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Mauricio Pochettino Highlights Unexpected Cavan Sullivan Quality After USMNT Debut

The American kids showed out in the U.S. men’s national team’s victory over Peru.
Sophia Vesely|
Cavan Sullivan became the USMNT’s youngest debutant since Freddy Adu against Peru.
Cavan Sullivan became the USMNT’s youngest debutant since Freddy Adu against Peru. | Alex Menendez/USSF/Getty Images

U.S. men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino made the bold choice of calling up 13 uncapped players—including eight teenagers—to his team this fall, and he walked away from Orlando’s Inter.co Stadium on Saturday night knowing he made the right decision.

The youngest—and most exciting—of the debutants against Peru was certainly 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan, who is just one day away from his 17th birthday. The teenage winger earned the start from Pochettino and immediately dazzled down the right flank, as he has done all summer long in Major League Soccer with his homegrown club, the Philadelphia Union.

“I’m so happy with his performance, I feel really proud,” said Pochettino, who was particularly taken by Sullivan’s tenacity which resulted in an early yellow card. “At 16 years old, performing, fighting and playing with personality. With character.”

Sullivan’s attacking aggression on the pitch mirrored the South American flair the Argentine boss has been trying to instill in his team since he took over the program in 2024 and which manifested well at the World Cup this summer.

Although later admitting his “nerves,” Sullivan was the image of confidence, unafraid to take defenders one-on-one or make the tricky pass into the final third. Although he did not score or assist in his 62-minute affair (a rarity for him these days), he nonetheless solidified himself as the future of the Stars and Stripes.

Sullivan was not alone. All the American kids helped the USMNT earn an emphatic 4–1 victory in the friendly. Eleven players made their debuts, three of whom even started the match. The newcomers had involvements in all four goals.

“I need to say that all were fantastic and all have different personalities. We are so, so happy,” Pochettino said postmatch. “After one week [of training] ... we are so excited now to continue building that journey in the next few games and few weeks.”

He added: “Today, they showed with time, and being smart with how we manage, they can be important for our national team.”

Pochettino Heaps Praise on Others

The youngsters all smiling together.
Zavier Gozo (left), Cavan Sullivan (middle), Neil Pierre (behind) and Frankie Westfield (right) all made their debuts. | Alex Menendez/USSF/Getty Images

19-year-old debutant Justin Ellis opened the scoring for the Americans just four minutes into the match. The Orlando City star’s no-look backward-header bounced off the far post to send his home stadium into a frenzy.

“This is stuff you dream about since, I don’t know, before you can even remember,” Ellis said postmatch, just shaking his head in disbelief. “I’ve probably been dreaming about this day probably 500 to a 1,000 times in my life, and it came true.” He was later named the Player of the Match.

Peru equalized 10 minutes after, but thanks to 17-year-old Mathis Albert, the USMNT reclaimed its lead in the 66th minute. The Borussia Dortmund star, who had substituted onto the pitch just five minutes prior, made a daring dash into Peru’s box with the ball at his feet. Taken down by a Peruvian defender, Albert earned his side a penalty kick, which veteran Malik Tillman took and scored.

“First action on the pitch? Bang, aggressive. Receive and go,” Pochettino said of Albert. “He’s young? Yes. Need to improve? Yes. Need experience? Yes. Need everything? Yes of course. But he goes ‘I want to go, I want to play, I want to show.’ That’s what we need and that’s why I’m so happy.”

“And it’s up to us to keep pushing them to keep growing,” he added.

It was then 18-year-old Julian Hall’s turn to make his mark. The New York Red Bulls striker found the back of the net with his knee off a lofted cross from Sebastian Berhalter into the penalty box, before returning the favor and assisting Berhalter on a blasted shot in the 90th minute. It appeared as if Hall and 25-year-old Berhalter had been playing together for several years.

“The language of football is, good players connect quick,” Pochettino said. “They don’t need too much time together.

“It’s because they have massive quality. They have massive talent. That is why they connect. They don’t need time.”

18-year-old fullback Peyton Miller joined Ellis and Sullivan in the starting lineup. 20-year-old goalkeeper Diego Kochen, 19-year-old midfielder Zavier Gozo, 20-year-old fullback Frankie Westfield, 21-year-old midfielder Brooklyn Raines, 19-year-old center back Neil Pierre and 17-year-old midfielder Adri Mehmeti also made their debuts.

It wasn’t just the talents of the many youngsters that made for a seamless transition, despite the complete roster overhaul. It was the veterans’ welcoming nature, the care they took to help the newcomers adapt to the international stage.

“All the senior players were fantastic in the way that they welcomed, and the way that they supported, the way that they guided the new players in the last few days,” Pochettino said.

Why wouldn’t they be? This is the next “golden generation.”

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Sophia Vesely
SOPHIA VESELY

Sophia Vesely is a writer, reporter and editor for SI FC, with an emphasis on North American coverage. Her experience comes from regional journalism as a former sports reporter for the Orlando Sentinel, Dallas Morning News and Seattle Times. Vesely graduated from Swarthmore College, where she played collegiate soccer as a wingback. She specializes in MLS, NWSL and NCAA soccer.

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