Tim Howard Demands USMNT Prodigy Play Every Game Ahead of Next World Cup

Former U.S. men’s national team goalkeeper Tim Howard wants 16-year-old phenom Cavan Sullivan to play nearly every match for the USMNT in the lead-up to the 2030 World Cup, with hopes of having the youngster in peak form for the tournament, which will be primarily in Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

Howard’s comments come amid a hot spell for young Sullivan, who has thrived in recent weeks with the Philadelphia Union. Since the World Cup break, the teenage star has recorded a goal and three assists in his last four games across all competitions. He has also become a focal point of the Union’s attack under interim manager Ryan Richter.

On Matchday 21 of the MLS regular season, Sullivan stood out as one of the Union’s top talents in a 2–2 draw against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, leading all players in the game with four shots and seven touches in the attacking penalty area. His night eventually ended in second-half stoppage time, as he picked up a red card after appearing to exchange punches with Miami midfielder Yannick Bright.

That vigor, along with his skilled dribbling and penchant for chance creation, has Howard dreaming of big things over the next four years. Still yet to receive a senior USMNT call, Howard firmly believes Sullivan can play a key role now—with hopes of laying the groundwork for even greater opportunities in the future.

“Here’s what other countries do, and we need to be better at this in America,” Howard said on the Unfiltered Soccer podcast with Landon Donovan.

“We don’t get a lot of players like yourself [Donovan], Clint [Dempsey], like Christian Pulisic, like Cavan Sullivan. Cavan Sullivan needs to play nearly every game between now and 2030 ... so he can make mistakes so that he can continue to play in MLS.

“Play him now. Let him make his mistakes. Let him bleed into the team so that in 2030 at the World Cup, we have a 20-year-old who’s like, ‘Give me the ball. Give me the ball on the biggest stage,’ and that sounds far-fetched to us, but every other country does it.”

Will Sullivan Earn a Fall Call-Up?

Cavan Sullivan is gaining some serious momentum. | Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

If Sullivan maintains his breakout form for the Union, he could entice USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino to add him to what is expected to be an expanded roster for four fall friendlies against Chile, Peru, Mexico and Canada.

Should he crack the squad, it would mark his first appearances for the senior national team, and give him a true test of the level, as well as the pressure of facing Concacaf rivals like El Tri and Les Rouges.

Yet, as much as Howard will push for Sullivan’s opportunity, other young stars could warrant calls as soon as this fall as well, notably Zavier Gozo. The 19-year-old recently inked a deal with Crystal Palace after standing out in MLS with Real Salt Lake in a more remarkable way than Sullivan has so far with the Union.

After the four fall friendlies in October and September, the USMNT will reconvene in November for the first competitive matches since the World Cup, as the Stars and Stripes prepare for the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals, kicking off a path they hope ends in a fourth Nations League title in five tournaments in the spring.

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