Hailed as the MLS’ teen soccer sensation, 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan delivered an American scoring record with his first professional goals for the Philadelphia Union.
Sullivan broke through with the game of his young — very, very young — career when he scored twice and had two assists to lead the Union to a 7-0 win over Defence Force FC on Thursday night in the CONCACAF Champions Cup — the North American equivalent of the Champions League.
“It’s another moment in the right direction,” Union coach Bradley Carnell said.
Sullivan became the youngest American goalscorer in a CONCACAF Champions Cup game at 16 years, 4 months, 29 days.
“It means a lot,” Sullivan said. “It took a long time in my eyes. I wish I had it sooner. This is a special moment.”
At 14 years, 293 days, Sullivan is believed to have been the youngest player to appear in a game for any major North American professional sports league when he made his July 2024 debut for the Union.
The hype surrounding Sullivan has mushroomed by the day in MLS and could go global by the time he is expected to transfer to Premier League powerhouse Manchester City at the end of 2027 when he is 18.
Sullivan’s first goal on Thursday was a left-footed blast into the net that made him the third youngest goalscorer in CONCACAF Champions Cup history. He added an 88th-minute tap-in after starting the attack.
“Happy to score my first goal,” Sullivan said. “Two of them, actually. It was pretty special. More important is the clean sheet in the win and we advance.”
The Union advanced 12-0 on aggregate — Philadelphia won 5-0 on Feb. 18 in Trinidad and Tobago — over the two legs and will next play Mexican team Club America.
The 5-foot-7, 150-pound Sullivan led the United States to victory in the 2023 CONCACAF Under-15 Championship, which marked the first time the U.S. ever won the tournament. The youngest player on the team, Sullivan’s four goals scored earned him the Golden Ball as the best player in the tournament.
Sullivan and the Union play their MLS home opener Sunday against New York City FC.
“I think I’ve sort of made some good impact when I came in,” Sullivan said. “At this level, things get faster, things get harder.”
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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