Author: Jonathan Tannenwald

TEMPE, Ariz. — In another world, Cavan Sullivan might have followed his 8-year-old self’s baseball dreams in Bridesburg and become a shortstop.

Maybe Frankie Westfield would have joined his siblings in football or basketball at Father Judge High, not far from their home in Northeast Philadelphia’s Morrell Park. Perhaps Neil Pierre would have heeded those who saw his surging frame in Blue Bell and stuck with his young love of the hardwood.

In this world, though, none of those things happened. They chose a different game, coming together on their local soccer team. And now, as the young men turn into adults, the world’s game has launched them into the spotlight.

They haven’t had much time to appreciate it lately, between the Union’s frantic summer and their first journey with the senior U.S. men’s national team. This week, a moment finally arrived, as the trio sat down together to talk with their hometown newspaper.

Over their shoulders on a hotel terrace, the sun baked a sweeping view of a metropolis in a desert — about as un-Philadelphian as a landscape gets. But within seconds, it felt like they were right back home.

“The chemistry is obviously there,” Sullivan said. “We enjoy every second we play together and we try and have fun, all while competing, and we like to all do it with a positive mindset. I’m really happy and honored to be with these guys, and proud of them.”

At times, there’s more to take in off the field than on it: new teammates and coaches, practices, meetings, and a hectic travel schedule of five cities in 18 days.

“It just makes it easier, being with the guys that you know and you grew up with throughout the academy,” Westfield said. “I know it’s a long time away from our team, but just having these two guys to have alongside, to join in with conversation or whether it’s at dinner tables or stuff like that with the other guys, just makes it so much easier.”

As young as they all are, they’re already accustomed to living in a fishbowl. Sullivan, who just turned 17, is the biggest example: swooned over by the world’s chattering classes as he awaits a future with English power Manchester City. Pierre, 18, also has a growing legion of suitors, reportedly including Spanish juggernaut Barcelona.

Westfield, 20, isn’t quite that famous yet. But while brother Rocco was winning back-to-back Catholic League hoops titles, Frankie was becoming a locked-in Union starter and major prospect for the 2028 U.S. Olympic team.

‘This is our dream’

Each has gained much from this, and stands to gain much more. They also realize the scale of sacrifices required.

It struck a chord with many people when Pierre said last week that his six-month loan to Denmark’s Lyngby earlier this year was the closest thing he’ll have to a college experience. He and the others will never have a traditional young adulthood.

“Yeah, we didn’t get to go to college, but we’re obviously very grateful for where we’re at,” said Pierre, who has been taking online courses through a partnership between MLS and Syracuse University. Sullivan will begin the same program soon.

“Growing up, for all three of us, this is our dream, the days that we live now,” said Westfield, who backed out of a commitment to Penn State in 2024 to turn pro with the Union. “We wake up, we get to play soccer every single day. We’ve always dreamed of that, and also, to represent our country has been one of our biggest dreams growing up. “

He then spoke just as strongly about the value of time away from the field and keeping watch on one’s mental health.

“Just to clear our minds and get away from other things like that, I think that’s one of the biggest importances of recovery,” he said. “In terms of mentally staying sharp, just getting away from the game is also how we stay sharp in a way.”

All three players made their senior national team debuts in the opener of this four-game set of friendlies, last Saturday against Peru. Sullivan earned his first start that day, and Westfield and Pierre earned their first starts three days later against Chile.

Imagine, even if you aren’t a soccer fan, the emotions of the moment: walking through the tunnel and onto the field, a USA crest on your shirt, then standing for the national anthems.

The rest of us might take the scene for granted, given how often it happens. But players don’t, especially when it’s their first time.

“It’s kind of cliché to say you can get goose bumps and stuff, but honestly, like that’s what I felt like,” Westfield said.

“It’s so different from your club — it’s way more than that, it’s bigger than that, it’s your whole nation,” Pierre said. “To have that pride and also that responsibility, the weight of the country on your shoulders. … It was just an amazing feeling.”

Sullivan thought of his parents, who were in the stands watching another milestone for a three-generation soccer family.

“The national anthem means a lot to me, and I take pride in singing it and also having goose bumps,” he said. “I was representing my family that day, but also my entire nation. To be able to do that is pretty special.”

Their first shot at the U.S.’ best rivalry

As they spoke, they awaited the marquee moment of this stretch: Saturday’s showdown with Mexico at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. (10 p.m., TNT, Telemundo 62). It will be the teams’ first meeting since the Gold Cup final 15 months ago, and so much has happened since then that the rivalry has fallen off the marquee.

