There was a familiar edge to the meeting with Mexico, but the lasting image of the United States’ 3-0 win was one of a team looking forward rather than back. Mauricio Pochettino’s youthful side found its first two goals through teenagers Cavan Sullivan and Julian Hall, offering a vivid early glimpse of the players being prepared for the road towards the 2030 World Cup cycle.
Hall, the 18-year-old New York Red Bulls forward, struck first and continued an extraordinary opening sequence in international football. He has scored in each of his first three appearances for the United States, having also found the net against Peru and Chile. Sullivan followed, and his goal against Mexico made the Philadelphia Union midfielder the youngest scorer in United States national-team history.
The result completed a productive international window for Pochettino’s group. The Americans scored at least three times in three successive matches, overcoming Peru, Chile and Mexico while collecting 11 goals in all. With several established stars left out of the squad, the window became a practical test for players still building their senior careers — and the two youngest headline-makers answered emphatically.
Two MLS routes, one international opportunity
Sullivan had only turned 17 on 28 September before adding another milestone against Mexico. His club form has already made him one of the most closely watched young players in North America. In September, he was named MLS Player of the Matchday for Matchday 26 after producing two goals and an assist against San Diego FC.
That display formed part of a seven-match run in which Sullivan either scored or created a goal, an unprecedented sequence for an MLS teenager. His growing reputation has travelled beyond Philadelphia: he has an agreement to join Manchester City once he is eligible to make the move, while his market valuation has reached €10 million.
Hall’s progress has taken a different shape across the country in New Jersey, where he has moved beyond the status of a Red Bulls prospect. In 18 appearances during the 2026 season, he has returned nine goals and four assists. He was selected for the MLS All-Star Game and, in May, became the youngest player ever to score a hat-trick in MLS.
The Red Bulls have responded with an offer to extend his contract through the 2029-30 campaign. Hall is valued at €8 million, but his three goals from three United States outings may matter more than any current estimate. Against Mexico, he looked less like a player waiting for an opening than one already taking it.
Pochettino’s wider horizon
The Mexico match was more than a useful win in a regional rivalry. It underlined the direction Pochettino has chosen during this window: give responsibility to younger footballers, allow them to gather international experience early, and create a pathway that can eventually carry the strongest of them to Europe.
Sullivan’s expected future in England and Hall’s fast rise in MLS point to the breadth of that project. One is a creative midfielder from Philadelphia with a record already attached to his name; the other is a Red Bulls striker whose first three international nights have all included a goal. Together, they gave the United States a forceful 3-0 evening against Mexico and a promising marker for the years ahead.
