It’s common for people to say that the best is yet to come after disappointment. It’s been a trend around the United States men’s national team to discuss how talented the coming generation is, but when two of the best teams at developing players in America prepare to meet, as the New York Red Bulls host the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, it’s a game that will highlight what’s on the horizon. Cavan Sullivan and Julian Hall are both teenagers leading their teams this season despite only being 16 and 18 years old, respectively.
While they’re expected to be among the future of the USMNT, during a September international break, which offers a chance for Mauricio Pochettino to take a look at players further down the roster, it makes sense for the duo to be called in now, considering their performances.
“I know there have been a couple of moves by young players from other clubs. Zavier Gozo from Real Salt Lake is going to Crystal Palace; he’s an exceptional young talent as well,” New York Red Bull academy director Sean McCafferty said. “I’d imagine there’s going to be a lot of young ones called in [to the September national team camp], which I think, again, the future is very bright here. I think we have so many good young players coming through; they just need the opportunity [from the USMNT], so we’ll see”
Sullivan has scored five goals and assisted two more in MLS play, breaking out after the World Cup break, and Hall has been a leader on the pitch for the Red Bulls, scoring nine goals in MLS play and assisting four more, leading the line for Michael Bradley’s side.
It’s a performance that has been rewarded with Hall becoming the youngest player in league history to ever sign a U-22 initiative contract, which was announced this week, keeping him under club control through the 2029-30 season. It’s a reward for what he has done so far while also acknowledging his importance to the team ahead of a game that is going to be a benchmark for young USMNT talent to come. Hall and Sullivan are two of five teenagers expected to start for the Union and the Red Bulls, with Neil Pierre, Adri Mehmeti, and Matthew Dos Santos all logging serious minutes for their clubs.
Red Bulls and Union both prioritize youth development
There has never been a brighter generation of young domestic talent, and the numbers back that up as this year is on track to finish with the most minutes given to teenagers, most goals, goal contributions, and the highest total number of teenagers. 81 have seen the pitch so far this season, which is the highest of any North American men’s pro league, and it’s the fourth-highest number in global soccer, with data from last season being used for the European leagues.
“This is just the beginning. It’s going to become more of the norm, but it’s really exciting because the players that are coming through not only are they deserving, like they deserve the opportunity, but man they’re at such a higher level than I ever was at that age and it shows that we’re making progress and that’s what’s really important is not to arrive early, it’s to arrive on time,” MLS Next Vice President/ General Manager of Sporting and former New York Red Bulls keeper Luis Robles said.
There’s something in the water, and some of these changes are happening around the world, but it has been an effort on MLS’s part as well, showcasing the investment that the clubs have made in their own facilities and staff. The Red Bulls just opened a new training facility that Brazil used during the World Cup, and with Michael Bradley at the helm after his success leading the MLS Next Pro side, there has never been a better alignment between the academy and the first team for academy director Sean McCafferty.
“The continuity, for some of these players, going from the second team to the first team, obviously helps. There’s a comfort level there. But certainly, we look at it as not just that, but also Michael’s involvement with our second team, with our academy. He can name every player from our Under-13s through the first team,” McCafferty said. “That’s how connected and how aligned it is. So we’re really lucky to have him here and to believe in young players. As the Academy Director, it makes my job easier because he wants to play young players. He’s so involved in how we’re coaching, our methodology, who’s doing well. In my seven years here now, it’s never been as aligned as it is now.”
On the Union side, interim manager Ryan Richter is making a similar impact after working his way up through the academy before serving as an assistant under Jim Curtin and leading the Union’s Next Pro side. The Union are undefeated in MLS play since he took over, and they’re gaining confidence by the day that they can hang with anyone in the league.
“The mindset was to win the ball, and even though it’s Messi, I still back myself defending with the sideline,” 18-year-old Pierre said after the Union drew against Inter Miami at home. “I think my confidence is slowly going up. I think it’s from my teammates and them pushing me forward, and not so much the games. They believed in me the whole time, so they said, ‘You should have confidence; you should be able to push yourself.'”
