City of Champions: The Next Freddy Adu Is In Philly, 14-Year-Old Cavan Sullivan Signs With Philadelphia Union
There's still nothing that makes less sense in American sports than soccer. It's not even just the loans and transfers and relegation that doesn't make any sense. But it's the entire youth academy set up they have going. Imagine if NFL teams had youth academies filled with a bunch of 12-year-olds who leave regular school and just spend all day playing football in hopes of one day making the team. And then all of a sudden, some kid shows up who is so ridiculously talented that he ends up signing a pro deal with the team before he can even get his drivers permit.
That's what we have here with Cavan Sullivan and the Philadelphia Union.
Union -- Philadelphia Union announced today that they have signed midfielder Cavan Sullivan through 2028, in a Major League Soccer record deal. Sullivan, who joined Philadelphia Union Academy at 10 years old, becomes the youngest player in club history to be added to the first team roster, and the fifth youngest player to sign a first-team contract in MLS history.
...Last year Sullivan led the US to victory in the 2023 Concacaf Boy’s Under-15 Championship, marking the first time the US has ever won the tournament. The youngest player on the team, Sullivan’s four goals scored earned him the Golden Ball as the best player in the tournament.
Should Sullivan debut for the Union on or before July 29, 2024, he will become the youngest player to make his debut among the top North American professional sports leagues (MLB, MLS, NBA, NFL, NHL, NWSL) as well as the youngest player to make his debut among the top five European soccer leagues.
Hopefully he's spent way more time watching Messi highlights on YouTube than he has researching the career of Freddy Adu. Obviously every kid is different and they're going to be able to handle that pressure differently. But as long as things go according to plan for Cavan, he'll be on his way to Man City once he turns 18.
Which I think is a little bullshit if you ask me. I mean if this kid is an absolute weapon on the field and the Union turn into a dynasty, then I think Manchester City should have to play the Union in order to get him. Philly played a pivotal role in beating the shit out of England in the Revolutionary War. I'll be damned if we just give this kid away to an English team for nothing. Don't tread on me!
Either way, this is what makes Philly the greatest sports city in the world. Elite teams, elite fans, elite athletes. All this city does is produce greatness and champions. Time to DOOP the heck up.
Sidenote: You think Messi and Ronaldo ever wake up in the morning and thank the heavens that Freddy Adu never turned into the greatest soccer player in the world like he was supposed to? There's an alternate universe out there where we don't even know Messi or Ronaldo exist.