USMNT vs Peru Sat 4:30 pm on TNT & HBO Max
So Poch is bringing in the youngsters for this 3 week international break – which should give them lots of time to adjust. Excited of course to see whiz kid Cavan Sullivan along with hopefully new GK Diego Kochen. (hopefully he gets a start)
Included on the roster includes newcomers Cavan Sullivan, Zavier Gozo, Julian Hall, Mathias Albert, Neil Pierre, Frankie Westfield, Justin Ellis, Brooklyn Raines, Cole Campbell, Adri Mehmeti, George Campbell, Peyton Miller, and Brian Schwake. GK Diego Kochen also makes the roster. In total, there are 13 uncapped players on the roster, and the average age of that group is 19 years and 6 months. Several of the players were on recent youth national teams as well. Pochettino is giving a chance to the next generation of players to become integrated with the system in an effort to get a good first impression as the new World Cup cycle begins.
Midfielder Yunus Musah returns to the national team after a nice start to the season for AC Milan. Left off the roster are some mainstays who were excluded for various reasons, including winger Christian Pulisic. Pulisic has struggled in the early part of the season with AC Milan, but it is unclear whether Pochettino opted to look at some new guys over bringing in some of the guys who featured during the World Cup. Midfielder Weston McKennie and striker Folarin Balogun were also omitted from the roster.
US – 28-man roster: https://www.facebook.com/CBSSportsGolazoAmerica/videos/breaking-down-the-usmnts-new-era/1074179148547555/?mibextid=wwXIfr&rdid=5yS9lEevnNsth5YT
GOALKEEPERS (4): Chris Brady (Chicago Fire), Matt Freese (New York City FC), Diego Kochen (Lyngby Boldklub), Brian Schwake (Nashville SC)
DEFENDERS (10): George Campbell (West Bromwich Albion FC), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven), Alex Freeman (Villarreal), Peyton Miller (New England Revolution), Neil Pierre (Philadelphia Union), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Auston Trusty (Celtic), Frankie Westfield (Philadelphia Union)
MIDFIELDERS (9): Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth), Mathis Albert (Borussia Dortmund), Sebastian Berhalter (Middlesbrough), Zavier Gozo (Crystal Palace), Adri Mehmeti (Red Bull New York), Yunus Musah (AC Milan), Brooklyn Raines (New England Revolution), Gio Reyna (RC Strasbourg Alsace), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen)
FORWARDS (5): Cole Campbell (SV Elversberg); Justin Ellis (Orlando City SC), Julian Hall (Red Bull New York), Cavan Sullivan (Philadelphia Union), Damion Downs
Indy 11 lose return this Sat 7 pm vs Miami FC for Honoring Hero’s Night
Indianapolis – The Indy Eleven offense generated 17 shots (13 inside the box, seven shots on target), seven corners won, 17 fouls won, and 1.73 Expected Goals, but Oakland Roots SC goalkeeper Kendall McIntosh made five saves to lead his team to a 1-0 win at Carroll Stadium. It is the first loss for the Boys in Blue this month and just the second since August 1. The three-game Boys in Blue homestand concludes with “Honoring our Heroes Night” recognizing First Responders & Military Saturday at 7 p.m. at The Mike presented by F.A. Wilhelm Construction. Wilhelm will be providing free Military Dog Tags to the first 250 fans. Wilhelm will also have its Pump and Vac trucks, and IMPD and Heartland Ambulance will be bringing vehicles to the Fun Zone. Fans can purchase two tickets online for $25 with a portion going to the American Legion Veterans & Children Foundation. Ticket options include the new Desnuda Tequila Deck, Family Four-Packs, and Flex Mini-Plans.
Congrats to Carmel High GK Gwyneth Provost who’s off to training with the US U16 Girls National Team. Meanwhile Hamilton SE holds on to the #1 in the Nation spot after a close home win over Carmel High. Homestead of Ft Wayne comes in at #9 nationally at 9-0-0 replacing Carmel in the Top 10.
Ben’s BBQ Shack near Grand Park has the Best Dang Brisket you can buy in Indiana
TV Schedule
Fri, Sept 25
2:45 pm Fox Sport2 Italy vs Belgium
8 pm Amazon Prime Racing Louisville vs San Diego Wave (NWSL)
Sat, Sept 26
9 am FS2 Scotland vs Slovenia
12:30 pm CBS KC Current vs Denver Summit (Heaps)
2:45 pm FS2 England vs Spain
4 pm Univision Mexico vs Colombia
4:30 pm TNT/HBO USMNT vs Peru Orlando
6:30 pm Ion. HBO Max Washington Spirit (Rodman) vs Angel City (Thompson)
7 pm TV23 Indy 11 vs Miami FC
7:30 pm Apple TV Charlotte vs Chicago Fire MLS
8:45 pm Ion TV Portland Thorns vs Houston Dash NWSL
10:30 pm Apple TV LA Galaxy vs Colorado Rapids
Sun, Sept 27
9 am FS2 Lithuania vs Azerbarjan
12 pm FS2 Serbia vs Netherlands
2:45 pm FS2 Norway (Holland) vs Portugal
5 pm ESPN Bay FC vs Orlando Pride NWSL
7 pm FS2 Haiti vs Costa Rica
7 pm Apple Columbus Crew vs Inter Miami
Mon, Sept 28
12 pm FS2 Armenia vs Montengro
2 pm FS2 Belgium vs France
8 pm FS2 Jamaica cs Honduras Nations League
10 pm FS2 Guatamala vs El Salvador
Tues, Sept 29
12 noon FS2 Finland vs Belarus
2:45 pm FS1 Czech Republic vs England
8 pm TNT/HBO/Tele USMNT vs Chile St Louis
Sat, Oct 3
8 pm TNT/HBO USMNT vs Mexico Glendale
Tues, Oct 6
8 pm TNT/HBO USMNT vs Canada Minn
Sat, Oct 10
8 pm TNT. HBO USWNT vs Spain DC
Tues, Oct 13
7 pm TNT, HBO USWNT vs Spain Philly
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USMNT & USWNT
Carlisle: Sullivan, USMNT’s gifted next generation has arrived
Is Cavan Sullivan the next Michael Olise? Comps for USMNT’s top young stars
How good is Cavan Sullivan? First USMNT call-up set to springboard Philadelphia Union teen’s superstar career
USMNT’s striker shortage puts Damion Downs and more in the spotlight
Chris Richards and Zavier Gozo’s connection shows at USMNT camp
Adams: USMNT camp will help prospects develop for next World Cup
Berhalter, Reyna take on veteran roles for young USMNT squad
Downs replaces injured Ricardo Pepi for next four USMNT friendlies
Christian Pulisic starts, gets first Milan goal of 2026 in win
Ex-U.S. youth defender Banks chooses Germany over USMNT
Is a lack of young talent putting the USWNT’s world dominance at risk?