That mentality has spread to the rest of the team as they’ve played through Sullivan to great effect. The 16-year-old may be set to head to Manchester City once he turns 18, but it’s clear that even now, the Union have quite a player on their hands and that fans will get to enjoy him until that point.
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Why now for MLS youth?
This confidence from teenagers didn’t happen overnight. MLS is coming into its own. The first ball was kicked in April of 1996 when the San Jose Clash defeated D.C. United. At the time, there were only 10 teams, and most shared stadiums and facilities with other American sports teams. Now, there are 30 with potentially more to come, and the vast majority have soccer-specific stadiums, their own training facilities and world-class facilities. Alongside the creation of MLS Next in 2006 to streamline development and create more opportunities for young players, and MLS Next Pro keeping that development closer to home instead of mixing MLS second teams in with USL Championship sides, the fruit is showing in younger players around the league.
It’s tough for American soccer to take too many cues from global leagues due to the size of the country. What works elsewhere can’t be replicated here, but that’s why a unique system to fit the American soccer ecosystem is what’s being setup amd improved upon. Robles is currently in Spain and France, being able to talk to clubs and the federations about development and what aspects can work here in the United States.
“You take their methods and you take their best practices and you synthesize all that and you look at it through the lens of what’s the American experience and what we’re hoping to produce in the next stage as you asked is how can we develop the next generation of talent in a more optimized way while delivering access and making it more affordable along with giving a great experience. An experience that draws them closer to Major League Soccer and wants to be fans of Major League Soccer in whatever capacity,” Robles said.
Even when looking past that, it’s up to the clubs to utilize all options given to them. Just before making his move to Crystal Palace, Gozo was at the MLS Next All star game being able to speak to players about his own journey, which included stops in MLS Next Pro and training up with Real Salt Lake before breaking out with the team. Those tangible results of what is being invested are coming from everywhere, and it’s not stopping soon, as it has never been easier to play soccer in America and the goal all around is to continue to make that process even more accessible.
“There’s no single pathway. There are multiple pathways. What we’re doing is creating options. And so if a coach thinks, ‘Hey, this is what’s best for the player’s development is to go to the first team and get training, get some games with NEXT Pro, but then also Generation adidas Cup is around the corner.’ Let’s help them participate in and really elevate the level of the team and win a trophy,” Robles said. That’s all part of a player’s development.”
Giving prospects a path to success even somewhere else
While you can sign players like Hall to extensions and the hope is to win things with them at the Red Bulls, it’s also worth acknowledging that part of the pathway can include Red Bull Leipzig, like Tyler Adams, or other European clubs abroad. If an 18-year-old is performing like this in MLS, there’s only so much that can be done to keep them in MLS.
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This time in the league will help prepare them for what comes next, as clubs are developing their own European pipelines.
“But I think with Red Bull as well, obviously, we have a domestic ceiling for our players to come in and play in our first team, which is fantastic. They get to that level, that’s only a small percentage of players get there. But players like Tyler Adams, Matt Miazga have shown that there’s also an international ceiling. You can burst through that. And obviously Tyler went directly to RB Leipzig, Matt went to Chelsea. And so, most recently, John Tolkin went to Kiel,” McCafferty said.
“So we understand that there’s another step after the MLS, but the league right now, to be able to come in as a young player playing in these unbelievable stadiums in front of thousands of fans, play big-boy football, I think we actually have an advantage over maybe some players of the same age who are sitting playing Under-19s or they have to go out on loan somewhere,” He continued. “So I think MLS now, and you’re seeing it with a lot of clubs, they’re starting to just trust their young players more. And so we’ve always believed in it, certainly, but I think now, this year especially, having so many come through at the same time is a bit special. And listen, we want to keep them here as long as we can to contribute to our first team, but I think ultimately we’re also not naive, and the future hopefully maybe lies for one or two of them [in Europe].”
The fruit of this is showing on the pitch, and while there will still be the step of it all eventually transferring to Europe, the reasons to be excited are clear. MLS is producing players who have shown that they belong, and the rise of Alex Freeman breaking into the USMNT, becoming a starter for the World Cup, and also making a move to a Champions League club in Villarreal are only the tip of the iceberg, the best truly is yet to come and in September, more of the future could be joinign the national team as the road to 2030 kicks off.
