Cavan Sullivan earns his first USMNT call-up, as do Union teammates Neil Pierre and Frankie Westfield

Union phenom Cavan Sullivan’s rapid rise in the soccer world reached a new milestone on Thursday, as the 16-year-old earned his first invitation to the senior U.S. men’s national team.

He is one of three Union players on the latest 28-man squad, along with defenders Neil Pierre and Frankie Westfield. They’re joined by three more with local roots: goalkeeper Matt Freese of Wayne, and centerbacks Auston Trusty of Media and George Campbell of Chester.

Sullivan is part of a three-generation soccer family with roots in Northeast Philadelphia’s Bridesburg neighborhood. He has seemed destined at times to get to this point. But his arrival this year came via a combination of his great talent and a professional work ethic.

Since the Union resumed their season after the World Cup, Sullivan has scored six goals and added five assists in 12 appearances. They include highlight-reel moments that seized headlines across the globe: a dazzling trap and run for a goal at Red Bull New York on Aug. 29, and a backheeled finish in a 5-0 rout at San Diego FC on Sunday.

“I think he deserves all the praise that he’s getting,” U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino said in a news conference Thursday morning. “Because he’s performing well, he’s playing well, he’s giving assists and scoring goals — and he’s 16.”

Sullivan’s work has helped the Union launch a stunning 10-game unbeaten run in league play. Led by interim manager Ryan Richter, who has known Sullivan for many years, the club has risen from a 1-10-4 record and last place at the World Cup break to 9-10-6, and seventh place in MLS’s Eastern Conference.

» READ MORE: Cavan Sullivan cemented his case for making the U.S. men’s national team in the Union’s rout of San Diego

Attention isn’t just coming from within MLS. They’re watching on Europe’s big stage, too, since Sullivan is due to join English superpower Manchester City at the end of 2027.

The deal was agreed upon when he turned pro with his hometown club at 14 years old in 2024. While neither club can discuss it publicly because of British labor laws, everyone knows the clock is ticking.

Right now, Sullivan is enjoying the present, kept grounded by coaches, teammates, and family. Chief among them is his oldest brother, Quinn Sullivan, a stalwart of the Union in his own right who earned his senior national team debut last year.

“We need to have a clear idea how to — I don’t want to use the word ‘help,’ but just to be with him and try to provide the best platform for him to evolve,” Pochettino said of wanting to get to know Sullivan. “Every day, we need to be the people that go there to push, and to evolve, and to sometimes put limits, sometimes to encourage to keep going [and] doing what he’s doing. It’s a good challenge for us, and I think it’s exciting to have him.”

» READ MORE: Cavan Sullivan has seized the headlines from even Lionel Messi in MLS

The plan to get Sullivan to begin his career in Chester, with the right mix of firmness and care, has worked perfectly so far. And it’s the latest endorsement of the Union’s youth academy, which has become a remarkable pipeline for U.S. national team talent.

Four of its alumni were on this year’s U.S. World Cup team, all with Philadelphia-area roots: Freese, Trusty, fellow centerback Mark McKenzie, and midfielder Brenden Aaronson. A year earlier, the Concacaf Gold Cup squad had six current or former Union players, and in 2024 the Olympic team had three.

Now a new era is arriving, and not just with Sullivan. He’s joined on this squad by two more of the Union’s leading youngsters: Pierre, an 18-year-old centerback, and Westfield, a 20-year-old outside back.

“You are happy for Philadelphia, no?” Pochettino said. “Plenty of players from Philadelphia.”

» READ MORE: Before Ryan Richter became the Union’s interim manager, he was a hooper from Bucks County with Iverson-like swag

Both players are major candidates for the 2028 Olympic squad, which is a big part of why they were invited. The Olympics is an under-23 age-group event, and this window is one of the only chances for candidates to get senior national team experience before they go into their own training regimen.

Pierre was born in Lebanon, Pa., and his family moved to Blue Bell so his older brother, Nelson, could join the Union’s academy as a kid. In time, Neil made his own impression and now is the club’s top centerback prospect since McKenzie and Trusty.

