Teen Sullivan in USMNT squad, Pulisic left out — SkimNews
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- Mauricio Pochettino named a 28-player USMNT roster for the FIFA international window, featuring 13 uncapped players balanced against veterans like Tyler Adams and Chris Richards, framing it as 'the beginning of a fresh start.'
- Cavan Sullivan, 16, headlines the squad after posting 9 goals and 15 assists across all competitions this season for the Philadelphia Union, including goal contributions in each of his last seven league games.
- If Sullivan debuts against Peru on Sept. 26 or Chile on Sept. 29, he will be the second-youngest player ever to appear for the U.S., behind only Freddy Adu, who first played for the USMNT at 16 years, 243 days in January 2006.
- Christian Pulisic was left off the roster after sustaining a bone bruise and microfracture in his lower leg during the USMNT's World Cup elimination against Belgium on July 6; he has been a substitute in both of his Milan appearances this season.
- Weston McKennie and Diego Luna were also ruled out due to injury — McKennie has yet to play for Juventus this season with a muscle issue, while Luna faces arthroscopic knee surgery expected to sideline him for multiple months.
- Yunus Musah earned a recall after not featuring for the U.S. since the 2025 Concacaf Nations League finals 18 months ago, and West Brom's George Campbell returns for the first time since his sole cap against Venezuela in January 2025.
- The USMNT faces Peru on Sept. 26 in Orlando, Chile on Sept. 29 in St. Louis, Mexico on Oct. 3 in Glendale, and Canada on Oct. 6 in St. Paul, with players reporting to Atlanta on Sept. 20.
Why it matters: Sullivan's potential debut would place him second on the all-time USMNT youth list behind only Freddy Adu, while Pochettino's 13-player uncapped haul signals an aggressive youth-first direction in his first window since the World Cup, even as Pulisic — the team's most established star — is sidelined not by form but by Pochettino's stated fitness standards.
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