Cavan Sullivan Ties Freddy Adu's Single-Season Mark for a 16-Year-Old as Union Beat Red Bulls 3-1

Most 16-year-olds are worried about their driving test. Cavan Sullivan spent Saturday night in New Jersey tying Freddy Adu.

Sullivan scored early in the second half, Milan Iloski and Neil Pierre also found the net, and the Philadelphia Union beat Red Bull New York 3-1 at Sports Illustrated Stadium. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting pulled one back for the Red Bulls in the 74th minute, but by then the Union had already pushed their unbeaten run to seven league matches.

Iloski Strikes First

The Red Bulls actually started brighter. Julian Hall forced Andre Blake into a save in the third minute after a Cade Cowell setup, and Adri Mehmeti fired high and wide moments later. Philadelphia needed a while to find its footing, with Iloski and Sullivan both flagged offside in the opening 15 minutes.

The Union's breakthrough came in the 20th minute. Danley Jean Jacques crossed to Indiana Vassilev, whose shot was blocked, and Vassilev then set up Iloski for a finish from point-blank range. According to the AP, it was Iloski's 11th goal of the season, a career high.

Red Bull New York kept knocking. Blake saved from Cowell in the 31st minute and from Hall again in the 38th, while Ethan Horvath stopped a Nathan Harriel header at the other end in the 37th. Just before halftime, Iloski turned a short corner sequence into a one-man barrage, with three blocked shots and a near miss in first-half stoppage time alone.

Sullivan Takes Over

Michael Bradley sent Choupo-Moting on for Jorge Ruvalcaba at halftime, and the Red Bulls nearly equalized in the opening minute of the second half when Hall's shot clanged off the right post. Mehmeti followed with another effort that drifted just left.

Philadelphia punished the miss four minutes later. In the 50th minute Jean Jacques found Sullivan, who fired a left-footed shot from the right side of the box into the bottom left corner for 2-0. MLS called it a golazo, and it is hard to argue.

The third goal came from a set piece in the 64th minute, when Pierre slid in at the back post to finish from close range. ESPN credits Bruno Damiani with the assist, while the AP listed both Damiani and Iloski. MLS says Pierre now has four goals and an assist in seven games since he became a starter after the World Cup break.

The Red Bulls finally broke through in the 74th minute. Mohammed Sofo slipped a through ball to Choupo-Moting, who finished from the center of the box. Per the club, it was Choupo-Moting's third goal of the season and Sofo's first career MLS assist. It never felt like the start of a comeback.

The Kid and the Record Book

Here is the scope of Sullivan's history, exactly. Per MLS, the goal gave him 10 goal contributions this season, three goals and seven assists, which ties Adu for the most by a player aged 16 or younger in a single MLS season. The AP added that he is the first 16-year-old in MLS history with goal contributions in four straight matches, and the third player aged 18 or younger to manage it. He has now scored in back-to-back games. Across all competitions, including the Concacaf Champions Cup and Leagues Cup, MLS has him at six goals and 11 assists in 26 matches this year. That is not a hot streak anymore. That is a résumé.

Iloski was the busiest attacker on the field, with seven shots, three on target and the opener. Pierre, 18, scored with his only shot. Jean Jacques had the assist on Sullivan's goal and helped start the first one.

Blake, meanwhile, made all three of his saves before halftime, which kept the Red Bulls from turning their early pressure into anything. For the Red Bulls, Hall had four shots and hit the post, and Choupo-Moting made his 45-minute cameo count. It was not enough.

The Turning Point: The Post, Then the Punch

The swing came in a five-minute window. Hall's shot hit the post in the 46th minute; Sullivan's hit the net in the 50th. Instead of 1-1 and a building crowd, the Red Bulls were down two and chasing.

Emil Forsberg, subbed off in the 67th minute, put the problem bluntly. "Even if we create a lot of chances and make some good plays, you still have to defend your own box, defend your own goal, and not concede," he said. "I think, in the end, with what we're doing, sometimes it's just too easy."

Stats That Matter

• Shots: Philadelphia 19, Red Bull New York 11.
• Shots on target: Union 7, Red Bulls 4.
• Possession: The Red Bulls held 58.5 percent and still lost by two.
• Ball-winning: The Union made 18 interceptions to the Red Bulls' nine.
• Saves: Blake 3, Horvath 1.

What It Means

Philadelphia moved to 6-6-10 with 24 points and is unbeaten in seven league matches, with five wins and two draws since a loss at Miami on May 24. The Union finished August with three wins and two draws, according to the AP, and won by the same 3-1 score they posted against the Red Bulls in Philadelphia on July 22. The AP also noted the Union lead the all-time series 17-15-9. The Union host CF Montréal next.

Red Bull New York fell to 7-5-10 with 26 points and has gone four matches without a win since beating Orlando City 3-2 on Aug. 1. Forsberg, at least, still sees a path. "It's a tight table. If you look at it, we're still in a playoff spot, but it's time to get better," he said. Next up is a trip to Seattle.

Bradley promised a hard look at the details. "There's accountability every day, so we promise you that we look hard at every little thing, we're very honest with ourselves," he said.

Career Mode, but Real

Every soccer fan has played a video game career mode where a 16-year-old wonderkid turns into a monster by midseason. Sullivan is doing it with real defenders, real crowds and real record books. Sullivan now shares that line in the record book with Adu, and he is not playing like someone content to share.

Stats from ESPN's match data. Postgame quotes as reported by Red Bull New York (newyorkredbulls.com); additional details from the AP and MLS (mlssoccer.com).