Arya News - The first U.S. match of a new World Cup cycle under Mauricio Pochettino also furnished a buzzy introduction Saturday for a thrilling prospect barely old enough to drive.
ORLANDO, Fla. — The first U.S. match of a new World Cup cycle under Mauricio Pochettino also furnished a buzzy introduction Saturday for a thrilling prospect barely old enough to drive.
Two days shy of his 17th birthday — and less than a year into his breakout pro season — Cavan Sullivan not only debuted in the 4-1 victory over Peru, but became the second youngest in program history to start his first match.
Landon Donovan wasn"t that young. Neither was Tim Howard , Christian Pulisic nor any of the other hot U.S. prospects in recent times.
Only Mike Slivinski, in 1991, was younger (by 45 days) when he made his only career appearance.
Sullivan is the youngest debutant since Freddy Adu , who, at 16 years and seven months, subbed into a friendly vs. Canada in 2006. Sullivan also became the fourth youngest to play for the senior team after Adu, Slivinski and Mark Jonas (1991).
The Philadelphia Union homegrown star, who will join Manchester City when he turns 18, started on the right wing and logged 62 good minutes in a friendly littered with substitutions.
Sullivan was among 11 Americans to debut Saturday. Defender Peyton Miller , 18, and forward Justin Ellis , 19, started. Entering in the second half were goalkeeper Diego Kochen , 20; defenders Frankie Westfield, 20, and Neil Pierre, 18; wingers Zavier Gozo , 19, and Mathis Albert , 17; midfielders Brooklyn Raines , 21, and Adri Mehmeti , 17; and forward Julian Hall , 18.
Orlando City"s Justin Ellis opened the scoring in his USMNT debut in his home stadium on Saturday.
(Mark Thorstenson/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
Ellis, an Orlando City player performing in his home stadium, opened the scoring shortly after kickoff with a terrific header off a set piece. Moments after entering, Mathis drew a questionable penalty kick, which World Cup veteran Malik Tillman converted in the 66th minute.
Hall padded the lead in the 72nd on an excellent assist from Sebastian Berhalter . The World Cup midfielder then capped the terrific afternoon with a 90th-minute stunner from well outside the box.
With 13 of 28 rostered players seeking their first caps — and with 11 substitutes permitted instead of the usual five for official matches — several newcomers were bound to debut in the first of four friendlies over 11 days.
Now was the time to test the newbies before the U.S. returns to consequential action in November at the CONCACAF Nations League. Pochettino seems likely to recall veterans such as Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie , Folarin Balogun and Tim Weah , among others.
Sullivan figured to play Saturday, the first U.S. action since the 4-1 loss to Belgium in the World Cup"s round of 16 in Seattle. But his inclusion in the starting lineup alongside six players from the summer"s World Cup came as a surprise. He performed with confidence and speed, vision and menace, but predictably lacked the refinement of a more seasoned figure.
In the fourth minute, Sullivan and Gio Reyna stood over a 35-yard free kick from the left side. Reyna drove it into the box to Ellis, who, from 11 yards, struck a no-look, glancing header that cleared goalkeeper Pedro Gallese and kissed in off the far post.
It"s been a rapid ascent for Ellis, a South Florida native who, after making just one Major League Soccer appearance last year, has recorded one goal and 10 assists in 19 appearances.
Eleven minutes after Ellis" goal, Peru equalized. Center back George Campbell, in his second appearance, gave away the ball deep in his end. The U.S. never reclaimed it. Yoshimar Yotún crossed to the back side, where Gianluca Lapadula slipped behind Miller and headed the ball back across the six-yard box and past goalkeeper Matt Freese .
The U.S. should have reclaimed the lead in the 20th minute, but after a nice buildup and Miller"s quality ballwork, Tillman, a two-goal World Cup scorer, one-timed an eight-yarder at Gallese.
In his pursuit of a potential rebound, Sullivan clipped the head of the grounded Gallese. Though he had been shoved on the play, the teenager received a yellow card for his hard charge and contact with a 2018 World Cup goalkeeper more than twice his age.
The U.S. spent much of the rest of the half in and around the Peruvian box but was imprecise in its interplay in tight space and saw two threats blocked by defenders.
Kochen, an FC Barcelona academy graduate now with Lyngby in Denmark , replaced Freese at halftime.
U.S. possessional dominance continued in the second half. The goals had to wait, however.
After Pochettino made five substitutions, Albert ( Borussia Dortmund ) accelerated on the left side. Jesús Pretell tried slowing him with his arms, then appeared to make some leg contact. All of it appeared to occur outside the box. Nonetheless, referee Steffon Dewar awarded the penalty kick. (Video replay was not in use.) Tillman posted his sixth international goal.
Later, Hall ( Red Bull New York ) used his right knee to deflect in Berhalter"s superb one-hop cross. Berhalter then struck from about 28 yards for his third international goal.
Peru is in the regrouping process after missing the past two World Cups and finishing next to last in the 2026 South American qualifiers.
Mano Menezes, who once coached his native Brazil , selected only two players under age 24 for a North American tour that also includes friendlies against Mexico in Harrison, New Jersey; Canada in Montreal; and Colombia in Miami.
His roster included two former Orlando City players (Yotún and Gallese) and one current member of that MLS side, midfielder Wilder Cartagena .
The U.S. will return to action Tuesday against Chile in St. Louis . Other tests will come against Mexico next Saturday in the Phoenix area and June 6 vs. Canada in St. Paul, Minnesota.
U.S. notes
World Cup center back Chris Richards was not in uniform for what team officials said was load management. He had missed the start of Friday"s training for an evaluation before joining the workout.
Cole Campbell , a 20-year-old German-based winger in his first camp, was scratched for the same reason.
The delegation will resume workouts at the national training center outside Atlanta before flying to St. Louis on Monday afternoon.