Manchester City-Bound Teen Scores 1st Goals for MLS Club in Concacaf Rout

The wait for Cavan Sullivan’s breakout performance has ended.

Sullivan, the 17-year-old American set to transfer to Manchester City when he turns 18, scored a brace and assisted two more goals in the Philadelphia Union‘s 7-0 route of Trinidad and Tobago’s Defence Force in Thursday night’s Concacaf Champions Cup fixture.

The goals were Sullivan’s first for the MLS side in his 18th appearance for the club across all competitions. He has previously scored 11 times for Philadelphia’s reserve side in MLS Next Pro, a third-tier domestic competition.

Thursday’s opposition was not the stiffest — The Union triumphed 12-0 on aggregate goals against their overmatched opponents to reach the Concacaf last 16 — but it sets a foundation for a season in which Sullivan could play himself into a starting MLS role.

Philadelphia parted with several of its more experienced and more valuable attacking assets before the season began, sending Israel international Tai Baribo to DC United in a cash trade and letting Mikael Uhre’s contract expire.

Manchester City’s Unique Arrangement

Sullivan could’ve been sent to CFG’s New York City FC instead

When City were first circling around Sullivan, it appeared unlikely the prodigious talent would remain with Philadelphia after joining the club’s academy from nearby FC Delco.

While he was too young to legally move to a European academy, City Football Group have their own MLS club, New York City FC, just a couple of hours to the Northeast of Sullivan’s hometown.

Instead, the Union were able to negotiate a deal that allowed Sullivan to sign a first-team contract in May 2024 directly from the Union’s academy, provided it included a pre-agreed transfer to City after his 18th birthday.

There was also the possibility Sullivan could’ve joined one of City Football Group’s four other European clubs if he progressed far enough by his 16th birthday, though that never materialized.

Thursday was Sullivan’s first start of 2026 after entering in the second half of the first leg against Defence Force a week ago and in a 1-0 defeat at DC United last Saturday. His next could come on Sunday when Philly returns to league action against City Football Group’s NYCFC.

Sullivan had already set up teammates twice before he finally registered his first goal in the 76th minute, dispatching a low finish inside the left post after a pass from Ezekiel Alladoh.

He added his second 12 minutes later, finishing into an open goal after Sal Olivas’ ball across the 6-yard box.

Gradual Progress

Sullivan’s MLS minutes increase slowly, but U-17 WC provides showcase

In 2025, Sullivan appeared 14 times and made three starts in all competitions, with two of those starts coming in U.S. Open Cup competition. But his best showing that year came at the youth international level, where he scored two goals and assisted two more for United States Soccer U-17 World Cup in Qatar.

In 2024, he played mainly at the MLS Next Pro level, although he did break Freddy Adu’s MLS record for youngest player to appear in a league match with his July 17 debut.

Sullivan may be the most heralded teenage prospect in MLS based on his agreement with City Football Group, but it’s hardly clear that he’s the best.

The 17-year-old Julian Hall of the NY Red Bulls had his own brace in a 2-1 league win at Orlando City SC on Saturday night. Red Bulls manager Michael Bradley, himself once a teenager in MLS, set a league record in that fixture by fielding the first ever league XI with three players age 17 or younger.