Sullivan's Rise: Philadelphia Union Teenager Joins U.S. National Team

Sullivan, 16, has forced his way into the spotlight. Now he’s being handed a national stage.

Mauricio Pochettino will include the Philadelphia Union teenager in a 26-man squad for a four-game friendly slate running from Sept. 26 to Oct. 6, a reward for a stunning surge of form that has dragged the Union into a playoff position. Since the World Cup break, Philadelphia haven’t lost a league match. At the heart of that revival: Sullivan, playing far beyond his years.

This isn’t a bolt from the blue. Sullivan has moved through the U.S. Youth National Team system step by step, first pulling on the shirt at U-15 level and never really letting go of it. Coaches have watched him grow up inside that environment; now the senior setup is ready to take a closer look.

The stakes are historic. If Sullivan sees the field in any of the four friendlies, he will become the second-youngest player ever to appear for the U.S. senior team. Only Freddy Adu, who made his debut in January 2006, would stand ahead of him in the record books.

The teenager hasn’t hidden what this opportunity means. Earlier this month, he openly admitted how badly he wanted a U.S. chance.

Now it’s here. The question is no longer whether he’s ready to chase it, but how quickly he can make himself impossible to leave out.