EFL Cup action resumes in England this week, a starry group of Premier League teams entering the fray in time for the third round. Plus, it may already be time to gear up for the upcoming international break – at least if you ask Cavan Sullivan. I'm Pardeep Cattry with the latest.
Monday, Sept. 14🇮🇹 Serie A: Inter vs. Udinese, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+🏴 EPL: Leeds United vs. Newcastle United, 3 p.m. ➡️ USA Network🇪🇸 LaLiga: Villarreal vs.
Real Betis, 3 p.m. ➡️ ESPN+ Tuesday, Sept. 15🏴 EFL Cup: Liverpool vs. Tottenham Hotspur, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+🇪🇸 LaLiga: Elche vs. Real Madrid, 3:30 p.m. ➡️ ESPN2 The World Cup now officially in the rearview mirror, there is no greater time for up-and-coming talents to plant the seeds for their own international futures, one player in particular wasting no time – the Philadelphia Union's Cavan Sullivan.
Sullivan has two goals and two assists in the last week alone, including one goal via backheel and another that saw him nutmeg the goalkeeper before the ball sped into the back of the line. His recent exploits are just the latest example of his upward trajectory – he now has five goals and seven assists in 10 games, easily putting him among MLS' most productive attackers following the World Cup break. After becoming the youngest player to make his MLS debut at 14 and signing a contract with Manchester City that kicks in after his 18th birthday in a year's time, Sullivan was all promise, but he has quickly turned that potential into tangible – and exciting – results.
He's skilled in front of goal, ranking inside the 91st percentile among attacking midfielders and wingers for non-penalty expected goals across MLS over the last year and is equally gifted in terms of chance creation, making him a key player for a Union team that entered the World Cup below the playoff line but is no longer on the outside looking in. The remarkable aspect of Sullivan's rise is that his outstanding season is built on the post-World Cup stretch of the season. Ex-head coach Bradley Carnell, who was fired just as MLS paused for the summer, used Sullivan sparingly, but interim head coach Ryan Richter has had no issue integrating the 16-year-old into his plans since July, the same going for 18-year-old center back Neil Pierre.
Richter's belief in the rising stars has paid off, so much so that Sullivan feels on the cusp of a call-up to the U.S. men's national team. Head coach Mauricio Pochettino will name his squad this week for the fall friendlies, describing the four game stretch as a "new start" for the national team as the long road to the 2030 World Cup begins. Without naming names, Pochettino said there will be a mix of experienced players and fresh faces, a wide variety in the latter category to pick from as a generation of young talents begin knocking on the national team's door.
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