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U.S. men's national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino made the daring decision to call up 13 uncapped players—including eight teenagers—to his squad this autumn, and he left Orlando's Inter.co Stadium on Saturday evening confident that he had made the right call.
The youngest—and most thrilling—of the first-timers against Peru was undoubtedly 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan, just one day shy of his 17th birthday. The teenage winger earned a starting spot from Pochettino and instantly impressed along the right flank, much as he has throughout the summer in Major League Soccer with his homegrown club, the Philadelphia Union.
"I'm so happy with his performance, I feel really proud," said Pochettino, who was especially impressed by Sullivan's combative spirit, which led to an early yellow card. "At 16 years old, performing, fighting and playing with personality. With character."
Sullivan's aggressive attacking play reflected the South American flair the Argentine coach has been working to embed in his team since taking charge of the program in 2024, a style that showed itself well at the World Cup this summer.
Despite later admitting to feeling "nerves," Sullivan projected pure confidence, willing to take on defenders in one-on-one situations and attempt difficult passes into the final third. Though he neither scored nor assisted during his 62-minute outing—an unusual outcome for him lately—he nonetheless cemented his status as a cornerstone of the Stars and Stripes' future.
Sullivan was far from alone. All the young Americans helped the USMNT secure a commanding 4–1 victory in the friendly. Eleven players made their international debuts, three of whom were in the starting eleven. The newcomers had a hand in all four goals.
"I need to say that all were fantastic and all have different personalities. We are so, so happy," Pochettino said after the match. "After one week [of training] ... we are so excited now to continue building that journey in the next few games and few weeks."
He added: "Today, they showed with time, and being smart with how we manage, they can be important for our national team."
Pochettino Heaps Praise on Others
19-year-old debutant Justin Ellis broke the deadlock for the Americans just four minutes in. The Orlando City star's no-look backward header clipped the far post and sent his home stadium into a frenzy.
"This is stuff you dream about since, I don't know, before you can even remember," Ellis said after the game, shaking his head in disbelief. "I've probably been dreaming about this day probably 500 to a 1,000 times in my life, and it came true." He was subsequently named Player of the Match.
Peru leveled ten minutes later, but thanks to 17-year-old Mathis Albert, the USMNT retook the lead in the 66th minute. The Borussia Dortmund star, who had come on just five minutes earlier, made a bold run into Peru's penalty area with the ball. Brought down by a Peruvian defender, Albert won his side a penalty, which veteran Malik Tillman stepped up to convert.
"First action on the pitch? Bang, aggressive. Receive and go," Pochettino said of Albert. "He's young? Yes. Need to improve? Yes. Need experience? Yes. Need everything? Yes of course. But he goes 'I want to go, I want to play, I want to show.' That's what we need and that's why I'm so happy."
"And it's up to us to keep pushing them to keep growing," he added.
Next it was 18-year-old Julian Hall's moment to shine. The New York Red Bulls forward headed the ball into the net with his knee from a lofted cross by Sebastian Berhalter into the box, before turning provider and setting up Berhalter for a thunderous strike in the 90th minute. Hall and 25-year-old Berhalter looked as though they had been playing alongside each other for years.
"The language of football is, good players connect quick," Pochettino said. "They don't need too much time together.
"It's because they have massive quality. They have massive talent. That is why they connect. They don't need time."
The first international goal for Julian Hall on a sensational ball from Sebastian Berhalter! #USMNT x @VW pic.twitter.com/AENNdDz2Rs
18-year-old fullback Peyton Miller joined Ellis and Sullivan in the starting lineup. 20-year-old goalkeeper Diego Kochen, 19-year-old midfielder Zavier Gozo, 20-year-old fullback Frankie Westfield, 21-year-old midfielder Brooklyn Raines, 19-year-old center back Neil Pierre and 17-year-old midfielder Adri Mehmeti also made their debuts.
It wasn't solely the ability of the many young players that made for such a smooth transition despite the sweeping roster changes. The veterans' welcoming attitude and the care they showed in helping the newcomers settle into international football also played a significant role.
"All the senior players were fantastic in the way that they welcomed, and the way that they supported, the way that they guided the new players in the last few days," Pochettino said.
Why wouldn't they be? This is the next "golden generation."