This game will bring it roaring back, with a near-capacity crowd expected at the 63,400-seat home of the NFL’s Cardinals.

“We all grew up watching USA-Mexico,” Sullivan said, “from when …”

He paused for a moment, looked across the table, and said, “I’ve got to be careful.”

The veterans on hand laughed, and excused him — though with a brief pause for a history lesson. This reporter’s first U.S.-Mexico epic was the inaugural “Dos a Cero” triumph 25 years ago. A U.S. Soccer staffer in the next chair had been around even longer.

Then it was back to the present, and Sullivan’s first chance to make his mark.

“It’s USA-Mexico, and it’s the biggest game of our lives,” Sullivan said. “So we’re trying to take it day by day, but we are excited.”

Pierre relayed the excitement across the U.S. camp: “Coming from the U.S. staff and everyone, we know this is a big game. … We used to watch these games, and now to be there, it’s just an amazing feeling.”

Westfield affirmed that they’re all up for it.

“I won’t lie, we’ve been talking about it for a while now, before we even left for this,” he said. “Guys may fold up in moments like this where it’s bigger occasions, a bigger team in terms of Mexico, but these are moments you live for. These are the games you play for, and these are the games you live for, and we’re looking forward to going out there.”

Nor do these guys take for granted doing it as Philadelphia Union players specifically. They know they are part of a lineage, and that Auston Trusty is as proud to be with them on this roster as Alejandro Bedoya is to watch from back home.

“They say keep doing what you’re doing, trust in the process,” Pierre said.

“The proof is in the pudding, right?” Sullivan added. “The message from the Union and from those national team guys is just be yourself, and do what got you here when you make it to camp. And I think Neil, Frankie and I are trying to do just that.”

Westfield knew the names in that lineage just as well, from Bedoya’s era to more recent ones like Brenden Aaronson and Nathan Harriel.

“Seeing them grow and also represent the national team only gives younger guys like us confidence, knowing that we can go out there and do that as well,” he said.

They appreciate the welcome they’ve gotten from the rest of this U.S. team’s veterans, which is not to be taken for granted. The culture certainly isn’t like that on the club side of the world’s game, and it often isn’t with other national teams, either.

“I feel like all these guys accepted us into our family,” Pierre said. “We had a team dinner and we all talked about it: even though this is the first time, it’s like we’re a whole family already. We laugh, sit, you can talk to anyone, it’s no stress. I think it’s a very good bond that we’ve had.”

There are still reminders of how young the trio are, and that each step is to be taken one at a time. But it’s a milestone on its own that they have made it this far, and they clearly won’t forget it.

“We used to call these guys by their last names: [Gio] Reyna, [Sergiño] Dest,” Sullivan said. “Now we know them on a first-name basis. Every moment is sort of like a pinch-me moment, and we’re having fun.”

The U.S. men’s soccer team made it two wins in two games to start this season’s stretch of friendlies, beating Chile 4-2 on Tuesday in St. Louis.

Union defenders Neil Pierre and Frankie Westfield were in the U.S. starting lineup, earning their first national team starts after making their debuts as substitutes in Saturday’s win over Peru.

Both played just over an hour, and while they weren’t perfect they showed their potential. Pierre had 74 touches, four clearances, one tackle, and four defensive recoveries, and completed 60 of 68 passes. Westfield had 46 touches, two interceptions, one tackle, and three recoveries, and completed 27 of 34 passes.

As with the Peru game, U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino mixed young and old players. But with 10 changes to the starting lineup, it wasn’t surprising that there was a lack of chemistry early.

Chile looked better, forcing U.S. goalkeeper Chris Brady into four saves before Ben Brereton Díaz hit the crossbar in the 34th minute. Barely a minute later, Darío Osorio hit a post.

The U.S. scored first, though, in the 37th. After Gio Reyna and Sergiño Dest combined down the left, Dest uncorked some fancy footwork on a charge forward, then squared for Julian Hall. But the striker deftly let the ball run between his legs, and an onrushing Sebastian Berhalter slammed it home.

Chile equalized in first-half stoppage time off a second straight corner kick that the U.S. failed to clear. Nearly a dozen players combined from the teams piled into each other in the six-yard box, and Diego Ulloa got the decisive touch.

The teams agreed to use nine substitutes each. Pochettino made his first at halftime, removing Brady and sending in Brian Schwake of MLS-leading Nashville SC.

That ensured each of the four goalkeepers on this U.S. roster would have a half of action under their belts heading into Saturday’s showdown with rival Mexico in Glendale, Ariz. (10 p.m., TNT, Telemundo 62).

