Quinn Sullivan – Another Gem of Philadelphia Union by Saul Morris
This report is going to be analysing Philadelphia Union’s Quinn Sullivan. This will be focusing on his strengths and weaknesses as well as assessing both his current ability and potential ability.
Biography:
Name: Quinn Sullivan
Nationality: American
Date of Birth: March 27th, 2004
Height: 1.80m (5”11)
Strong Foot: Left
Current Club: Philadelphia Union
Position: Right wing/Attacking midfielder
Value: €3.5m
A very promising product coming out of Philadelphia Union that is thriving as he gains more and more experience in the MLS. Sullivan came through the ranks at Philadelphia and is now a consistent starter in the first team having seen his minutes rise and rise over the last 3 years. Philadelphia Union are a very strong team in the MLS as they currently sit in the playoff places with hopes of going all the way. Sullivan is a local player having been born in Philadelphia and his own brother, Cavan, also plays in the academy although he seems destined for a European move sooner rather than later.
Career Summary:
Sullivan made his senior debut in 2021 and went on to make 21 appearances that year and 3 in the CONCACAF Champions cup, largely as a sub. The following year was very similar, it was not until 2023 that he became a starter on a good amount of his games. This year he has established himself as a regular starter and a pivotal part of the Union attack. He also has gained 19 caps at youth levels for USA, playing up to U20 and also scoring 7 goals.
Style of Play:
Quinn Sullivan is a traditional type of winger, very different to the modern inverted wingers. He is right footed and when playing on the right he likes to drive down the line and then look to get deliveries in the box. He does not beat his man with sheer pace or athleticism, instead he prefers to play quick passes with his fellow attackers and midfielders and beat the defence with good movement, passing triangles and co-ordinated patterns of play. He shows fantastic work rate on and off the ball and presses the opposition defence relentlessly whilst also tracking back to perform his defensive duties, showing he is effective on both ends of the pitch.
His style of play, as previously mentioned, is that of a traditional winger. There are shades of a vintage Ryan Giggs in his game in the way Sullivan likes to drive down the line and get deliveries in, rarely occupying the half space and looking to do most of his damage from the wide areas, the key difference of course being Sullivan is a right footer and Giggs was a left footer. He is not a prolific scorer and seems more intent on creating for others and getting assists rather than taking on the shooting opportunities for himself. He has good presence, with good size, stature and strength to his game which helps him in duels and on the defensive end as well as when pressing the defenders and forcing mistakes. Much like Giggs, Sullivan often makes the smart choices rather than the ambitious and optimistic choices and it’s this excellent decision making which has helped him create so many opportunities for his teammates, and it’s this selflessness that is shaping him in to an excellent teammate.
As this heat map shows, Sullivan likes to stay wide and rarely drifts inside the half space, it also highlights his willingness to track back and help out his full back on the defensive end.
Sullivan’s main strengths would be; Work rate, decision making, IQ and vision. He presses the defence relentlessly and tracks back to help his full back on transitions, showing that his willingness to help the team knows no bounds. His decision making is shown in attacking situations best, he often has the ball in the final third and his final pass is excellent. His weight of pass and choice of pass creates so many opportunities for his teammates and he plays the passes so that the attackers run on to them rather than giving them any extra work to do upon receiving. His IQ is shown by his positioning and lack of unnecessary risk taking. When in defensive transitions, his positioning helps provide defensive cover in the midfield and prevents his full back from being doubled up. His vision is especially impressive when he is breaking the lines to start attacks and then when he is picking out his cross or pass in the final third. It is shown by how he always uses the best type of cross, be it a drilled one, whipped or a floater, his vision to see the free man and provide the best service is excellent.
In terms of his weaknesses, the main ones would be; Weak foot, spatial awareness in central areas and movement in central areas. He is very right footed which can make him fairly predictable when he is driving at his full back as it is clear he wants to go down the line, although he is very good at getting down the line, if he improved his left foot it would add variety to his game and make him harder to predict. He has played as a central attacking midfielder on occasion and even as a second striker, when he plays in these central areas his spatial awareness is not excellent. He does not scan the area around him enough to know where the space is and where the opposition is as he is used to seeing the whole pitch from the right wing position. He also struggles with knowing what runs to make when one of the midfielders are driving forward, he can either run in to the teammates path or run in the direction of a teammate so he needs to better understand the runs needed for central players on attacking situations, this will come in time from more experience playing in central areas.
Potential:
Quinn Sullivan does have high potential if he is to add more dimensions to his game. His role of a traditional winger may not suit many of the top clubs in the top leagues around Europe which is why I believe he needs to add more to his game such as the ability to play centrally and improving his confidence on his weaker foot so he has the ability to play as an inverted winger. This season has been a huge step for him as he is becoming a pivotal player in a playoff chasing team. He does need at least another year or two developing his game in the MLS as it is the perfect platform for him to thrive.