The Philadelphia Union made MLS history on Wednesday, Matchday 27 on the MLS slate, when 14-year-old Cavan Sullivan took the field as a substitute.
At 14 years and 293 days old, he was the youngest player ever to make a regular-season debut for the major North American pro sports leagues.
He broke the record that Freddy Adu had set back in 2004 when he appeared for DC United at the age of 14 years, 306 days.
Sullivan came on in the 85th minute, right after his brother, Quinn, scored. The Union are in dead last in the Eastern Conference, so the franchise needed a bit of good news.
Let’s take a look at some other insights from Matchday 27 as you consider your weekend sports betting in MLS action.
MLS Betting Lines: Highlights from Match day 27 | Soccer Odds
Philadelphia Union also end their losing streak
The Union had not won in their last 10 matches, but when the New England Revolution showed up for their midweek showdown, conditions looked ideal for a Philadelphia win.
The Revs were missing over half of their starting XI because of injury. They rolled out four center backs in an unusual 3-4-3 formation.
This allowed the Union to steamroll the Revs on set pieces before the intermission and on the counterattack after halftime.
You might wonder, though, what would motivate the Union to bring a 14-year-old onto the pitch.
He just signed the heftiest MLF Homegrown contract in the history of the league – one that has him transferring to Manchester City once he turns 18.
That’s the Manchester City that has been dominating the English Premier League in recent years, and City were enthusiastic about the deal.
Union coach Jim Curtin might have subbed Sullivan in last week, but they were playing in Canada, where the child labor laws would have conflicted with Sullivan’s appearance.
Now that the secondary transfer window has opened, the Union might try to capitalize on their 5-1 win and start adding talent for next season.
^Inter Miami stops FC Cincinnati
You might expect home field to matter in soccer. The crowds can get raucous, with seating closer to the pitch than it is in American football.
However, FC Cincinnati, with designs on a Supporter’s Shield, is just 6-2-4 at home – but 9-1-1 on the road.
The TQL Stadium crowd is as loud and supportive as any in MLS, and the fans lent a huge hand in FC Cincinnati’s 6-1 steamrolling of Inter Miami just two weeks ago.
Since that win, though, FC Cincinnati have lost two straight against East rivals.
In their loss to Inter Miami on Wednesday, FC Cincinnati simply did not show up in the final third.
Kipp Keller also made a key error at center back, bringing focus on one of Cincinnati’s flaws that has nothing to do with the location of the game – chaos on the backline.
Miles Robinson missed the game due to a red he was shown against Charlotte, and he’s heading to France for the Olympics.
MLS opted not to take an Olympic break, so the team must soldier on without him. Nick Hagglund and Matt Miazga are on the shelf for the rest of the season.
These injuries have made some holes in the defense. The secondary transfer window can’t come soon enough for this side.
^The Red Bulls keep leaving goals on the field
In their last eight games, the N.Y. Red Bulls have scored 5.5 goals fewer than their expected total, according to FBref. Lewis Morgan has shown that he can finish, but he’s about it.
Elias Manoel came over in the last transfer period. Dante Vanzeir, the Belgian who got the second-biggest contract in Red Bulls history, is dead last in the league in expected goals minus goals – and he has a big buffer protecting him from falling behind in this one.
He has scored exactly two goals this season, while statistics suggests that he should have no fewer than six.
He did have a gorgeous chance in the first half last night but could not find the net. Later in the half, he also pulled a chance on the doorstep wide of the post.
^Betting MLS Top 5 Teams to Win the Tournament
- Inter Miami +175
- Los Angeles FC +650
- FC Cincinnati +790
- LA Galaxy +1050
- Columbus Crew +1200
Matchday 27's best. 👏
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 18, 2024
📰: https://t.co/WnUI8UccoT pic.twitter.com/X35o3CelRR
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