Schwake got a rough welcome. Within four minutes, Maxi Gutiérrez beat a high-pressing Westfield on the flank, then raced away, cut in, and curled a superb 20-yarder around Pierre.

The U.S. answered just over two minutes later. After a nice passing sequence, Reyna lofted a header from the left flank and Hall jumped to head it in.

Pochettino made five changes at the hour mark, and all the entrants were veterans: Tyler Adams for Adri Mehmeti, Alex Freeman for Westfield, Chris Richards for Pierre, Auston Trusty for Miles Robinson, and Malik Tillman for Dest.

Two more swaps came in the 71st: Damion Downs for Hall and Mathis Albert replaced Reyna.

But for all the attacking moves, a centerback gave the U.S. the lead. Richards was unmarked when Berhalter’s corner arrived in the box, and had a wide-open lane for a thumping header.

The last substitute was Cavan Sullivan for Berhalter in the 83rd, earning the Northeast Philadelphian native his second cap a day after celebrating his 17th birthday.

Albert, another 17-year-old, finished off the scoring in the 93rd by getting on the end of a free kick play. Robinson served it, Trusty headed it from the end line into the middle of the box, and the Borussia Dortmund winger charged forward to slam it off the bar and in.

Mathis Albert slams the door shut 🇺🇸✅

@usmnt.ussoccer.com

[image or embed]

— Soccerwise (@soccerwisehq.bsky.social) September 29, 2026 at 10:13 PM

Chile took out its anger over the night after that when Leandro Hernández kicked at Schwake after he had picked up the ball. Richards took exception, and within seconds there was a full-scale melee including the benches — even the coaches. Pochettino ended up right in the middle of it.

ORLANDO — Everyone knew who the man of the hour was Saturday night, especially the two guys who know him best.

And if it wasn’t enough that Frankie Westfield and Neil Pierre are Cavan Sullivan’s Union teammates, they walked right by him in the postgame interview area as a pack of reporters stood by the 16-year-old.

Of course Sullivan was the big story, having started and played well in his senior U.S. men’s soccer team debut. (And for the record, he might not be a 16-year-old anymore by the time you read this. His 17th birthday is Monday.)

He wasn’t the only story, though. Westfield and Pierre also made their debuts, part of a total of 11 players who earned their first caps in the 4-1 win over Peru. Both entered as late-game substitutes.

They all deserve a share of the spotlight, and U.S. Soccer made sure they got them. Each received a commemorative game ball in the locker room.

“This is a moment we’ve both been working for, for our whole lives,” said Westfield, a 20-year-old right back from Morrell Park in Northeast Philadelphia. “Truly an honor and a blessing to go out there and support the team, and help the team in any way possible. And I’m very thankful that we got the win today — just made it even better.”

Pierre, an 18-year-old centerback from Blue Bell and originally Harrisburg, was equally thrilled.

“You dream of this as a kid,” he said. “Coming out to the field and then also finishing the game off and winning it, obviously it was a great feeling, and a great moment for us and the team.”

Pierre said he had some family in the stands. Westfield didn’t have any, but they are expected at later games in this window.

The duo didn’t get to play with Sullivan in the game, since he exited just after the hour mark and they entered later: Westfield in the 77th minute and Pierre in the 88th. But they enjoyed what they saw from the bench.

“I was happy for him to be able to start and make a great performance, and [he was] just living it up in the moment and enjoying it,” Pierre said.

While the players spoke, the Union were in the midst of their 4-2 win over Orlando City back at Subaru Park — up 2-0 right then, late in the first half. MLS played a round of league games during the FIFA window because of the summer World Cup break, going back to an old bad habit. This could be the last time, with the big calendar flip coming next year.

“We were checking” in the locker room, Westfield said. “Five starters [missing], the whole right side being gone, that says a lot about the fight in the team, and the hunger. … Hopefully they can hold [the lead], and I know they will hold it.”

As the U.S. team headed off into the night, bound for a flight back to the national training center, his hunch was proven true.

ORLANDO — There were hints in the last few days that Mauricio Pochettino might choose to make Cavan Sullivan’s national team debut be a start against Peru, and they proved correct.

When the word went out Saturday afternoon, there was plenty of excitement in the stadium and on social media. But when Sullivan was subbed out after just over an hour, he hadn’t made a highlight-reel play.

Instead, he gave a performance that, had it been done by a veteran, would have been called perfectly solid.

This should be seen as great news.

Sure, there weren’t any of the flashy moments that Sullivan has delivered for the Union in recent weeks. In fact, on a few occasions in the first half, he chose to make quieter plays when he could have gone big.