He’s impossible to miss on the field, standing 6-foot-7. He’s scored four goals since joining the Union’s first team this summer. But he also has proven he has the defensive chops to mix it up with veterans and a terrific passing game.

“When you compare him with a 30-year-old, or 26- or 28-year-old centerback that maybe is playing in another country, or maybe in MLS, I don’t see the difference [just] because one has more experience than other,” Pochettino said. “Both can make a mistake; both can be good. That is why, [with] this type of potential, when players like this guy are playing in MLS, how we can contribute in their career, to evolve and be better and better, is this guy being with us.”

» READ MORE: A look back at Neil Pierre's first big game for the Union this year

Westfield grew up at the other end of Northeast Philadelphia from the Sullivans, in Morrell Park. For a while, he might not have been the most famous athlete in his house, at least locally: his brother, Rocco, starred for the Father Judge boys’ basketball team that won the last two Catholic League championships.

Frankie made his pro debut the night before Rocco claimed the first of his titles. Now, he has made a name for himself.

“I think that it’s normal that it’s a different process now to build the roster,” Pochettino said. “With the idea of not only to perform today, but also to help these young kids to become more mature, more experienced — and because the one of the biggest objectives of the [U.S. Soccer] Federation is the Olympic Games in two years. And I think giving the opportunity to be involved in this senior team is a thing that is going to pay and to be very helpful in two years for these kids.”

The Union trio is part of a fleet of fascinating youngsters on this latest U.S. squad. Others include wingers Mathis Albert of Germany’s Borussia Dortmund, Cole Campbell of Germany’s Elversberg, and Zavier Gozo of England’s Crystal Palace; forward Julian Hall and midfielder Adri Mehmeti of Red Bull New York; and goalkeeper Diego Kochen, who grew up at Spanish giant Barcelona and is now with Denmark’s Lyngby.

» READ MORE: Mauricio Pochettino has been watching the Union’s young stars

Eleven of the 26 players on the squad are newcomers, with 13 returnees from the World Cup. Among the latter are Freese, Trusty, and perennial locker room leaders Chris Richards and Tyler Adams.

The Americans will take the field starting Monday at the national training center in suburban Atlanta, then head off on a cross-country journey with four games: Peru on Sept. 26 in Orlando, Chile on Sept. 29 in St. Louis, then rivals Mexico on Oct. 3 in Glendale, Ariz., and Canada on Oct. 6 in St. Paul, Minn.

Local products in bold

Goalkeepers (4): Chris Brady (Chicago Fire), Matt Freese (New York City FC), Diego Kochen (Lyngby, Denmark), Brian Schwake (Nashville SC)

Defenders (10): George Campbell (West Bromwich Albion, England), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands), Alex Freeman (Villarreal, Spain), Peyton Miller (New England Revolution), Neil Pierre (Union), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace, England), Antonee Robinson (Fulham, England), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Auston Trusty (Celtic, Scotland), Frankie Westfield (Union)

Midfielders (9): Tyler Adams (Bournemouth, England), Mathis Albert (Borussia Dortmund, Germany), Sebastian Berhalter (Middlesbrough, England), Zavier Gozo (Crystal Palace), Adri Mehmeti (Red Bull New York), Yunus Musah (AC Milan, Italy), Brooklyn Raines (New England Revolution), Gio Reyna (Strasbourg, France), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany)

Forwards (5): Cole Campbell (Elversberg, Germany); Justin Ellis (Orlando City), Julian Hall (Red Bull New York), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands), Cavan Sullivan (Union)

Saturday, Sept. 26: vs. Peru at Inter.co Stadium, Orlando, 4:30 p.m. (TNT, truTV, Telemundo 62, Universo, HBO Max, Peacock)

Tuesday, Sept. 29: vs. Chile at Energizer Park, St. Louis, 8 p.m. (TNT, truTV, Telemundo 62, Universo, HBO Max, Peacock)

Saturday, Oct. 3: vs. Mexico at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz., 10 p.m. (TNT, Telemundo 62, Universo, HBO Max, Peacock)

Tuesday, Oct. 6: vs. Canada at Allianz Field, St. Paul, Minn., 8 p.m. (TNT, truTV, Universo, HBO Max, Peacock)