Cavan Sullivan Breaks History in Union’s 5-1 Thrashing of New England

Contributor - Ryan Straub It was headlines-galore in Chester last night even before the Union took the field against the New England Revolution. In a battle of the two teams in the basement of the Eastern Conference, with Philadelphia in last at 15th and New England one point ahead in 14th, it was the Union who got a desperately needed win. Here’s everything that happened in a game that can hopefully turn their season around. Cavan Sullivan Breaks North American Sports History We’ll start with not only the biggest news of the game but the biggest news in the sports world last night. At 14 years, 293 days old, Cavan Sullivan became the youngest athlete to make their debut across any major North American sports league (MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA, NWSL, WNBA, MLS). https://twitter.com/MLS/status/1813747094710350198 Sullivan is just 13 days younger than the previous record holder, Freddy Adu, who made his debut for D.C. United on April 4, 2003, at 14 years, 306 days old. Sullivan is also younger than any player who has ever played in the Top Five European soccer leagues - England’s Premier League, Spain’s La Liga, France’s Ligue 1, Germany’s Bundesliga, and Italy’s Serie A. Sullivan joined Mid-Days With Bob Cooney on Thursday. When asked how special it was to celebrate with and sub in alongside his 20-year-old brother Quinn (who had scored a brilliant outside-the-box goal just seconds before), Cavan said “I think having my brother along the way was really special, you know, he helped me prepare and he helped to take me after the game. So just having him along the journey is really helpful.” https://twitter.com/MLS/status/1813747570445049980 As for the critics who say the physicality aspect of professional sports, and his lack thereof at just 14, may pose a problem, he says “My brothers are older than me and I’ve played 2 or 3 years up every single game and training. So yeah, I’m pretty used to it. I know you got to be quick with the feet and you got to be one step ahead to avoid the contact from these big guys.” PACHUCA, MEXICO - MARCH 12: Quinn Sullivan of Philadelphia Union controls the ball during the round of 16-second leg match between Pachuca and Philadelphia as part of Concacaf Champions Cup 2024 at Estadio Hidalgo on March 12, 2024 in Pachuca, Mexico. Cavan Sullivan doesn’t turn 15 until September 28, so expect to see many more headlines about his unbelievable accomplishments at such a young age. Andre Blake Returns, Baribo Nets Hat-Trick Starting goalkeeper Andre Blake made his return to the starting lineup for the first time since April 30, after injuring his knee and recovering from meniscus surgery in late May. His return serves as a relief to many after some inconsistent and below-average play by backup Oliver Semmle. 18-year-old Andrew Rick showed promise during the time he was given, but the return of Blake will inevitably see all other goalkeepers to the bench. It was a night to remember for Israeli forward Tai Baribo as well, who scored three goals to complete his first MLS hat trick. After signing with the Union in August 2023, Baribo saw very little playing time at the end of last season and the beginning of this season. He scored 2 goals in his first career MLS start last month at FC Cincinnati and added another goal in their previous game Saturday against Toronto FC. Baribo certainly looks like a player in great form as the team attempts to right the ship. An Eastern Conference playoff spot is still an extremely reasonable goal even after the Union’s disastrous start to the season. In a game where they scored three goals in a half for the first time all season, players, coaches, and fans alike hope that this could be the night that changed everything for the 2024 Union campaign. Watch Bob Cooney live on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page on Weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.