But for a 16-year-old to make those choices in his first senior national team game, with the nerves that surely were there on top of all the pressure he already faces?

That made Sullivan worthy of the praise Pochettino lavished on him afterward.

“I am so happy with his performance,” he said. “I feel really proud. Sixteen years old, and performing, and fighting, and playing with personality, with character.”

Leading up to the game, Pochettino seemed intent on not singling out Sullivan or any of the other new young players on this U.S. roster until they had played a game. Now they had, with 11 of the 12 newcomers getting on the field, so Pochettino could let it out.

“Of course, he’s a kid that absorbs a lot of pressure from the environment,” he said. “But I think now he’s with people, like he’s with people in his club, [so] that we are going to do everything to protect, and to help, and to support him to keep him evolving. And there’s no doubt that he’s very smart. He’s so great, and he only needs time — like Mathis Albert, like Zavier Gozo.”

From there, Pochettino reeled off the names of almost every other newcomer on the squad, drawing laughter from the room. But he knows Sullivan is different because he’s younger than the rest; in fact now the second-youngest starter in team history.

That’s why the manager spoke of “feeling a sense of responsibility, trying to guide him with discipline and professionalism, showing him the way, because at 16 he’s still a kid who needs to mature. There are many things — just like us, too, with 50 years — to keep learning, because it’s a constant learning process.”

It’s 54 in Pochettino’s case, to be precise. But he could apply the night’s biggest point to players of every age, from his era to Sullivan’s now.

“The language of football is, good players connect quick,” he said. “They don’t need too much time together.”

Sullivan showed his fluency right out of the gate.

‘It’s pretty surreal’

After the game, there were a few admissions that he is, in fact, new at this.

One was that he couldn’t figure out how to get his parents down the stands after the final whistle so he could greet them.

“I know now for next time that I can find a way to bring them down here,” Sullivan quipped.

Another was his admission that yes, he was as nervous before kickoff as anyone would expect.

“Of course there was nerves,” he said. “I was super excited. A little bit of both. Pregame was definitely nerve-wracking.”

Beyond that, the national media got to see that Auston Trusty was right when he recently told The Inquirer about Sullivan’s humility. Spend time with Sullivan in person and you see the human beyond the Instagram highlights.

“It’s crazy that I represented my country at the highest level with the men’s national team,” he said. “I’m really happy just to have done this. … The dream is a reality. It’s pretty surreal.”

He saw the chemistry, too.

“I just think, yeah, when you’re surrounded by players with such high quality, it makes it so much easier,” Sullivan said. “Like I said, I’m still learning. Chemistry’s a real thing, so, yeah, we’re taking it day-by-day, game-by-game.”

He kept his goals for the rest of this camp simple: “Learn more and more from the coaches, and from the other guys, and hopefully get my first goal.”

The games will get harder, especially facing regional rivals Mexico and Canada. But those goals seem achievable, perhaps even the last of them.

‘It shows maturity’

Other players saw it too, starting with the one who lined up behind him on the right flank.

“Knowing that he’s only 16, it shows maturity,” said right back Alex Freeman, who this year vaulted from Orlando City to Spain’s Villarreal to World Cup stardom before turning 22 in August. “Showing that he knows when to choose his moments, when to be flashy, when to take his chances and when to keep the ball. … He picked his moments to go one-v-one, he also cut in [at] moments to be able to combine.”

He called Sullivan “a complete winger,” and said “as a first impression, it was amazing to see.”

Gio Reyna also now counts as a veteran at age 23, having been to two World Cups. He started in the central attacking spot, with Sullivan out wide.

“My message to him today was pretty simple: just play, play with your instinct, be yourself, do what he’s been doing the last eight to 12 weeks in MLS that brought him here,” Reyna said. “Obviously, he’s got a load of talent. Looking forward to continuing to see him develop — he’s only 16, which is crazy. But yeah, he’s been great.”

Reyna admitted to being “surprised” to see in person that Sullivan is “a really, really hard worker … I didn’t think he was not going to work hard, but the work he’s shown has been great.”

It was not lost on anyone standing there that in normal-life terms, Reyna is still not far removed from the 2022 World Cup scandal that centered specifically on his work ethic. But maybe that made the words count a little more.

Not for nothing, Pochettino continued his praise of the veterans for how they’ve welcomed the newcomers into the program. He knew he’d get a lot of questions about players like Sullivan, goal-scorers Julian Hall and Justin Ellis, and others. But he insisted that the spotlight be shared.

“The headline is, the senior players deserve massive credit in the way that they treat, in the way that they guide, in the way that they support, in the way that they welcome, in the way that they create an environment very comfortable for them to feel like home,” Pochettino said. “I think it’s a massive value for us to have the senior players helping in this way.”

