After taking MLS by storm over the past two months, 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan will get his first chance to play with the United States men’s national team when it reconvenes this weekend at Atlanta.
The USMNT will take the field for the first time since the World Cup when it faces Peru on Sept. 26 at Orlando, Chile on Sept. 29 at St. Louis, Mexico on Oct. 3 at Glendale, Ariz., and Canada Oct. 6 in St. Paul, Minn.
Sullivan, who has put a charge into the Philadelphia Union of late, will headline a group of young players being introduced to national team duty. The other half of the team will be made up of USMNT veterans, although forwards Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun will not be on the squad.
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino stressed that the roster in no way represents the group that has priority heading toward the next World Cup in 2030.
“The 28 players that are going to be involved in these four games, for different circumstances, are the best players we want see and we want to work with. That’s it,” Pochettino said at a press conference in New York on Thursday.
Pochettino will have 28 players in camp, with 13 of those seeking their first USMNT appearance.
Sullivan, a Philadelphia native, has shown his promise with six goals and 11 assists in 23 matches (16 starts) this season. He has goal contributions in seven consecutive games to lead Philadelphia’s 10-game unbeaten run since the end of the World Cup break.
Among other players invited to USMNT camp for the first time are defender Neil Pierre, Sullivan’s Union teammate, midfielder Zavier Gozo of English side Crystal Palace and forward Julian Hall of the New York Red Bulls, all of whom are 19 or younger.
Those players will get their first taste of USMNT culture alongside World Cup participants in Sebastian Berhalter, Alex Freeman, Gio Reyna, Auston Trusty and Malik Tillman.
“This is the beginning of a fresh start for everyone, and we are excited in these first matches to bring a group of experienced players along with some young talents who have great potential,” Pochettino said.
The United States got off to a promising start at the World Cup with a dominating victory over Paraguay before going through the red-card controversy created when Balogun was ejected from a knockout-round victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina only to be reinstated for the round-of-16 game against Belgium.
The USMNT was eliminated in a lackluster 4-1 loss to Belgium.
“It’s a completely different approach than it was in the past,” Pochettino said of the start to another World Cup cycle. “The World Cup is in four years. We need to work with different objectives and goals.”
–Field Level Media
