Under the late lights of an international weekend, Mauricio Pochettino has handed Cavan Sullivan a first major senior opportunity. The 16-year-old Philadelphia Union player will start for the United States against Peru on Saturday, with kick-off scheduled for 22:30.
A record-breaking start for Sullivan
Sullivan becomes the youngest player selected in the United States starting line-up since Freddy Adu, the former teenage sensation whose career did not match the enormous expectations that surrounded his early rise.
The American teenager arrives with momentum from Major League Soccer. Used either in midfield or on the wing by Philadelphia Union, he has recorded six goals and 11 assists in 16 starts this season, establishing himself among the league’s standout young performers.
How his international debut arrives
- Sullivan produced a prolific MLS campaign with Philadelphia Union, contributing 17 goals or assists across 16 matches he started.
- Pochettino, who has been impressed by the teenager, included him in his plans for the United States.
- The Argentina-born coach has now chosen Sullivan from the opening whistle against Peru on Saturday night.
- The match will mark the beginning of Sullivan’s senior international career, at an age not seen in a US starting team since Adu.
For Sullivan, the Peru fixture is the next sharp step in a career that has accelerated quickly. The comparison with Adu reflects the rarity of the moment; the challenge now is to turn an exceptional opening into a lasting international future.
