North American sports history was made on the banks of the Delaware River Wednesday night.
Cavan Sullivan, a 14-year-old prodigy, made his MLS debut in the Union’s showdown with the New England Revolution, making him the youngest player ever to appear in a game for any major sport – the NBA, MLB, NHL, NFL or MLS.
Sullivan signed with the Union in May as a homegrown player. At the time, it was the largest deal for a homegrown player in league history.
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He entered the game in the 85th minute, just moments after his older brother, Quinn, scored a blistering goal to give the Union a 5-1 lead. Cavan rushed the field in his warmup to celebrate with his big brother.
Two minutes later, Cavan entered the game as a late-moment substitution for forward Tai Baribo, who had already scored a hat trick in the game.
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In doing so, Cavan became the youngest player in any sports league in North America to appear in a regular-season game at 14 years, 293 days old, beating out Freddy Adu, who played in a game for DC United at 14 years, 306 days back in April of 2004.
Entering to an already euphoric Subaru Park crowd, the debut of the younger Sullivan sent the Union faithful to a new level of fanfare as he played the final five minutes plus stoppage time.
Sullivan will eventually leave the Union for English Premier League franchise Manchester City, which has agreed to a transfer deal when he turns 18 years old. Current EPL rules prohibit foreign-born players from playing in the league prior to their 18th birthday.
“This is just the first chapter in Cavan’s career,” Union head coach Jim Curtin said to reporters after Sullivan’s debut. “For those who don’t know, we do have a plan for him. It’s not just minute by minute or day by day, there is a plan in place.
“You guys saw him dominate the academy level, even up three years [from his teammates]. You saw him score some good goals for Union II and do really well. You guys don’t get to see him every day in training, but the staff does. The time was right to give him an opportunity.
“Is he perfect? Is he the finished product? He’s 14, so I understand that he’s not.
“I thought it was a special, special night. Cavan deserved to be in the group and did a great job. Even his touches in the game, you see his fearlessness, it was fun to watch.”
Quinn’s goal capped off a much-needed 5-1 win for the Union, snapping a 10-match winless streak for the club (0-4-6).
Cavan's next opportunity to play will be in just three days, when the Union host Nashville SC.
