Bruno Damiani Brace and the Sullivan Brothers Power Union Comeback From 2-0 Down at NYCFC

At halftime in the Bronx, the Philadelphia Union were down two goals, both from the penalty spot, and their three-game MLS winning streak under interim coach Ryan Richter looked like it was about to hit a wall. Forty-five minutes later, they were celebrating one of the wildest road wins of their season, and the Sullivan brothers were at the center of all of it.

Philadelphia beat New York City FC 3-2 at Yankee Stadium on Sunday evening. Danley Jean Jacques started the comeback three minutes after the break, and Bruno Damiani scored twice in six minutes, both times on lightning counterattacks finished off by passes from 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan and his older brother, Quinn.

Two Penalties and a Lot of Frustration

The hosts, fielding what the Union's recap called a never-before-seen lineup with eight players injured and leading scorer Nico Fernández Mercau suspended, still landed the first punch. Neil Pierre fouled Andrés Perea in the box in the third minute, and Bénie Traoré converted the penalty into the bottom left corner. NYCFC said his effort kissed the inside of the post on the way in. MLSsoccer.com noted it was Traoré's first MLS goal.

Philadelphia answered with volume rather than goals. Milan Iloski, who the Union said was riding a six-game scoring streak, forced a diving save from Matt Freese in the sixth minute, then missed from the right side of the box in the 22nd and from the right side of the six-yard box in the 25th. Cavan Sullivan had three efforts from distance blocked or off target.

New York finished the half stronger. Andre Blake got down to stop Luighi in the 41st minute after a counterattack, and the hosts then had three shots blocked in a frantic spell before Indiana Vassilev was penalized for a handball in the box. Luighi, making his MLS debut on loan from Palmeiras, stepped up in the second minute of stoppage time and sent the kick into the bottom right corner. It was 2-0, and Jovan Lukic had picked up a yellow card that the Union said would suspend him for the midweek match against Inter Miami.

The Comeback Begins

Richter said afterward, per MLSsoccer.com, that his halftime message was more about effort than tactics: "One or two things tactically, but it was more about challenging the guys to play better, to give more, to be more connected when they didn't have the ball, challenging some guys individually."

It took three minutes to work. Kai Wagner's free kick dropped into the box, Cavan Sullivan headed it on, and Jean Jacques was first to the loose ball, steering a right-footed finish into the bottom left corner. The AP said it was his third goal of the season, matching his total from last year.

Blake then kept the deficit at one. James Sands met an Agustín Ojeda cross with a header in the 54th minute, and Blake tipped it away, a save NYCFC's own recap called brilliant. Sands headed the resulting corner wide.

Damiani, Twice, in Six Minutes

NYCFC coach Pascal Jansen made two double changes, and Philadelphia kept probing. Then the Union broke in the 69th minute with numbers, and Cavan Sullivan squared the ball for Damiani, who swept a left-footed shot into the bottom left corner. Quinn Sullivan entered a minute later for Vassilev.

The winner was almost a carbon copy. Jesús Bueno, who had replaced Lukic, sent Quinn Sullivan away on another three-on-two break, and Quinn found Damiani for a second left-footed finish into the bottom left corner in the 75th minute. The AP said they were Damiani's first two goals of the season.

New York pushed late, and in stoppage time Freese even went forward for a set piece. His header went just wide, and the Union held on.

The Men Who Mattered

Bruno Damiani scored twice on two shots, both on target. Clinical does not begin to cover it.

Cavan Sullivan had two assists and six shots. The AP said all six of his assists have come this season, and MLSsoccer.com said he has one goal and three assists in his last two matches.

Quinn Sullivan came off the bench to assist the winner and took two shots of his own.

Andre Blake made two saves, and the stop on Sands kept the comeback alive.

The Turning Point

The 48th minute. Jean Jacques' goal flipped the psychology of the whole night. NYCFC had been the better side late in the first half, but the moment the margin shrank to one, the hosts started leaving space behind, and Philadelphia's runners feasted on it.

Stats That Matter

• Shots: Philadelphia 17, NYCFC 16, with the Union putting five on target to four.
• Penalties: NYCFC scored on both of its spot kicks.
• Possession: Almost dead even, 50.7 percent for NYCFC.
• Tackles won: Philadelphia 12, NYCFC five.
• Yellow cards: Seven in all, four for the Union and three for NYCFC.

What It Means

Philadelphia moved to 5-4-10 (wins, draws, losses) with 19 points, and the Union have now won four straight MLS matches, beating the Red Bulls, Seattle, Atlanta and now NYCFC. MLSsoccer.com said Richter is 4-0-0 in MLS play since taking over on an interim basis and put the Union 13th in the Eastern Conference, five points off the playoff spots. The club noted the comeback mirrored its previous MLS outing, a 3-2 win over Atlanta after trailing by two. Inter Miami visit Subaru Park on Wednesday.

New York City FC fell to 7-5-7 with 26 points, and the club said the loss ended its three-game unbeaten run in MLS. A trip to Cincinnati comes next.

The Closing Take

Richter summed up his feelings about the Sullivan brothers with a line that sounded more like a proud uncle than a coach. "You know in your life when someone is rooting for you? I am rooting for them," he said. On this evidence, he has plenty of company. The Union sat at the bottom of the league in the first half of the season, according to MLSsoccer.com. Now they are the sequel nobody saw coming, and the brothers are writing the script.

Stats from ESPN's match data. Postgame quotes as reported by MLSsoccer.com. Additional details from the AP, the Philadelphia Union and New York City FC.