This was just one night, and the 2030 World Cup is a long way away. For a first impression, though, this sure was a memorable one.

ORLANDO — After a week of work in the lush surroundings of U.S. Soccer’s national training center, the fun now begins for the next era of its senior men’s team.

Saturday’s matchup with Peru (4:30 p.m., TNT, Telemundo 62) kicks off a four-game, 10-day road show stretching from Florida to Georgia, Missouri, Arizona, and Minnesota. It’s the first time FIFA has held a national team window this long outside of the summer, but it means Mauricio Pochettino and his coaching staff can get a proper look at the 12 newcomers on this 28-player squad.

It also means all 28 players have a shot at playing time, and yes, that includes Cavan Sullivan. Pochettino was peppered with questions about the Union’s 16-year-old phenom in his news conference Friday morning, as the national media continues to be drawn to Sullivan’s hype train.

Pochettino didn’t say much about Sullivan directly, or any of his other young prospects. But the manager did acknowledge that the Bridesburg native has made a good first impression.

“Well, if we only talk about his performance, he’s doing really well in MLS, in his club in Philadelphia,” Pochettino said in one of his answers. “Talking only about that, I think he’s ready. But the rest of the players, too, are ready.”

A few minutes later, he added: “I think he’s doing really well in Philadelphia, and that is why he is here. He’s mature enough on the field to be there and to compete.”

A step back from individuals brought a lot more perspective. It’s clear that Pochettino has embraced bringing in a new era of young players, as the U.S. program looks ahead to the 2028 Olympics and the 2030 World Cup.

“Of course you want to talk about the kids, and it’s amazing to have on board those players,” he said. “First of all, because they have talent — and they are showing their real talent, because they have an amazing capacity and quality. And then the energy was amazing. It’s very contagious, that energy.”

He also spoke of how well the newcomers have blended in with the veterans, including a dozen from this summer’s World Cup team.

“I think the mix between senior players and the young [players] has become very organic and natural now, after a few days,” Pochettino said. “It’s a group of players [where] you don’t feel that someone is called for the first time or someone has 100 caps. … Of course, the younger [players] show tremendous respect to the senior players — they are humble enough to listen. But also, the senior players, they are so good in the way that they treat the young kids, because they also show respect to them.”

There’s nothing new in soccer about teenage pros, but they are especially prevalent in the world’s game right now. The U.S. will likely encounter another marquee one next Saturday in Mexico’s Gilberto Mora. Others are dotted around Europe and South America: England’s Max Dowman, Brazil’s Estevão, Spain’s Lamine Yamal, and many more.

While American soccer has mostly gotten used to them by now, there’s still a novelty element, with Sullivan serving as a clear example.

But one thing these young American newcomers are experiencing? The initiation ritual of singing in front of the team.

We don’t yet know what song Sullivan chose, or Union teammates Neil Pierre and Frankie Westfield. Zavier Gozo of England’s Crystal Palace (and formerly Real Salt Lake) admitted earlier this week that he chose “Let Me Love You” by Mario, which was written three years before the outside back was born.

Chris Richards spoke on behalf of the veterans when he said, “there’s some people who are really good singers, and I’ll tell you Zavier did really well … and I’ll say there are some people who probably shouldn’t sing anymore.”

Pochettino was entertained. He also used it as one of many moments to learn about the players off the field.

“When they arrive, the first day on the training ground with us, in the hotel, and how they talk, how they move, how they are,” he said. “How quirky they are when they go in front of 60 or 70 people and start to sing like a pop star. You start to see their personality, their character.”

And while some American cultural references still go over Pochettino’s head two years into the job, one thing about his communication with the young players is universal.

“After talking with them, it’s like you feel younger,” he said. “It’s a long time that I didn’t feel this way, talking and working with a group of players. That is amazing for us, for the present and for the future.”

USMNT schedule

• Saturday: vs. Peru at Inter&Co. Stadium, Orlando, 4:30 p.m. (TNT, truTV, Telemundo 62, Universo, HBO Max, Peacock)
• Tuesday: vs. Chile at Energizer Park, St. Louis, 8 p.m. (TNT, truTV, Telemundo 62, Universo, HBO Max, Peacock)
• Saturday, Oct. 3: vs. Mexico at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz., 10 p.m. (TNT, Telemundo 62, Universo, HBO Max, Peacock)
• Tuesday, Oct. 6: vs. Canada at Allianz Field, St. Paul, Minn., 8 p.m. (TNT, truTV, Universo, HBO Max, Peacock)