The New England Revolution will be facing an opponent that isn't all that different from itself.
Just like New England, the Philadelphia Union have a young star of their own. Cavan Sullivan has had a breakout season and has established himself at the club and national team level.
Sullivan has seven goals and seven assists in 2026. His attacking skill has helped Philly go unbeaten in its last 15 Major League Soccer matches. The 17-year-old even scored a goal against Mexico in his first USMNT call up to further announce his arrival.
“I actually love that we have players like Cavan Sullivan in our landscape and that we can develop that type and profile of player," Revolution head coach Marko Mitrovic said. "I think that if he keeps going, I can see right now that he has a very good mentality and is a very committed and competitive player. But what matters now is how consistent he can be, because he shows that he can have a very high ceiling and a great soccer career ahead of him."
Revolution center back Joshua Wynder is also excited for what a player of Sullivan's caliber means for the U.S. Soccer landscape.
"[Sullivan] is a great player," Wynder said. "He’s got a lot of hype around him. I think it’s cool to see young kids in America go up through the system and keep excelling. I think it’s not just about the league or the games, I think it’s about U.S. Soccer in general. I think it’s amazing to see. It’s awesome to see young players anywhere excelling, so it’s amazing.”
Young players such as Neil Pierre, Frankie Westfield, and Sullivan have helped turn Philly around, but it has also received some help from veteran players. Kai Wagner and Nathan Harriel have strengthened the backline while Milan Iloski has led the attack with 19 goals.
"I think that they found their identity," Mitrovic said. "I know that they had some struggles at the beginning of the season with injuries and everything, but they are very back into who they are and their style of playing. They also have a lot of young guys that bring great vibes and energy on the field. The results that they [achieved] in the last few months just [show] what form and what kind of team they are.”
New England is starting to run out of time to build some positive momentum heading into the postseason. While a midweek match against the New York Red Bulls could serve as a launching point to a run in the playoffs, the Revs will also have to play Inter Miami and Orlando City to end the season.
The matchup against Philly could serve as a playoff preview. The current makeup of the standings has New England and Philly facing off in the first round. Saturday could serve as a chance for one team to prove it has the upper hand over the other.