Reyna legacy grows with Carolina named to U.S. U17 WWC roster
Reffing
Columbus Crew 2 fires head coach Federico Higuaín after incident with female referee
Columbus Crew Takes Strict Action Against Coach Accused of Misconduct After Controversial MLS Statement
Why are footballers allowed to wear such small shin pads?
MLS & NWSL
Lionel Messi’s 100th career Inter Miami goal fuels Campeones Cup win over Cruz Azul
postgame dust-up between Messi and MLS commish Don Garber
Lionel Messi called up by Argentina for farewell match on Oct. 6 in Buenos Aires
Messi’s 100th Goal
Messi heads Inter Miami to Campeones Cup triumph
NWSL player Savannah DeMelo sues team doctor regarding her on-field cardiac arrest
Barbra Banda’s million-dollar deal shows NWSL’s growth
Can ex-USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski save the NWSL’s last-place Chicago Stars?
Barbara Banda Gets A Bag
‘Ted Lasso’ tackles women’s soccer’s worst nightmare: Knee injuries
World Wide
Klopp all smiles after Germany debut, Haaland keeps scoring in Nations League
Arsenal’s Kai Havertz to be assessed after going off injured for Germany
Xavi: Netherlands ‘better’ than Klopp’s Germany
Zidane feeling ‘immense emotion’ ahead of debut as France coach
Could Arsenal match the Invincibles?
GK
US Americans Abroad: Pulisic scores, Balogun returns, and Cardoso gets a huge win — highlighting a trio of players not in the September/October international squad.
Christian Pulisic opened his 2026 AC Milan account with a spectacular goal in a 3-0 win over Lecce. Taking a high ball over the top down with a perfect first touch, he bounced it past the onrushing goalkeeper to give Milan the lead. After returning last week with an assist, Pulisic is starting to look healthier and more confident, which is encouraging for both Milan and the USMNT (for the next window).
Folarin Balogun made his long-awaited return for Monaco, coming off the bench for 14 minutes in a 2-1 win over Lens. After the injury issues and chaotic deadline-day transfer saga, simply getting back on the field is an important step as he works his way back into the Monaco rotation.
Jack McGlynn continues to put together an impressive run in the Championship. He scored another banger, this time an 78th-minute equalizer against Sheffield United, helping spark Stoke’s comeback from 1-0 down to a 2-1 win.
Max Arfsten also had a breakthrough moment for Middlesbrough, scoring his first goal for the club in a 2-2 draw with Birmingham. He added four dribbles, the most of anyone in the match, while Aidan Morris also had a strong performance in midfield and Sebastian Berhalter made an appearance off the bench. Arfsten has mostly been a substitute so far, so this is exactly the type of attacking performance that can help him push his way back into the USMNT picture.
Johnny Cardoso played all 90 minutes as Atletico Madrid defeated Real Madrid 2-1 in the Madrid derby. That’s a big 90 minutes for Cardoso, especially getting a full match and a win over one of the dominant teams in Europe.
Other Americans Abroad:
• Tim Weah was sent off with two yellow cards as Marseille lost 2-1 to PSG.
• Ricardo Pepi was forced off with an injury in PSV’s 3-2 loss to FC Twente and subsequently withdrew from USMNT camp.
• Brenden Aaronson and Chris Richards played to a scoreless draw as Leeds and Crystal Palace met.
• Weston McKennie helped Juventus to a 2-0 win over Atalanta.
• Alex Freeman had a strong performance at right-back in Villarreal’s 3-1 win over Levante. Great to see him get a full 90 under his belt.
• Auston Trusty and Cameron Carter-Vickers started Celtic’s 1-0 loss to Rangers, their third straight defeat.
• George Campbell started as West Brom fell 1-0 to Wolves.
• Tyler Adams made headlines for a big challenge on Liverpool’s Milos Kerkez, but Bournemouth fell 1-0 to Liverpool.
• Cole Campbell led Elversberg with seven completed dribbles in a 0-0 draw with Schalke.
• Diego Kochen had a difficult outing as Lyngby lost 4-0 to Silkeborg after going down to 10 men.
• Joe Scally played 76 minutes in Borussia Mönchengladbach’s 4-3 loss to Mainz.
• Gio Reyna played 67 minutes in Strasbourg’s 1-0 loss to Paris FC, making little impact on proceedings.
• Mark McKenzie led the match in defensive contributions as Toulouse beat Le Havre 3-2.
• Tanner Tessmann played the final 11 minutes of Lyon’s 4-0 win over Rennes.
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USMNT’s next generation, Messi’s farewell, AFCON qualifying: International break preview
- Multiple contributors
Sep 23, 2026, 11:02 AM 184
After a whirlwind opening six weeks to the 2026-27 club season across Europe, we’re now settling in for a three-week international break in which countries will play up to four games each as they build toward the next phase of continental competitions, from the UEFA European Championships to the Africa Cup of Nations. (Oh, and there are things like Copa América and Gold Cup qualifying on the horizon depending on where you look.)
