Jim Curtin has no doubt about who is going to win AT&T Goal of the Week for Week 10 of the MLS season, not after watching Quinn Sullivan’s stunning bicycle kick in a 3-3 draw against Chicago Fire FC Saturday night at Soldier Field.
“Quinn to score such a special goal on his first start, it gets no better,” the Union coach said. “I think that’s another Goal of the Week for us wrapped up, but for him to do it in his first professional start, I think is something he’ll never forget obviously. I’m sure they were screaming back home in Philly, the whole Sullivan clan.”
Sullivan got the start with Alejandro Bedoya back in Philadelphia nursing a calf injury and the 17-year-old homegrown proved he deserved it with his 28th-minute equalizer.
“I don’t practice it very often. It doesn’t really come about that often in training,” Sullivan said. “It was special just to get the opportunity. I thank Jim for giving me the chance to prove myself. Just instincts.”
Sullivan, who got on the end of a second ball off Jamiro Monteiro’s corner kick to score from eight yards out, said he didn’t realize he scored a worldy at first.
“It was kind of mind blowing,” Sullivan said. “I didn’t actually know it went in until I looked at Sergio and he’s in full sprint at me like cheering. That was a special moment.”
Sullivan became the youngest player to score in Union history, but he’s grounded enough to realize his place in the pecking order when it comes to the starting XI.
“I know my role in the team. I know that Ale is a vet and I learn from him everyday and I think he deserves a starting role at this moment,” Sullivan said. “I’m glad that I could come in and make a difference and prove that I could be out there.”
Sullivan said he found out he’d be in the starting XI during drills at training Friday night. And with the 8 pm ET start time, it gave the midfielder a lot of time to think about what his first start was going to be like.
Fair to say, it surpassed expectations.
“It was a great goal, a great moment for him,” Curtin said. “But Quinn would probably want three points over scoring a great goal. That’s how competitive and how good a player he is.”
