I don't see anything at all wrong with his reaction. He didn't cause a scene or blow up at the coach. It's obvious that he's a huge competitor. I agree that the much bigger news is that he played really well.
Yeah. Only thing I’d be worried about is if he was pressing too hard and it was affecting him mentally.
Interesting quote from Bradley Carnell post-match, after awarding Cavan Sullivan his second consecutive start:“think Cavan created havoc, and I thought Anello created havoc later in the game as well. Credit to them for playing out the gameplan as well as they did… We designed… https://t.co/JDYuVgSCNK pic.twitter.com/Aa0a4X1djm— Evan Konigsberg (@evanknowsball) May 5, 2026
Someone forgot to tell Cavan because he was none too pleased when being subbed off. Apparently Carnell is now designing gameplans around Cavan. “think Cavan created havoc, and I thought Anello created havoc later in the game as well. Credit to them for playing out the gameplan as well as they did… We designed the gameplan around Cavan. We tried to get him in more space. We tried to get him a little bit more on the ball, and I think in certain moments, you could see that.”
Really good write-up over on X by @ussoccer97531. It's long and detailed. I have watched about 90% of Cavan Sullivan’s 945 first team minutes over the last few years, here’s my overall assessment:I think the overall picture has to be separated into two buckets:Compared to anyone: I constantly see people go on and on about how he’s amazing every…— USMNTProspects (@ProspectsUsmnt) May 8, 2026 I ran out of characters. New feature of twitter I wasn’t aware of.Summing up, Sullivan is doing a competent job, given the situation.Will there need to be bigger steps eventually? Yes, and those will probably come with time. He’s taken steps year over year.I think the… https://t.co/q4LYjHhTsV— USMNTProspects (@ProspectsUsmnt) May 8, 2026
Third straight start: Only one change from last weekend's starting XI for Bradley Carnell's side, as Geiner Martínez comes in for the injured Japhet Sery (shoulder). Cavan Sullivan makes it his third straight start, after a strong showing against Nashville last weekend. And yes, that is Olivier… pic.twitter.com/4UfpuWoSSM— Todd Lewis (@ItsAToddLife) May 9, 2026
Cavan looks up for it again, but man, he really should've shot on a breakaway rather than pass in the 9th minute.
Thought he played well again. I was encouraged by this performance more than any other performance of his in MLS. The first 25 minutes, especially, he was dicing up the left side. Philly is really hard to watch, though. If Cavan isn't doing something, pretty much nothing happens. Quinn can't come back soon enough.
It's strange because they do create plenty of chances but lack composure. Not only composure when finishing but in making the killer pass too. It's the price you pay for that style of play, everything is rushed and opportunities are missed.
Agreed. Once Sullivan came off they were less dangerous offensively. He makes stuff happen. He was a bright spot in a somewhat poor showing compared to Gozo and the NYRB HGs aside from Mehmeti.
Scores his first goal, a very Cavan goal, in a downpour in Orlando. This game the definition of end-to-end. He's been the best player on the field for Philly tonight. I'm not sure why it changed since he wasn't producing goals, either, but Philly essentially runs through him now.
Something I've been thinking about...................... Man City is the FA Youth Cup final today. Their U18s are LOADED with talent as it is. FA Youth Cup final: Man City v Man Utd - who are the players to watch? - BBC Sport The path to the first team at Man City for Sullivan is really crowded with other talented kids. I just wonder about it. That's all.
He may or may not end up playing for City one day. A lot will change once Pep leaves, but as things stand, very few U20 players break into that squad. I was critical of the deal at first because I felt he should have gone to Europe at 16 and signed with a club where he’d have a real chance to play as a teenager. That said, the City/Philly arrangement does offer some advantages. He gets to continue developing with his hometown club, and he also avoids the kind of MLS homegrown contract that has trapped a lot of players when they’ve tried to move to Europe. Gozo is reportedly planning to leave this summer, but RSL could end up pricing out interested clubs, and he’s under contract through 2029. I don't think The RB boys will have an issue though.
I agree he was the best player on the pitch. He made a lot of stuff happen. To me this was his breakout game even if he didn’t get the goal. I can’t wait until his brother comes back and Cavan is playing with him centrally after the WC break.
Cavan Sullivan, high school graduate, Class of 2026 🎓#DOOP pic.twitter.com/jIjED4NGwz— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) May 15, 2026
That's kind of early to graduate. Was he on an accelerated timeline? I was second youngest in my high school at 17 1/2. He's much younger.
There's this pathway in most states where kids can get high school credits in middle school. Mostly it's for the kids that are planning on doing an early college program but you can certainly use it to graduate early.
That’s like two years early in most parts of the country. One year in the places that don’t have a cutoff somewhere for kids born later in the year.