Lots of national teams will also be playing exhibition games with specific goals in mind, like bedding in new talents or refreshing tired squads. So, with lots to watch for around the world over the next 15 days, we take you around the things in particular to pay attention to before club soccer resumes on Oct. 9.
– Why do we have a three-week international break?
– Carlisle: Sullivan, USMNT’s gifted next generation has arrived
– Connelly: Hottest men’s soccer teams right now based on form
U.S., Mexico working on different things ahead of October meeting
Ahead of a rivalry clash in early October, Concacaf powerhouses Mexico and the United States are entering the international window with two distinct approaches.
For the U.S., under returning manager Mauricio Pochettino, it’s clear that one of the primary goals is to test out the next generation of talent. Of the 28 called up, a total of 13 could claim a national team debut in the upcoming friendlies and eight of those 13 are still teenagers, which includes 16-year-old phenom Cavan Sullivan. With the likes of key figures such as Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun and Weston McKennie, among others, being given a rest, Pochettino will seek to expand his player pool even further with a fall roster that doesn’t have a single player over the age of 30.
As for Mexico, new manager Rafael Marquez is taking a slightly different route. Although there are a handful of fresh faces like Chivas up-and-comers Santiago Sandoval and Hugo Camberos, El Tri‘s plan is focused more on bringing back a strong core of veterans, as opposed to testing out the next generation. That said, though the squad isn’t as youthful as that of the U.S., there is still a group of young call-ups who should have plenty of opportunities in a four-game window. Highlighted by Mexico’s own teenage rising star Gilberto Mora, Marquez’s roster has 11 players who are 23 and younger.
Either way, expect some fireworks when the rival nations face off on Oct. 3. Regularly battling for the top spot in the Concacaf region — Canada included, in recent years — both countries will seek to make their own mark in a new World Cup cycle.
Will the youth of the U.S. provide some hope for the future of the national team program? Or will the more tried-and-true names from Mexico help maintain the momentum that was seen in the World Cup this summer? — Cesar Hernandez
Messi’s international farewell
When Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international soccer at the end of August, the prevailing reaction in Argentina was one of gratitude. That then provided an emotional and an economic incentive for the local FA to organize a farewell game in which the iconic No.10 will get to say a proper goodbye.
It must be said that arranging this game was not an easy task. First they had to find opponents willing and available to travel to Argentina. Then, they had to dribble around the punishment handed out for the behaviour of both fans and players during the World Cup, which means Argentina’s first match, and possibly the second, of this break can only be played in front of half the stadium capacity.
This explains why Messi will don the shirt for the last time in the last of Argentina’s three FIFA date friendlies against Benin in Buenos Aires on Oct. 6, in River Plate’s ground, the largest stadium in South America.
Gomez: Messi always turns up in the biggest moments
There will not be a dry eye in the house, but there will be plenty of well-trained eyes on the previous two matches, staged in Cordoba, just over 400 miles to the north. Here, against Bolivia and Burkina Faso, the future starts for Argentina as they get to grips with the question of what to do without their generational star.
Messi’s injuries during the last set of World Cup qualifiers gave ample opportunity for Argentina to slot striker Julián Álvarez into his role, and arguably the best performance of the past four years, the 4-1 destruction of Brazil, came via this route. But there will be a huge temptation to hand the shirt to a specialist No.10 — specifically, the player who has been seen for the past couple of years as the Messi replacement, the hugely talented Como playmaker Nico Paz. Argentina took Paz to the World Cup, but could not slot him successfully in the same side as Messi, almost certainly because both players prefer the ball played to their feet.
Now, the great opportunity is coming. If Brazil struggled post-Pele and Argentina slumped after Diego Maradona, then Paz has the chance to prove that there is life after Lionel Messi. — Tim Vickery
England‘s goal: move on from World Cup heartache and prep for Euros challenge
England resume this week in the curious state of basking in their best World Cup finish for 60 years while still processing the missed opportunity of what might have been.
Thomas Tuchel’s mission was clear: get a second star on the shirt. England’s sole World Cup triumph of 1966 has proved impossible to live up to ever since and after Gareth Southgate took England to two finals, one semifinal and a quarterfinal from his four tournaments in charge, Tuchel was hired as the difference-maker. That reputation slipped somewhat in the manner of England’s World Cup semifinal defeat to Argentina this summer.
The 2-1 loss fell into an alarmingly familiar pattern for England in the biggest matches: take the lead, concede possession and territory, suffer fatigue and eventually fall short. Furthermore, Tuchel’s substitutions exacerbated the problem rather than countered it. He insisted at last week’s squad announcement that “99.9%” of fans he encounters do not talk about his changes in that fateful game and instead mention the highlights — the famous round-of-16 win in Mexico, the second-half demolition of Croatia, the nervous tension of their late comeback triumph against DR Congo — but in truth, Tuchel has something to prove.
Branthwaite ‘buzzing’ to be back with England
The England manager is keen to define those 30 minutes against Argentina as a blip and therefore this Nations League campaign is not a new beginning. More of the World Cup squad would have been selected this time had it not been for injury — Reece James, Dan Burn, Dean Henderson, John Stones and Djed Spence among them — but instead, there are nine new faces including two players many believe should have gone to the World Cup. Both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Cole Palmer return with a point to prove, but Tuchel insisted they are not “winners” from that collapse against Argentina.
Tuchel admits he is torn between a desire for greater control in matches and playing to England’s strengths as a risk-taking team in a Premier League mold. He now speaks of “embracing the chaos” exemplified by their last outing, a 6-4 win over France in Miami that earned them third place at the World Cup and a bronze medal, but would that have worked had France been fully tuned up? And will it work against the best?
The Nations League offers an immediate answer with world champions Spain first up at Wembley on Saturday. Tricky trips to Czechia and Croatia follow before a return Wembley date with Czechia closes out the calendar.
