A moment that so many soccer fans around the US have been waiting for.
Cavan Sullivan scored his first MLS goal in the Philadelphia Union's 4-3 loss to Orlando City on Wednesday night, serving as a spark during an entertaining seven-goal match at Inter&Co Stadium.
Sullivan entered the match as a substitute for the injured Jovan Lukić in the 44th minute and provided an immediate impact, netting his first league goal in the 75th minute, finishing a tidy cross from Ben Bender.
At 16 years and 227 days old, the goal makes him the eighth-youngest player to score in an MLS regular season match, joining a list that includes Freddy Adu, Gianluca Busio, Jesús Ferreira, and Diego Fagúndez.
"He changes the complexion of a game… he starts a trickle-down effect,” head coach Bradley Carnell told reporters after the match. “He is doing a great job in assuming responsibility and taking ownership and trying, and that’s great.
"He has a chip on his shoulder.”
Youngest goalscorers in MLS history
- Freddy Adu - 14 years & 320 days
- Julian Hall - 16 years & 87 days
- Gianluca Busio - 16 years & 142 days
- Jesús Ferreira - 16 years & 161 days
- Diego Fagúndez - 16 years & 173 days
- Christian Torres- 16 years & 186 days
- Santino Quaranta - 16 years & 217 days
- Cavan Sullivan - 16 years & 227 days
Gaining momentum
Now in his third professional season, Sullivan found the net twice earlier this year in Concacaf Champions Cup play, but had yet to find the scoresheet in 10 MLS appearances.
With that monkey off his back, the homegrown standout now has momentum to build on as he navigates his third professional season.
“It is a pretty great feeling scoring my first. I have been working on this one for a while,” Sullivan told Apple TV after the match. “I scored in the Concacaf Champions Cup, but this one means a lot after a tough year and a half without one. I am really happy, but we just have to keep going and climb the table.”
This is just the beginning for Sullivan, who signed his marquee homegrown deal at the age of 14 and became the youngest signing in club history.
He's now earning more opportunities and minutes with the first team as he continues to develop ahead of his reported eventual move to English powerhouse Manchester City.
