Cavan Sullivan Achieves the Inevitable, Becoming Youngest Goalscorer in USMNT History
To be the future you must rewrite history.
It’s something teenage phenom Cavan Sullivan has become all too good at it, and there is no doubt he is the future of the U.S. men’s national team.
At 17 years and five days old, Sullivan became the youngest goal-scorer in USMNT history, finding the back of the net on Saturday night against Mexico. He intercepted a pass from El Tri goalkeeper Raúl Rangel, before brilliantly lofting the ball over his head into the back of the net. The 62nd minute finish brought the USMNT to a 2–0 lead against its Concacaf arch nemesis.
Sullivan overtook the record set just days ago by teammate Mathis Albert, who scored in Tuesday’s friendly against Chile at just 17 years, 131 days old.
Records on Records on Records
Sullivan has never done anything by the standard of others. Just two days before his 17th birthday, Sullivan became the youngest player to debut for the USMNT in over 20 years, earning the start in the friendly against Peru.
He has also made his fair share of history at the domestic level in Major League Soccer. At just 14 years, 293 days old, the Philadelphia Union homegrown became the youngest player ever debut in the league—or any major league in North America for that matter. He broke the 20-year record of American prodigy Freddy Adu, who first debuted in the league at 14 years, 306 days old back in 2004.
Sullivan has enjoyed a breakout campaign with the Union this season, the reason behind his call-up to the USMNT this fall. He has racked up six goals and eight assists in the last eight MLS matches alone, helping the Philadelphia side to a club-record 12-game unbeaten streak. For his heroics, he earned MLS Player of the Month for September, beating out the likes of Lionel Messi and becoming the youngest player to ever earn the honor. In just four September outings, he had a whopping nine goal contributions (four goals, five assists).
Earlier this month, he also broke Adu’s record for the most goal contributions by a player aged 16 or younger in a single season (10), notching his 11th in a Sept. 13 clash with San Diego FC.
The best is yet to come for Sullivan, who will no doubt continue to write his name all over history.