Tuchel and England need positive momentum to begin to leave that Argentina defeat behind as they focus on a new target: winning a home Euros in 2028. — James Olley
Germany, Netherlands, France showing off brand-new — and iconic — coaches as Nations League qualification begins
In a 29-second video message, Jurgen Klopp introduced himself to the nation that knows him so well as “the new one.”
To be fair, Germany’s been waiting for Klopp for more than a decade. After their round-of-32 exit at the World Cup, Klopp is seen as the savior of German football — the man who can steer them back to the heights they hit in 2014. No pressure, then.
Ogden: Klopp is the best man for the Germany job
Already, just two months into the job, there are clear indications that Klopp’s going to do this his way, from the backroom staff packed with familiar confidants (Peter Krawietz and Pep Lijnders both worked for him at Liverpool) to naming an extended 44-man squad, split across two groups for this block of four matches. And then there was his introductory news conference where he basically told the German press that if they dared trouble his family, he’d walk on the spot.
The next four years are going to be a German symphony composed and conducted by Klopp, and that journey begins on Thursday with a trip to face the Netherlands, where the Dutch are also under new stewardship. It’s Xavi’s Netherlands now in what will be an intriguing matchup between a Pep Guardiola disciple and Klopp’s evolved rock ‘n’ roll gegenpressing.
Like Klopp, Xavi has already put his stamp on the Dutch side by calling up Ruben van Bommel of PSV and Feyenoord midfielder Gjivai Zechiël, while leaving out Memphis Depay, Wout Weghorst or Stefan de Vrij. Their plans have been disrupted by Donyell Malen withdrawing, but captain and defender Virgil van Dijk remains indispensable.
It’s going to be fascinating to see how Xavi does. He bleeds Barcelona and, by default, it should be a perfect marriage considering he’s an acolyte of Rinus Michels and Johan Cruyff’s school of thought. Though he was reminded in his opening news conference by KNVB technical director Nigel de Jong that they spoke with Pep Guardiola and Arne Slot before turning to him.
Lacroix: We watched Zidane on TV, now we can train with him 1 Like reaction.
Oh, and the iconic, enigmatic Zinedine Zidane is beginning his time in charge of France, replacing Didier Deschamps who oversaw a 14-year spell in which they won the World Cup in 2018 and finished runners-up in 2022. Zidane named five uncapped players in his first streamlined 23-player squad, including Liverpool‘s Jérémy Jacquet. His first batch of matches include two games with Mark van Bommel’s Belgium and one with Roberto Mancini’s Italy — both teams also under new management.
Zidane is doing things his way too. He left N’Golo Kanté out of his first official squad, closing the door on his international career for the time being. “What inspires me is the game,” Zidane said in his opening news conference. “I want to see these players and this team playing.”
International soccer has a new band of superstar managers, and across the next three weeks, we’ll see some of their plans take shape as attention slowly turns to Euro 2028. It’s going to be some ride. — Tom Hamilton
Spain’s motivation: complete the triple crown
World champions Spain will be the team to beat as the latest edition of the UEFA Nations League kicks off this week across Europe. Given the relative ease with which they won the World Cup this summer — swatting aside France in the semifinal, ruining Lionel Messi’s Argentina swansong in the final and conceding just once in eight tournament matches — it is hard to see anyone beating them.
La Roja also have the added motivation of completing, if you will, international football’s triple crown. European champions in 2024 and world champions in 2026, the only trophy Luis de la Fuente’s side don’t currently have their hands on is the Nations League. They did win it under Luis de la Fuente in 2023, but relinquished the title in 2025, losing to Portugal on penalties in the final. They will be out to avenge that defeat this time around.
Flick: Yamal wants to win the Ballon d’Or
First up is a tantalizing trip to Wembley to meet England on Saturday in a repeat of the Euro 2024 final. The core of the Spain squad has hardly changed since that final, and it’s likely to remain the same throughout this Nations League cycle: goalkeeper Unai Simón, defenders Pau Cubarsí, Aymeric Laporte and Marc Cucurella, midfielders Pedri, Rodri, Fabián Ruiz and Dani Olmo, forwards Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal … the list goes on, but the beauty of this Spain side lies not in the individuals, but in the collective. You can take almost anyone out of the side, replace them with someone else and very little will change — as we saw with Rodri and Martín Zubimendi in that 2024 final.
Perhaps Spain’s two biggest potential problems come from within: complacency and keeping Yamal firing and happy as part of the team dynamic. The Barcelona teenager has said he was not entirely content with his performances at the World Cup after coming into the tournament on the back of a hamstring injury. He will be keen to do more moving forward — not that he was bad in North America this past summer — but De la Fuente must ensure that desire is channeled in the right way on the pitch. — Sam Marsden
Africa’s international heavyweights return to action this week for the first time since the World Cup, with the opening qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations providing an immediate test of how the continent’s leading sides intend to evolve over the next four-year cycle.
Forty-eight teams compete across 12 groups, with qualification beginning with two rounds this international break and concluding in March. For several World Cup nations, this window also represents the beginning of a new era.
Herve Renard is back with Ivory Coast, 11 years after he won the AFCON with the Elephants, and faces arguably the window’s standout fixture immediately, against Ghana in Bouake. Patrick Vieira begins his first international management job with Senegal, claiming he has come to “win trophies”; Mouin Chaabani will look to pick Tunisia up after their disastrous World Cup; and Pitso Mosimane returns to South Africa.
With co-hosts Kenya automatically qualified from Bafana Bafana’s group, only one of the other three teams can join them at AFCON. This means South Africa’s opener against Guinea could prove critical.
There is jeopardy elsewhere. Morocco begin against Gabon; Algeria, now overseen by Brahim Hemdani, host Zambia; and Egypt face Angola; while Mali vs. Cape Verde pits two of the continent’s strongest recent performers against one another. Without the injured Victor Osimhen, Nigeria host Madagascar knowing there is less margin for error than usual; because hosts Tanzania automatically advance from Group L, only one team from this pool can join them.
