(First written August 10, 2026, X)

With the recent World Cup firmly behind us in the rear-view mirror, it is time for the men's national team in the United States of America to continue their journey towards national success. Pochettino has just signed a new contract until 2030 and that leaves us as fans wondering what direction the team will in fact take moving forward. Who will Poch keep the faith in, will he make wholesale changes and what players if any will etch themselves in US soccer history for the good of the nation. As fans we can speculate and guess but of all the online chatter one name keeps on coming up and that name is Cavan Sullivan.

Cavan seems to be an incredibly rare case of raw talent. He was able to make his full MLS debut at just 14 years of age, which is incredible in itself, but he may well be one of the main stars at the next World Cup if he remains on this trajectory. Cavan plays in the MLS for Philadelphia Union and is listed simply as a midfielder. He tends to play best on the right side of midfield which is where he has had most of his games for the Union. Cavan possesses an intensity about his play, but he also understands the importance of sometimes slowing down the play to look for better options rather than rushing and making a mistake. His reading of the game and his positional sense for a young player is unrivaled. He has a great work-rate and is not afraid to win the ball back for the team, he has explosive power and an eye for a pass and what we have seen so far, although just a couple of times, is that he knows how to find the net.

Even though Cavan is young he already has a pathway to the English Premier League through a pre-contract agreement with one of the biggest clubs in England, Manchester City. He will move to Manchester at the age of 18, so will still have roughly two years of development left in the MLS. Cavan has already been compared to the likes of Pulisic and honestly for a young lad such as him that is quite an honor, after all as a nation we were pinning our hopes on Pulisic before a ball was even kicked at the World Cup. The thing is though, as much of a compliment as that is, I find the comparison a little unfair- the players are just too different.

When you watch videos of a young Pulisic he was the kind of player that would play close to defenders and use close control to glide past players, that was his strength and he did it well and still does. Pulisic wherever he has played has always created chances and been a viable goal scoring threat, but where he lacks is the defensive side of his game. Cavan has the ability in his game to drop a little deeper and help the team defend, he can win it back and create the counterattack and where he really differs from Pulisic is his first instinct is to pass and move, he will take two defenders with him and still sometimes find more space. He passes people but only when it is on. I also believe that he reads the game better than Pulisic in his positioning, always looking for the best option in the middle of the field. This is not to say he is better than Pulisic, but the potential is certainly there.

So, where does he go from here. The problem with players as good as him is that he will frustrate opposition defenders and frustrated defenders no matter how professional will foul him, he is just that type of player and in fact we are already seeing glimpses of that. It is now for the coaches to toughen him up in his play and prepare him for the physical side of the game. He needs teammates around him that understand the type of player he is and players that as a team protect him. Cavan reminds me of another player that plays for Manchester City and that is Jack Grealish- same type of player and in his younger days, players had no idea how to play against him so they just lashed out- Cavan may face the same.

The young man will also need good advisers at this young and very fragile stage of his career, every single decision on and off the field should be under scrutiny so that optimal decisions for this bright young man's future can be made. As fans of the national side we can often get carried away when we have such an exciting young prospect breaking through but we have to understand that we need Cavan to remain grounded and maybe with the right focus he can become the next US great and not just another flash in the pan.