Philadelphia created far more than usual, and Toronto could not match it

Cavan Sullivan scored twice and two penalties shaped Philadelphia Union's win over Toronto FC, but the chances tell the more surprising story.

Two penalties, one at 41 minutes and the other at 73, sit at the heart of Philadelphia Union's win over Toronto FC. Quinn Sullivan converted the first and Bruno Damiani the second, and Cavan Sullivan scored twice along the way. Yet the more telling story is how much Philadelphia created, and how little Toronto made of the ball they had.

Expected goals, or xG, adds up the quality of every chance a side makes, so a tap-in counts for far more than a long-range shot. Philadelphia's total came to 3.61, more than twice their usual figure at home, which is 1.65. The average for a side across the league is 1.45, so this was a long way above what teams normally manage.

The odd part is that Philadelphia had less of the ball than usual. They held 43% possession against a home average of 47%, yet they still took 19 shots when they usually take 16.1, and 17 of those came from inside the box. In this match, the share of the ball was not what made the difference.

Toronto were the reverse. They had 57% of the possession, well above their away average of 44.9%, but they managed only six shots against a usual 13.1. Their chances came to 0.61 xG against an average of 1.36, and goalkeeper W. Yarbrough made four saves to keep the margin from growing. Their only goal came from Josh Sargent in the 45th minute, just before the break.

Two Philadelphia goals were ruled out by VAR, the video review, in the first half. Quinn Sullivan had one disallowed at 11 minutes, and Francis Westfield had another cancelled in the 45th minute, the same minute Sargent scored. Both decisions kept the scoreline tighter than the chances suggested, and the match still went to the home side by a clear margin.

Cavan Sullivan was the clearest figure on the pitch, with two goals and a rating of 8.3 as evidence of his influence. His second goal, at 58 minutes, was set up by Quinn Sullivan, who also made three key passes, the passes that lead directly to a shot. Those were the moments where Philadelphia's extra chances turned into goals.

Philadelphia scored four goals from 3.61 expected goals, which is close to what their chances promised, so their finishing was in line with the openings they made. Five goals in the match is above the league average of 3.3 per game. Toronto leave with the ball, one goal and very little else to show for their time in possession.

Player of the matchCavan Sullivan2 goals8.3

Q. Sullivan1 goal · 1 assist7.7

B. Damiani1 goal7.4

I. Vassilev1 assist7.4