That format creates obvious potential for drama. Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau both have recent experience of qualifying and can complicate the Super Eagles’ campaign. Like Nigeria, Cameroon will also be determined to bounce back after failing to reach the World Cup when they face Comoros and then Congo-Brazzaville.
FIFA’s expanded September-October window could have allowed teams to play as many as four matches, but CAF’s decision to stage the two qualifiers across the opening weekend has left several coaches questioning why friendlies could not instead have served as preparation. DR Congo follow qualifiers against Equatorial Guinea and Zimbabwe with two friendlies against Uganda, while Ivory Coast meet Cameroon, and South Africa face Egypt afterward.
It should create a curious dynamic, with high-stakes qualifiers being followed by low-key friendlies — and some coaches have named two squads to account for this — but don’t be surprised if this international break produces drama aplenty as Africa’s road to 2027 begins. — Ed Dove
A fresh-faced USMNT regroups for first time since World Cup, eyeing long-term goals
Jamie Squire / Getty Images
By Felipe Cardenas Sept. 22, 2026 The Athletic
FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. — The sound of buzzing drones mingled with the first fall breeze outside Atlanta. The pristine fields at the Arthur M. Blank National Training Center were slick after a southern thunderstorm passed through the night before. It’s perfect soccer weather and an ideal setting for the U.S. men’s national team to regroup for the first time after the 2026 World Cup.As staffers hustled to set up the first training session of the day, a collection of World Cup veterans and fresh-faced rookies walked onto the grass for rondos and a new start under head coach Mauricio Pochettino. The players laughed and bantered in between drills as they were watched closely by the Argentine’s staff members.A whistle is heard. “Let’s go boys. Right here. Quickly!” says assistant coach Jesús Pérez.After a World Cup in which the U.S. team impressed with slick play and an identifiable philosophy, the novelty of the U.S.-Pochettino marriage has worn off. The proof-of-concept phase has passed. The 54-year-old has signed on through 2030 to improve upon the foundation that was established over the summer. It’s not difficult to see why Pochettino extended his contract. The $250 million training facility still smells new. The resources at his disposal are plentiful.And now Pochettino is not only coaching the team, he is one of the principal architects of what will be an important period for the men’s program as a whole. There are the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028 and a Copa América that same year that may yet be held in the U.S. and involve the USMNT. There are big goals ahead for Pochettino, provided he doesn’t leave for European club football beforehand. Pride and a typical Argentine competitive mentality could keep “Poch” in red, white and blue.
The U.S. had a dream start at the World Cup and a nightmare ending in the round of 16. A humbling 4-1 loss to Belgium in Seattle on July 6 extinguished what felt like an American soccer summer fantasy. Pochettino is now tasked with taking another step forward as an international manager and refreshing a side with plenty of room to grow.
The squad he announced for September and October friendlies against Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada was highlighted by the inclusion of eight teenagers. The Philadelphia Union’s Cavan Sullivan, 16, is the player to watch. Sullivan arrives in top form after scoring six goals in his last eight MLS matches. Sullivan, who’s ticketed for Manchester City upon turning 18 (he’ll turn 17 next week), has added eight assists in that time and has established himself as the latest prospect to become an American soccer global star.
But hype and production don’t always go hand-in-hand. Sullivan has earned this call up, but delivering something of substance against senior internationals is a step he has not yet been given the opportunity to take. Sullivan is joined in this camp by Union teammate Neil Pierre, 18; Peyton Miller, 18 (New England Revolution); Justin Hall, 18, and Adri Mehmeti, 17 (Red Bull New York); Mathis Albert, 17 (Borussia Dortmund); Justin Ellis, 18 (Orlando City); and Zavier Gozo, 19 (Crystal Palace), as the kids in a group that also features players who have played at multiple World Cups. A bridge between them is U.S. men’s Olympic coach Steve Cherundolo, a three-time World Cup veteran who will be managing the U-23s through the Olympics. Such is the emphasis on that group that he is here assisting Pochettino and the senior team.It’s understandable if the youngsters are star struck at first.“I was a little nervous coming in here,” Pierre told reporters on Tuesday. “These players I have kind of watched growing up a little bit in the World Cup. I think the expectation they kind of gave me was to enjoy, compete and obviously it’s an honor to represent the crest.”A belonging to the badge.
A connection to the crest. pic.twitter.com/QncZ0PxnhV
— U.S. Soccer Men’s National Team (@USMNT) September 22, 2026
To do that with longevity is the goal. Pierre, a towering young center back with good ball skills, may not be as high-profile a player as Sullivan, but he may be a big part of the future of a U.S. backline that needs better depth and was just dealt the news that German-American center back Noahkai Banks, 19, will be representing Germany internationally. Pierre is having a breakout year in MLS as a ball-playing defender with a nose for goal. He has four goals and an assist for the resurgent Union.“He’s a great player,” said veteran U.S. defender Miles Robinson. “Just to be here in the first place. But what I’ve seen so far he’s obviously strong, a big force. He’s calm on the ball, technical. Just to see him at 18 years old, in this camp, really proving himself day-by-day. It’s something to definitely admire and appreciate.”Robinson played the full 90 minutes in the U.S.’s 3-2 loss against Turkey in the final group stage match of the World Cup. In this camp, his 41 senior team appearances makes him among the most-capped players in the squad. Only Tyler Adams (58), Antonee Robinson (58) and Yunus Musah (45) have more than the FC Cincinnati center back.“I’ll do my best to try to lead all the boys in the right direction,” he said. Pierre, meanwhile, answered questions from reporters in a measured and surprisingly polished manner for a teenager. His objectives for this two-week international break are quite simple.“Just do well in the camp,” Pierre said. “Get to know everyone. I feel like that’s the most important thing. Get to know the staff well, get to know the players, and then just compete and do the best I can.”Pochettino recalled 12 players from the World Cup squad to balance the inexperience of the side, though Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Folarin Balogun are not among them. Neither is World Cup captain and veteran center back Tim Ream, whose career will be recognized in his hometown of St. Louis when the U.S. plays there in its second match of the four-game window next Tuesday. Additionally, the friendlies the U.S. scheduled should provide his staff with valuable returns. Canada and Mexico are fierce Concacaf rivals, while Peru and Chile, two struggling South American teams, will have something to prove.
