02/27/26 10:57:00
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02/27 10:56 CST 16-year-old MLS prodigy Cavan Sullivan becomes youngest
American to score in CONCACAF Champions Cup
16-year-old MLS prodigy Cavan Sullivan becomes youngest American to score in
CONCACAF Champions Cup
By DAN GELSTON
AP Sports Writer
PHILADELPHIA (AP) --- 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."
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AP MLS: https://apnews.com/hub/major-league-soccer
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