From last place to the playoffs: How the Philadelphia Union pulled off MLS's most stunning turnaround — SkimNews
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- Philadelphia Union went from last in the Eastern Conference and all of MLS with seven points at the World Cup break to collecting 40 points after it—12 wins, four draws and one loss—five more than Nashville SC.
- Philadelphia Union clinched the playoff place by drawing Nashville SC 0-0 away without Cavan Sullivan and with 38 of their 59 league goals absent, including Bruno Damiani and Milan Iloski.
- Ryan Richter replaced Bradley Carnell and shifted Philadelphia from a traditional high press to a more zonal setup, using midfield recovery time and mobile centerbacks Neil Pierre and Nathan Harriel to retain late-game intensity.
- Cavan Sullivan has seven goals and 11 assists, with nine of his assists coming after the World Cup break; the 17-year-old also trained extra during the break and earned a first national-team cap under Mauricio Pochettino.
- Milan Iloski scored 19 goals with seven assists—third in MLS for goals—after Tai Baribo’s move to D.C. United, while his expected-goals total stood at 18.77.
- Bruno Damiani has 12 goals and is Philadelphia’s chief alternative when Sullivan and Iloski are crowded, while Ezekiel Alladoh has recorded only one goal and one assist in 26 appearances.
Why it matters: Richter’s Union have turned seven points and last place into a clinched MLS Cup playoff berth, while the 40-point run exceeds Nashville’s by five. The story is broader than Sullivan: Philadelphia pairs his nine post-break assists with Iloski’s 19 goals and a zonal pressing scheme built around Pierre, with two games left to determine a playoff series or play-in.
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