall fight and team spirit is something that I’m very proud of. You feel the energy of the fans joining this, you feel the energy of the staff, you feel the energy of everyone in the building, and everyone that started the game came with one goal in mind and that was to win the game, and that’s what this has to be - everyone committed to the team goal” - Interim Head Coach, Ryan Ricther
Not only was it a homecoming for DOOP fans who missed supporting their local club while the World’s biggest sporting event was taking place in their own backyard, but it was a night to celebrate Neil Pierre, Quinn Sulllivan, and Kai Wagner’s return to the Subaru Park pitch in front of an eager home crowd.
Ryan Richter’s time in charge of the Union got off to a dream start thanks to an opening goal in the 9th minute by Milan Iloski. Kai Wagner, back on the left wing for the Union for the first time since returning to the Union from Birmingham City, sent a ball into the middle of the penalty area in the direction of Cavan Sullivan and Milan Iloski in the box.
Red Bulls keeper Ethan Horvath came off his line to routinely claim the cross in the air, but bobbled the ball after making contact with his own defender on his way down which allowed Milan Iloski to pounce on the loose ball and fire it into an open net to give Union an early 1-0 lead, his 8th tally of the 2026 MLS season.
In the 38th minute and approaching halftime, Red Bulls found their way back into the match thanks to the right foot of Cade Cowell. Union’s Nate Harriel, filling in at Center Back for an absent Olwethu Makhanya, came off his line attempting to dispossess Ronald Donkor in the midfield, but Donkor evaded the tackle which opened things up in transition for Red Bulls.
Donkor moved the ball to Emil Forsberg who carried the ball towards goal and sent the ball over to Cade Cowell inside the box with just Andre Blake to beat. Blake got a touch to Cowell’s shot on net, but the bid from Cowell had enough power to find the back of the net and level the game.
In the 57th minute Union regained their lead thanks to midfielder Indiana Vassilev. A quick throw-in caught Red Bulls sleeping and a cross from Frankie Westfield found Indiana Vassilev at the back post with space in front of him.
Vassilev caught the ball on his left with his first touch, which took a slight deflection off a Red Bulls defender before sneaking inside the near post and past Horvath to give Union a 2-1 lead. The goal is Vassilev’s 2nd of the 2026 MLS season.
Then in the 66th minute Union added a third goal to their tally thanks to 18-year-old Center Back Neil Pierre, making his season debut with the club after a loan spell with Danish side Lyngby and scoring his first-ever MLS goal against the Red Bulls Wednesday night.
The goal originated from a corner sent into the box by Kai Wagner, making his return to the Philadelphia Union after spending half a season with English Championship’s Birmingham City. Pierre, who just entered the match 10 minutes earlier, rose above the Red Bulls defender marking him, sent a towering header towards goal, and found the back of the net to give Union a 3-1 lead, setting the team up for their first win at home in the 2026 MLS season.
“I believe in him. I’ve worked with [Neil] since he was 11 years old and I have seen him progress at every stage of this. I’ve seen him be successful as an academy player, I’ve seen him be Defender of the Year in MLS Next Pro, I watched his games when he went on loan and saw him be successful there and fight his way into the team, and now it’s no surprise to see come in and be ready for this next step” - Ryan Richter
To put a cap on a good night down at Subaru Park, the Union crowd welcomed Quinn Sullivan back to the pitch for the first time after being out with a torn ACL since September of last year. After the match, Sullivan told reporters in the locker room that he got chills stepping back onto the field as PA announcer Kevin Casey introduced him for the first time since last season, and that he looks forward to helping the team get back to winning ways the 2nd half of the year.
It’s a solid start to life under interim head coach Ryan Richter, and the energy around the building certainly felt different than it did before the World Cup break. Quinn is back on the pitch, Kai is back with the team, and Cavan Sullivan seems to have been inspired by watching the World Cup in his own backyard this Summer, because the kid looks to be playing at a level we’ve never seen before.
But according to Ryan Richter, who has now won a match as a head coach in MLS Next, MLS Next Pro, and now MLS after last night’s 3-1 victory, Union fans still haven’t seen the very best from Union’s young talent in Frankie Westfield and Cavan Sullivan.
“A lot of good actions tonight, but they’re capable of more than what they did tonight, I know that. I know they’re capable of more and causing teams more problems, but Frankie gets in on the assist, Cavan looked dangerous in a lot of moments when he was able to beat his defender one on one…but the two of them, they have a really good understanding of each other and we’ll try to keep building that the rest of the season.” - Ryan Richter
