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To shape the future, one must first rewrite the past.
It's something teenage sensation Cavan Sullivan has become remarkably adept at, and there's little question he represents the future of the U.S. men's national team.
At 17 years and five days old, Sullivan etched his name in history as the youngest goal-scorer ever for the USMNT, finding the net on Saturday evening against Mexico. He picked off a pass from El Tri goalkeeper Raúl Rangel, then cheekily chipped the ball over his head and into the goal. The 62nd-minute strike pushed the USMNT to a 2–0 advantage over its Concacaf arch rival, before Malik Tillman rounded out the scoring with a third.
Sullivan surpassed the record set just days earlier by teammate Mathis Albert, who had scored in Tuesday's friendly against Chile at just 17 years and 131 days old.
"These are the moments you dream about from the time you're three, four, five, six years old," Sullivan told TNT Sports following the win. "I've been envisioning this moment not just in the past few hours when I found out I was starting, but my entire life.
"So this is an incredible moment for my family and for me. What an honor — I'm just truly grateful the coaches believed in me and gave me this chance."
Records on Records on Records
Sullivan has never operated by anyone else's standards. Just two days before his 17th birthday, he became the youngest player to make his USMNT debut in over two decades, earning a starting spot in the friendly against Peru.
He has also carved out his share of milestones at the domestic level in Major League Soccer. At just 14 years and 293 days old, the Philadelphia Union homegrown product became the youngest player to ever appear in the league — or any major professional league in North America. He shattered the 20-year-old record held by American prodigy Freddy Adu, who had debuted at 14 years and 306 days old back in 2004.
Sullivan has enjoyed a breakout season with the Union, which ultimately led to his USMNT call-up this fall. Over the last eight MLS matches alone, he has tallied six goals and eight assists, helping propel Philadelphia to a club-record 12-game unbeaten run. For his outstanding performances, he claimed MLS Player of the Month for September, edging out the likes of Lionel Messi and becoming the youngest recipient of the award in league history. In just four September appearances, he racked up an impressive nine goal contributions (four goals, five assists).
Earlier this month, he also eclipsed Adu's record for the most goal contributions by a player aged 16 or younger in a single season (10), registering his 11th in a Sept. 13 clash against San Diego FC.
The best is undoubtedly still ahead for Sullivan, who will surely continue to inscribe his name throughout the history books.