SAN DIEGO — Cavan Sullivan recorded his first two-goal game in MLS and assisted on another goal to help the Philadelphia Union cruise to a 5-0 victory over San Diego on Sunday night.
Philadelphia (9-10-6) is unbeaten in its last 10 matches, with eight victories, since the World Cup break, while San Diego (8-11-6) had a four-game home winning streak snapped.
Sullivan has five goals and six assists in his last seven MLS games and is pushing for a spot in Mauricio Pochettino‘s squad ahead of four friendlies in the upcoming international window.
Sullivan opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time on a creative back-heel flick that deflected in off the post. Then Sullivan powered a shot through the legs of goalkeeper Duran Ferree from a difficult angle in the 62nd minute for a 2-0 lead.
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Sullivan set up the third goal. He chipped it over the defense and Frankie Westfield ran it down and passed it back to the penalty spot for a wide-open Bruno Damiani to score his fourth goal in two games.
Philadelphia used an own goal by Anibal Godoy to go ahead 4-0 in the 87th and Malik Jakupovic scored his first MLS goal in stoppage time.
Andre Blake, who made his 290th appearance for the Union, made five saves to record his seventh clean sheet of the season.
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San Diego travels to Florida to face Miami on Sunday while the Union look to keep their streak going on the road against Sporting Kansas City.
The U.S. kicks off its first games since the FIFA World Cup with a friendly against Peru on Sept. 26, and Pochettino’s squad announcement is expected in the next week or so.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