“It makes me feel a little bit old,” said 23-year-old playmaker Gio Reyna after a reporter called him a veteran. “But I’m looking forward to getting to know (the young players) better on and off the field. Just try to help them and show them what we’ve built and what we’re striving to build, showing them how we train, how we act on and off the pitch. Obviously all of them are very declarations and increased attention
The U.S., despite a historically successful World Cup, will always have critics to silence. Credibility on the international stage was raised and then shattered in one single tournament. That’s soccer at this level. Stardom and success can be transient. The next opportunity, albeit an exhibition, should not be taken lightly.“For us it’s about our individual performances,” said midfielder Sebastian Berhalter. “And making sure we’re keeping the standard and showing everyone around us what it means to be part of this country and what it takes to play for the badge.”Robinson was earnest when he was asked what being back with the national team meant for him.“There’s so much good (in our country), but there’s also so much bad,” he said frankly. “So we’re trying to represent the good and push forward.”Fans and pundits may dismiss the nature of the friendlies. There are no points at stake. The world isn’t watching the U.S. so closely anymore. But for these players, it’s a moment they cannot take for granted — the start of a long road to the 2030 World Cup and the chance to take what Pochettino has called a “fresh start” for everyone and turn it into something long-lasting.
“It’s always an honor,” Robinson said. “I think for me personally, it’s just about understanding what you’re really representing when you’re playing. And I think in this day and age, it can be tough sometimes, truly … it’s about what can I really represent when I’m wearing the badge? And I think that’s what I also want to instill in a lot of the young players.”Felipe Cardenas is a senior writer for The Athletic who covers soccer in South America, North America and more.
The making of Cavan Sullivan: Soccer in diapers, an ‘F you’ mentality and a family obsession
By Henry Bushnell The Athletic Sept. 24, 2026 Updated 8:34 am EDT
Everyone has a Cavan Sullivan story. Some involve volleys in diapers or “outrageous” tricks, others bicycle kicks on the beach at age 6. The fables used to spread by word of mouth on the parched fields of Northeast Philadelphia. Now they’re sweeping through American soccer as Sullivan, 16, slices through MLS. They paint a portrait of a prodigy propelled by supernatural talent, one who’ll soon grace the U.S. men’s national team. And to some degree, the portrait is accurate. Sullivan could catch a football and strike a soccer ball with either foot at 18 months old.“Eighteen months,” repeats his father, Brendan, to emphasize the surreality. “It was almost like a Spider-Man moment.”“He couldn’t talk, he could barely walk, but he literally had a ball at his foot,” says Jack ONeill Jr., a family friend who remembers Cavan toddling around the sidelines of his older brother’s games. “He can’t feed himself, but he’s hitting it with his laces, toe tucked. Like, what the hell is going on?”
He made opposing coaches and observers gawk as he sped through the labyrinth of local soccer. Cloaked in baggy Adidas shorts and oversized shinguards, he won heated games with headers at age 5; diced 8-year-olds at 6; and won international tournaments aged 7. At 10, “the writing was on the wall,” Brendan says; so Cavan leapt into seventh grade at the Philadelphia Union’s academy-adjacent school, and accelerated in order to graduate before soccer took over.
This 16-year-old is American soccer’s next great hope
Henry Bushnell and Jeshua Kidd
At 14, he signed a pro contract and agreed to eventually join Manchester City. “I want to be the best ever,” he said. But even before that, cameras flocked to him and scouts raved. At 13, he bossed Arsenal’s U15s — and reprised Alex Morgan’s sipping-tea goal celebration. Then-Union coach Jim Curtin said at the time: “Cavan Sullivan has the ability to become, I’ll just say, a household name.”But not because of an omnipotent left foot. “He’s not this over-flying supertalent (or) wunderkind,” says Tobias Nubbemeyer, Cavan’s first U-17 coach in Philly. Current and former coaches gush about his burst and his reading of the game, but that isn’t why Cavan was, in the words of Union sporting director Jon Scheer, “the most dominant youth player I’ve ever seen.”
“What separates the good from the greats is a mentality,” says Tommy Wilson, the former Union academy director. “And he has a ‘f*** you’ mentality — excuse my French — that sometimes can be too much for his teammates. But he’s fearless.”
“His outstanding quality,” Union coach Ryan Richter recently said, “is his mentality. He’s not afraid of any moment.”Cavan — who still lives with his parents at a spacious house in Norristown, a Philly suburb — saw Richter’s quote and asked his mom, Heike, if she agreed.“Absolutely,” she told him.“That,” Heike says now, “is his superpower.” It’s a potent blend of confidence, drive, flare and, as ONeill says, “nastiness.”And its source, according to just about anyone who knows the Sullivans, is familial.
The Sullivan brothers with their parents, Heike and Brendan, in an old family photo; Cavan is on the upper rightCourtesy of the Sullivan family
A family’s ‘way of life’
The legend of Cavan, in many ways, begins with the legend of Larry Sullivan, the eldest of nine children reared by a proud Irish Catholic family in a North Philly enclave called Kensington. It was bustling with immigrants from Ireland, Poland, Italy and other soccer-loving countries. The entire family, Brendan Sullivan says, became “infected by” the sport.
