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Cavan Sullivan overtakes Freddy Adu: Who are the youngest players to debut in MLS?

Cavan Sullivan turned out for the Philadelphia Union against New England on Wednesday, breaking a record that had stood for 20 years. Who are the youngest MLS debutants?

Andy Hall
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Cavan Sullivan podría debutar en MLS
X @PhilaUnion

Cavan Sullivan made MLS history last night in the Week 27 game between Philadelphia Union and the New England Revolution at Subaru Park. Sullivan replaced Thai Baribo in the 85th minute of the Union’s 5-1 home victory. In doing so, Cavan became the youngest player to debut in the North American top flight, aged 14 years and 293 days.

Sullivan breaks a record that has stood for the past 20 years.

April 2004: Freddy Adu makes his MLS debut against San Jose

Dubbed The New Pelé Freddy Adu was a promising 14 years and 306 days old when DC United head coach Piotr Nowak decided to hand him his debut in the opening game of the 2004 MLS regular season against the San Jose Earthquakes at RFK Stadium. In front of 24,603 fans and wearing the No.9 jersey, the teenage attacking midfielder replaced goal scorer Alecko Eskandarian on 61 minutes with United leading 2-1.

Both teams were reduced to 10 men while Freddy was on the pitch and he saw little of the ball during his 29-minute cameo but at least he ended on the winning side and took the record for being the youngest player to star in MLS and the youngest sports professional to debut in the US.

Freddy Adu still the youngest goal scorer in MLS history

It was the first of 30 appearances that Freddy would make that season - his first goal came in his third game, in the 3-2 defeat to the New York Metrostars. Despite being surpassed by Cavan Sullivan on Wednesday night, Freddy Adu still has the honor of being the youngest player to score in MLS, at 14 years and 320 days of age. The closest anyone has got to that record was Julian Hall who scored a late equalizer for the New York Red Bulls in the 2-2 draw at Montreal last month. At 16 years and 87 days, Hall is the MLS’ second youngest goal scorer.

Youngest players to debut in MLS

  1. Cavan Sullivan (Philadelphia Union): 14 years, 293 days. July 17, 2004 vs New England Revolution
  2. Freddy Adu (D.C. United): 14 years, 306 days. April 3, 2004 vs San Jose Earthquakes
  3. Alphonso Davies (Vancouver Whitecaps): 15 years, 257 days. July 16, 2016 vs Orlando City
  4. Matai Akinmboni (D.C. United): 15 years, 328 days. September 10, 2022 vs Real Salt Lake
  5. Obed Vargas (Seattle Sounders FC): 15 years, 351 days. July 22, 2021 vs Austin FC
  6. Érik Dueñas (LAFC): 15 years, 362 days. October. 14, 2020 vs Vancouver Whitecaps
  7. Stiven Jimenez (FC Cincinnati): 15 years, 362 days. June 21, 2023 vs Toronto
  8. Danny Leyva (Seattle Sounders): 16 years, 31 days. June 5, 2019 vs Montreal Impact
  9. Reed Baker-Whiting (Seattle Sounders): 16 years, 46 days. May 16, 2021 vs Los Angeles FC
  10. Gianluca Busio (Sporting Kansas City): 16 years, 61 days. July 28, 2018 vs FC Dallas

While Maximo Carrizo is officially the youngest player in MLS history having signed a professional contract with New York City FC on his 14th birthday and Real Salt Lake signed Axel Kei when he was barely a fortnight older than Carrizo, aged 14 years and 15 days, neither has made their top flight debut.

Cavan Sullivan also reached another MLS landmark by making his first team debut on Wednesday. He shared the final few minutes on the pitch with his elder brother Quinn, who entered as a sub on 71 minutes and scored the team’s fifth goal.

Cavan and Quinn Sullivan are the 19th pair of brothers to have played together, for the same team in an MLS match. Before them, the last brothers to do it were Gonzalo and Federico Higuaín with Inter Miami in October 2020.

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