Cavan Sullivan Makes Historic MLS Start At Age 15 For Philadelphia
Philadelphia Union midfielder Cavan Sullivan made his first MLS start at 15 years and 280 days old, becoming the second-youngest player in league history to start a match. Sullivan played 60 minutes in a 1-0 loss to Nashville SC on Saturday evening.
Sullivan trails only Freddy Adu, who started at 14 years and 334 days old, in MLS history. The homegrown midfielder who will transfer to Manchester City in 2027 completed three of his five passes before being substituted for Ben Bender with the match scoreless.
Nashville defeated Philadelphia 1-0 on a late Hany Mukhtar penalty conversion in stoppage time. Sullivan\'s first start came against a Nashville side carrying a 14-game unbeaten run across all competitions at GEODIS Park.
The teenager also experienced his first yellow card just after halftime. Sullivan broke one of Adu\'s records last year when he became the youngest-ever MLS debutant at 14 years and 293 days old.
Coach Praises Young Midfielder
Union head coach Bradley Carnell deployed Sullivan in a wingback position and praised his natural counterpressing ability. The coach emphasized the importance of managing expectations for the young player.
\"Cavan\'s a natural counterpresser of the ball, so he\'s busy. These experiences are good for him,\" Carnell said postgame.
The narrow loss dropped Philadelphia from first to third in the Eastern Conference standings. The Union now sit two points behind new leader FC Cincinnati in both the conference and Supporters\' Shield race.
Sullivan\'s next milestone could be recording his first MLS goal contribution. Philadelphia face New York Red Bulls in the US Open Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday before meeting them again in league play on July 12.
“On the other side, just calm everybody down,” Carnell said. “Because yeah, there’s a lot of hype around Cavan, and at times he gets muscled off the ball, which is totally natural. So he’s not quite where he needs to be from a physical standpoint, but he’s a very talented kid, and I think this was a good indicator of where Cavan is.
\"We just need to now progress him and make sure we\'re not putting him in any way under pressure,\" Carnell said. \"Cavan\'s performing right where he needs to be.\"