To anyone watching, Cavan Sullivan’s performance on Saturday looked like something straight out of a fantasy. In many ways, that was exactly what it was.
“I was stunned and thrilled,” the 17-year-old said after discovering he would start for the United States men’s national team against Mexico, a match his side eventually won 3-0. “I messaged my family immediately, then took a nap after lunch. Before sleeping, I picture positive things happening later. Sometimes they become reality, and sometimes they don’t.”
Sullivan had imagined finding the net and celebrating with a knee slide toward the corner. A few hours later, that vision came true. He intercepted an inaccurate pass from goalkeeper Raúl Rangel and lifted the ball over him from 35 yards, becoming the youngest scorer in the team’s history. He then raced toward the corner flag and dropped into his planned celebration as his teammates chased after him.
“The goal itself wasn’t how I had imagined it, but the celebration was,” Sullivan said.
Beyond the historic achievement and its dreamlike backstory, the remarkable part is how naturally Sullivan’s breakthrough fits into this international window. Twelve of the 13 possible first-time players selected by Mauricio Pochettino have appeared, and most have made a strong impression. Julian Hall, 18, has scored in each of his three matches. Mathis Albert surpassed Christian Pulisic’s 10-year mark as the youngest scorer in the team’s history, only for Sullivan to take the record four days later.
Considering the quality of the opposition, these newcomers have not been eased gently into international soccer. They have been placed in demanding situations and have shown they can handle them.
Peru and Chile did not qualify for this summer’s World Cup, but neither side is easy to face. Although the United States had difficulty preventing them from scoring, an aggressive attacking approach compensated for defensive errors, producing four goals in each friendly.
The latter part of this extended international period promised to reveal even more, beginning with Saturday’s victory over Mexico and followed by Tuesday’s meeting with Canada. Newly named captain Tyler Adams said those fixtures could help establish the strongest team in the region. Canada, entering Jesse Marsch’s second cycle in charge, will be determined to make further progress and offer little space.
Saturday also demonstrated that the United States can withstand sustained pressure. Pochettino’s youthful team created very little in attack during most of the opening 45 minutes. Mexico’s man-to-man system disrupted the hosts and delighted its large contingent of supporters, who considerably outnumbered the home fans. Still, as Pochettino observed, a starting lineup averaging 23 years and 25 days endured the difficult spell together without conceding. An unexpected opening goal then transformed the contest.
Their youth did not prevent them from rising to the challenge.
“Playing matches like this is extremely valuable,” Pochettino said. “It builds experience and teaches us what these occasions demand, particularly when adversity arrives. That will be useful once World Cup qualifying begins. This kind of experience enables the team to deal with pressure and tension differently. The players need to encounter those feelings.”
Crucially, that experience is reaching several newcomers who could strengthen positions where the squad needs greater depth.
Diego Kochen has been the most impressive of the four goalkeepers selected, displaying more authority in his penalty area than Chris Brady and greater comfort with the ball than Matt Freese. Sullivan has quickly learned how to influence matches from the right wing, where Pochettino frequently used Sergiño Dest during the World Cup summer. Hall’s outstanding movement away from the ball gives the team another scoring option behind Folarin Balogun while increasing the competition facing Ricardo Pepi.
Several others have also strengthened their chances of earning future selections. Albert and Justin Ellis provide energy and speed during attacking transitions, while Neil Pierre and Adri Mehmeti could add useful depth in central defense and midfield. Their emergence leaves little opportunity for established members of Pochettino’s squad to become comfortable.
“They are competing hard for their places, and I enjoy seeing that,” center-back Chris Richards said Saturday. “The younger players are ambitious, confident and carry themselves with personality. That has impressed me a great deal.”
This large group of debuts is very different from the wave that followed the United States’ failure to reach the 2018 World Cup. That rebuilding period introduced Adams, Weston McKennie, Antonee Robinson and Tim Weah, providing supporters with a much-needed new generation. Those players entered a squad that had few experienced figures available to guide the transition.
This generation can settle into international soccer without carrying the same level of responsibility.
“We have created balanced lineups by placing experienced players around them, which means they can occasionally stay out of the spotlight,” Adams said. “They are not expected to deliver extraordinary performances every time. We simply want to put them in situations where they feel comfortable scoring, taking on defenders and demonstrating their abilities. We managed to do that.”
The next challenge is ensuring that the positive atmosphere surrounding this camp becomes sustainable rather than temporary. The team must avoid the dramatic swings in form that have characterized much of Pochettino’s time in charge.
“We must look after them and give them our backing,” Pochettino said. “It is now our duty to make sure this talented group develops in the right way. They were eager to play today, just as they were against Chile in St Louis and Peru in Orlando.
“We have to preserve that approach and maintain that emotion. Representing the national team should always feel like the most important opportunity. From the coaching staff’s perspective, the priority is not simply whether someone performs well. It is about dedication and the desire to treat the current match as the biggest one of your life. That is the mentality we are trying to communicate. Players must report for international duty ready to work seriously, and that is what matters most.”
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