Филадельфиа Юнион клубийн авьяаслаг жигүүрийн тоглогч Кэван Салливан АНУ-ын үндэсний шигшээ багийн бүрэлдэхүүнд багтаж, анхны тоглолтоо хийхээр бэлтгэлдээ гарч байна.
Дөнгөж 16 настай Кэван Салливан нь Фредди Адугийн дараа шигшээ багт дуудагдсан түүхэн дэх хамгийн залуу тоглогч болж байна. Есдүгээр сарын 28-нд 17 нас хүрэх тэрээр энэ улиралд MLS-д 6 гоол, 5 оновчтой дамжуулалт гүйцэтгэсэн үзүүлэлттэй байгаа бөгөөд 18 нас хүрэхдээ Манчестер Сити клубт элсэхээр тохиролцсон юм. Тэрээр 2024 онд 14 нас, 293 хоногтойдоо MLS-ийн талбайд гарч, Фредди Адугийн тогтоосон рекордыг эвдсэн билээ.
АНУ-ын шигшээ багийн дасгалжуулагч Маурисио Почеттино ирэх есдүгээр сарын сүүл болон аравдугаар сарын эхээр болох нөхөрсөг тоглолтуудад шинэ залуу тоглогчдыг сорихоор төлөвлөж байна. Шигшээ баг Перу, Чили, Мексик болон Канадын багуудтай нөхөрсөг тоглолт хийх бөгөөд уг бүрэлдэхүүнд Нил Пьер, Завьер Гозо, Жастин Эллис, Жулиан Холл, Адри Мехмети зэрэг залуу тоглогчид багтаж байна.
Маурисио Почеттино залуу тоглогчдын сэтгэл зүйг төлөвшүүлэхэд анхаарч, тэднийг талбай дээр даруу төлөв байж, мэргэжлийн түвшинд өсөн дэвжихийн чухлыг онцолжээ. Дасгалжуулагчийн зүгээс залуу тоглогчид амжилтад хэт эрт эрдэх нь карьерт нь сөрөг нөлөөтэйг анхааруулж, Лионель Месси шиг өндөр амжилт гаргаагүй л бол хэт их ярих нь зохимжгүй болохыг сануулсан байна. Энэхүү байр суурь нь өөрсдийн боломжийн талаар олон нийтэд ил тод ярьж байсан Завьер Гозо, Кэван Салливан нарт хандсан сануулга гэж ажиглагчид үзэж байна.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
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Philadelphia Union homegrown star Cavan Sullivan has been called up to the U.S. men’s national team for his potential senior debut,one of a number of younger players expected to be a part of the upcoming camp.
Multiple sources confirmed Sullivan has been called in by U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino for four friendlies across late September and early October. The winger, who is set to join Manchester City when he turns 18, has six goals and five assists this season in MLS. (MLS has Sullivan listed with six goals and 11 assists because the league counts secondary, or hockey assists, as an assist.)
Sullivan, who turns 17 on Sept. 28, would be the second-youngest debutant for the U.S. behind only Freddy Adu. He recently surpassed Adu for most goal contributions in a season aged 16 or younger, and also broke Adu’s record as the youngest player to appear in an MLS game at 14 years and 293 days old in 2024.
Pochettino, who is set to start his second cycle as U.S. coach, said earlier this month that he would include several new faces in this U.S. team as it begins to prepare for the 2030 World Cup —but with the 2028 Olympics and other tournaments also on the docket in coming years.
The upcoming camp is, “going to be a mix in between players that were involved in the World Cup and players maybe with the possibility to make their first call for the national team,” Pochettino said.
Among the young players who have drawn attention are Sullivan’s Philadelphia teammate Neil Pierre; former RSL star Zavier Gozo, who moved to Crystal Palace in the summer window; Orlando City forward Justin Ellis; and Red Bull New York teens Julian Hall and Adri Mehmeti.
The U.S. is set to announce its roster on Thursday morning for the friendlies against Peru (Sept. 26; Orlando), Chile (Sept. 29; St. Louis), Mexico (Oct. 3; Glendale, Ariz.) and Canada (Oct. 6; St. Paul, Minn.).
Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT has four upcoming friendlies to kickoff its post-World Cup journey. (Jamie Squire / Getty Images)
Pochettino notably also cautioned young players not to be too “arrogant” early in their professional careers.
“We are very happy to have all these potential good players,” Pochettino said. “Being young, and with a possibility to perform and to play. Only we need to be careful, no? We need to be careful because when you are young, of course you need to be confident. You need to have the trust in yourself and believe that you can perform and you can do well. But I think there is a limit.
“The balance is the most important. And one of our responsibilities is to protect these guys because sometimes, if you play well and you are 17, 16, or 18, and you play well and people start to talk (like) you are (Leo) Messi, or you are a big star in the world because you do a few good things, if after you are confused and you don’t manage (it) well, that can be dangerous for your career and that is what we don’t want. We don’t want that (for) the young guys with potential of being top players.
“(We want) to provide the platform for them to evolve and to be professional, to build their career in the best way, improving every day, being humble, being careful when they talk in the media, when they talk with their teammates, when they talk with the opponent. I think respect is the most important thing, and they need to be respectful.
“And of course, we want players with talent, players that feel brave, feel confident, but not (that) feel things that they still don’t show or they (haven’t) earned. I think you only are entitled to talk a little bit out of order if you are Messi. If you’ve won eight Ballon d’Ors, OK, you can talk with a certain arrogance. But even Messi, never are you going to hear him talking in this way. But if you are young and you start to talk that you can play here, you can play there, or you can play, I don’t believe that these are in a right way to build your career in the best way.
“And that is why we need to be careful.”
Many saw that as a direct warning to players like Gozo, who said on a podcast that he “deserved” to be at the World Cup, and Sullivan, who said on a different podcast that he felt he could have made a difference against Belgium.
