Austin FC and Philadelphia Union played out a dramatic 1-1 draw on Saturday night, with both goals coming from headers inside the opening 25 minutes of the match.
Sixteen-year-old Cavan Sullivan broke the deadlock with a fine header in the 18th minute, giving Philadelphia Union an early advantage at Austin.
Sullivan, one of the most exciting young talents in MLS, has now scored both of his goals this season in what is becoming a promising campaign for the teenager.
The young midfielder had gone 224 minutes across 14 appearances spanning the 2024-25 seasons without registering a single goal contribution before his recent purple patch.
Nathan Harriel and Milan Iloski both collected assists on the opening goal, as Philadelphia combined neatly to create the opportunity for Sullivan to nod home.
Austin FC were not behind for long, however, as defender Brendan Hines-Ike rose to meet a Joseph Rosales corner kick just three minutes later in the 21st minute.
Hines-Ike guided his header into the net to level the match, securing his second goal of the season and taking his career tally to five goals in 120 appearances.
The equalizer ensured Austin FC would not fall to another defeat, with both sides ultimately settling for a point that did little to separate them in the standings.
Rookie goalkeeper Damian Las turned in a composed display for Austin, finishing with two saves in just his second career start to help his side preserve a share of the spoils.
At the other end, experienced Union shot-stopper Andre Blake was equally impressive, making four saves in his 285th start for Philadelphia in what was another assured performance.
Philadelphia arrive at this fixture in solid recent form, having gone unbeaten in their last six matches with a record of four wins and two draws across that impressive run.
Both clubs now sit level at 5-10-6 on the season, meaning Saturday’s draw did little to shift the competitive dynamics between two sides looking to find consistency as the campaign progresses.