Larry primarily played baseball. But after fighting in the Vietnam War and returning with wounded fingers, he dedicated his life to soccer and “got truly obsessed,” Brendan says. He coached high schools, colleges, select teams, amateur teams and his sons, all with similar tough love. Brendan, one of those sons, remembers “bathing in (soccer) every day.” He went on to play in college, at Columbia then Penn, where he met Heike Krippendorff, a captain of Penn’s women’s team. A few years later, they married — and kept playing.Brendan had stopped by the time they had their first son, Quinn, but Heike continued into her 30s. After stints on semi-pro teams, she played for the amateur United German Hungarians. Brendan would bring Quinn to her games, meet up with other husbands of players, “and we’re in the stands talking s***, razzing the girls,” he recalls with a chuckle. “And the babies are at our feet.”The babies, of course, were too young to actually watch or listen. “But,” Brendan says, “that’s the kind of osmosis that takes place.”
And that’s the environment into which Cavan was born in 2009, five-and-a-half years after Quinn and two years after twin brothers Declan and Ronan.Heike had stopped playing by then, but the sport, she notes, was ingrained as “a way of life.” Nearly every night after dinner, the four boys would migrate to their cramped living room and knock around a ball. Sometimes Brendan would sit on the floor and toss it to them. In one home video, down in their carpeted basement, Brendan urges a tiny, shirtless Cavan to “explod(e)” and “snap (at the ball) like a man, hard as you can!” When a smiling Cavan rockets the miniature ball, Brendan booms: “Yeahhh! YEAAAHH!”There were also mini goals, 2-v-2s and free play. There wasn’t much space at or near their modest home in Bridesburg, a mostly-working-class neighborhood in Philly’s River Wards; but there were always cousins or brothers with whom to compete.And when it came time for organized soccer, Brendan explains, “I just recruited dads who I knew would understand the nuttiness of how I would train a team.”By nuttiness, he means yelling, intensity. The dads, some of whom he’d known since childhood, “were all on board.” They formed the Lighthouse Brigade, featuring Ronan, Declan, Cavan and lots of winning.Opposing coaches would occasionally ask Brendan, bemused or appalled: “You allow all your parents to yell at their kids like that during the game?” Brendan would respond: “I expect them to yell at their kids.”“They were like 6, 7 (years old), to be clear,” Heike interjects.But to Brendan, as long as the parents were avoiding tactics and sticking to “Hustle!” or shouting encouragement, “they’re just teaching ’em the basic foundations.”“This,” he says of the fervor, “is excited, Northeast Philadelphia. You just are kinda born into it, and it’s all you know.”
A young Cavan Sullivan takes on a defender while playing for youth club in PennsylvaniaCourtesy of the Sullivan family
Eventually, the Sullivan boys transitioned to FC Delco, a longtime youth powerhouse. But family remained integral to their development. Cavan, for example, would send Brendan “scrolls and scrolls of videos” from practices or matches, asking Dad to help him analyze certain moments, always hungry for improvement. They would go to empty fields, set up cones, visualize movements and sharpen Cavan’s brain to seek out space in various situations.
On one blustery, bitterly-cold Sunday in 2018, everyone at the Union academy was off, so Scheer drove to the academy’s facility in suburban Wayne for a quick workout. He walked past deserted indoor fields, to the gym, no soccer in sight. Then he looked out the window. The gym overlooked a back field, and there, battling a biting wind, were Quinn, Declan, Ronan and 8-year-old Cavan, all dribbling, passing and shooting, honing their technique, guided by Brendan.“You could see the coaching there, and how much he demanded from them,” Scheer says of Brendan. “I’ll never forget that.”Scheer acknowledges that for some young children, the demands could be overbearing; but the Sullivans “just grew up in this scene where soccer was everything; and being competitive, and trying to win, was second nature.”“So,” he concludes, “I never had any concerns or doubts. Because when you talk to the kids, they’re just built differently.”
Early signs of stardom
When did Heike realize that Cavan, specifically, was “a little different”?On a car ride home from a game at age 5 or 6.
“Even though people tell you not to do this,” Heike notes, “we always talked about the game on the ride home.” (“Immediately,” Brendan adds.) And on one memorable trip, Cavan turned to Brendan and said, “Hey, Dad, did you see when I did that move in the corner?”Cavan went on to explain that he’d seen a Premier League player on TV do the exact same move in the same situation a few weeks earlier, and he’d been thinking about emulating it ever since.“His mind,” Heike says, “is always going.”
Most of the Cavan lore, then and now, centers on visible traits such as touch and quickness, because that’s what the untrained eye can see. It’s what an old Italian guy saw at Beach Blast, a massive sand soccer tournament on the Jersey Shore, when he pointed at young Cavan and exclaimed. It’s what New York Red Bulls youth coaches saw when Cavan, who typically played two years up, went to North Jersey with a Union juniors team in his actual age group circa 2019.In three games that weekend, he allegedly scored more than a dozen goals, and after the umpteenth — a clever flick over a helpless goalkeeper’s head — “I remember him jogging back, with his gold chain bouncing around,” says Richter, who coached that juniors team. “And the Red Bull coach is like, ‘Who is this kid?!’”
Cavan Sullivan and Lionel Messi pose together after a September 2026 MLS match. The two lead the league in goal contributions since the World CupMLS Photos / Imagn Images
In the Union academy, though, coaches came to admire the less visible traits, the “nuances.”
“He was seeing things (on the field) way before I would see them,” says former Union U-17 coach Peter McDonnell.
“His talent on the ball, and his aggressive nature, and being very ball-oriented, that came out right away,” says Scheer, who spent eight years in the academy before becoming sporting director. “But I started to take more appreciation for his learning ability and his game understanding and decision making.”
Some of it, of course, is innate, but much of it was nurtured. When the Sullivans watched top European soccer on TV, they zeroed in on players from whom the boys could learn. Cavan studied the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Lionel Messi.He also learned to critique himself. He’d trade clips and thoughts with academy coaches. He’d use unrepeatable “Philly words,” as McDonnell calls them, to review his own mistakes; then he’d vow to correct them.“He’s got a thirst for information,” Scheer says.And that thirst adds a layer to the prodigy’s portrait. It helps Sullivan unlock his physical gifts. It feeds into the mentality that distinguishes him.
‘The trick for us was not to blunt the edge’
The mentality, a hunger spiked with Northeast Philly edge and fortified by spunky confidence, is evident on any field Cavan touches.
It was evident early. Around age 4, ONeill says, he would play like “everyone is his enemy.” At 8, Richter says, “the parents of other kids would complain because he was so aggressive.”
And it stems in part from the Sullivan household. With full-time jobs to work (Heike as a lawyer, Brendan as a teacher) and four boys to corral, “you had to be cavalier, and let them fight — until a certain point,” Brendan says. So there were scraps, many scraps; and Cavan, the youngest, learned to stick up for himself.
The fight bled onto soccer fields. “He would square up to opponents that were twice as big as him,” McDonnell says. At one U-17 practice in early December 2023, during an 8-v-8 drill, Cavan and a Union teammate “just came together like two pieces of metal, sparking, and they grabbed each other by the necks,” McDonnell recalls. (Four days later, they were celebrating goals together.)
Coaches, for the most part, loved Cavan’s fire. But there were times when he crossed the proverbial line. He would go at teammates with the same directness that his dad normalized, and “sometimes, yes, he made destructive comments,” Nubbemeyer says. Coaches instructed him to mix in praise with the rebukes and demands, and Cavan took their advice in stride.They were careful, though, not to tame his inner dog.They’d “give him a little bit longer of a leash at times,” Scheer says, “because he is different.”“The trick for us,” Wilson says, “was not to blunt the edge, but just to put guardrails in, so that he could play with freedom (but avoid red cards).”The same delicate balance applies to his audacity on the ball, which could break open games but also irk teammates when leading to turnovers.It also applies to his aura, to all the attention he attracts. When he says he could’ve helped the USMNT against Belgium, or when he scripts a LeBron James chalk-toss celebration, or when he posts his own highlights on Instagram, some see arrogance or self-importance; others see confidence.
“And you don’t want to stymie that,” says Tom Heinemann, who coached Cavan with the U.S. U-15 national team. “Because that’s also what makes him special.It’s a self-belief, the type that doesn’t waver when he loses five 1-v-1s in a row. He demands the ball again — and again and again, until he beats his defender.“A bad moment, to him, isn’t one he loses confidence from for a month,” Richter says. “It doesn’t happen. He fights through it.”Earlier this season, when stuck on the Union bench, he did get frustrated. “It was a very tough time for him — a really tough time for him,” Heike says. But did it dent his confidence? “No,” Brendan says without hesitation. “He was more angry at the situation.”
So he worked, and worked, and learned what both parents call “an important lesson.” When opportunity finally knocked — when Richter stepped in for the fired Bradley Carnell and told Cavan: “Let’s go. You get your chance now. Take it.” — Cavan smiled and seized it. Since August, with six goals and eight assists, he has been the single most prolific attacker in MLS (ahead of Messi), a creative force, a grown version of the phenom that wowed Northeast Philly.
And he’s making good on his parents’ core command.
“We’ve always approached our kids with: you’ve gotta do the best you can do,” Heike says.
“You were given gifts,” Brendan explains. “Our only job, as parents, is to make sure you don’t waste those. The expectation is you’ll maximize that, whatever you do, whether it’s the cello or math class” — or soccer.
The Sullivan brothers — Cavan, Quinn, Ronan and Declan — through the yearsPhotos courtesy of the Sullivan family
Brotherly love
After two decades of “organized chaos,” the Sullivan nest is empty this week. Quinn, the Union’s 2025 player of the year at age 21, recently moved out. The twins are freshmen at St. Joseph’s University in Philly. And Cavan is in Fayetteville, Ga., at his first USMNT camp, as the face of the program’s “fresh start.”
They are, as Heike says, “at all different levels” of soccer. And they might someday be in four different locations. But “the brothers have a bond,” as Brendan says, that probably won’t ever be broken — and that forged their soccer talent as much as soccer forged it.
It formed first in the Bridesburg basement and at fields throughout greater Philadelphia.
It strengthened on road trips with FC Delco, and later at YSC Academy, the Union-run school where Brendan teaches and all four brothers learned.
It crystallized in Ocean City, N.J., where the family spent chunks of each July, the one place “where soccer is not the primary focus,” Brendan says.
They’d still train every day on those long weekends down the shore, often for multiple hours, the parents clarify. But, free from the rigors and pressures of school and their clubs, “summers at the shore were a moment to be kids,” Heike says.
The boys would cram into a single room, sleeping four across a queen bed when they were young. Quinn would venture out with friends and let his brothers tag along — even “when they were little dorks,” Brendan says. The twins and Cavan, Brendan adds, came to see Quinn as something of a “big brother dad.” Both parents agree: Quinn was the “perfect first child.”
But, of course, he was also a competitor.
When the family moved to Norristown, competition overtook their new backyard. They got a Teqball table, as a gift, to go with a full-size goal and other contraptions. The boys would play 2-v-2 in their boots, so often during COVID-19 lockdowns that they chewed green grass into brown dirt.
Nowadays, the grass is green again. When Cavan leaves the Union facility and returns home for the day, there are no brothers with whom to play. High school is done; online college hasn’t yet started. “He’s probably bored,” Brendan says — though he does have Mom, Dad and two Great Danes.And a ball.Naturally, soccer still fills some voids.A couple weeks ago, Cavan and Brendan were playing in the house and broke something.Heike snapped: “Enough with the ball!” But Cavan recalled a fruitful promise.“Mom,” he reminded her, “you said that you’d never yell at us for playing with the ball in the house.”
And he was right. “She,” Brendan says of Heike, “got busted.”Henry Bushnell is a senior writer for The Athletic covering soccer. He previously covered a variety of sports and events, including World Cups and Olympics, for Yahoo Sports. He is based in Washington, D.C.
