Cavan Sullivan is the most hyped United States soccer prospect since Christian Pulisic and Gio Reyna. Below is a deep dive into his game and what makes him special.
Technically
Sullivan's technical profile is really interesting. He has the ability to execute some of the most difficult actions that can be executed on a soccer pitch, but he's also a little loose at times. Let me be clear, he has elite technical ability, but he's also a very spontaneous and inventive player whose mind is running quickly, and at times that can lead to an errant pass or a loose touch. I do think that will be cleaned up over time as he touches the ball more and more, but I also think it will always be a part of his game a little bit, and that's okay.
Still, the things he can do with the ball at his feet are very unique. His footwork, his ball mastery and the way his body, mind and ball are all working in harmony is a thing of beauty. His passing and playmaking are another one of his greatest strengths. He can bend and weight a difficult through ball perfectly. He can execute different flicks and one-touch passes. He can finesse little curling balls into space. He can drive a long diagonal over the top. He can play an outside-of-the-foot pass with ease. He can hit every pass imaginable. Do they always get executed to perfection? No, but he has the ability to execute the truly difficult plays that can rip open a defense.
His ball striking is a work in progress, but it's gotten noticeably better over the last couple of years. His left foot is particularly strong, and he does have the ability to cut in on his left foot and strike a dangerous ball with pace, precision and curling action. He's still more inconsistent than you'd like to see, but the trend line is positive, and I think that progression will continue. His right foot isn't spectacular, but it's functional and doesn't hinder him like a lot of lefties. He can go right enough to keep defenders honest and to score with his right foot when the situation calls for it.
Tactically
Sullivan's creativity and ingenuity are a big part of what makes him special. I wouldn't describe him as a methodical player, but more so an inventive and at times spontaneous one. Many of his ideas do not come off, and at times look silly, because he sees things that others aren't considering, and as a playmaker, your teammates need to be on the same page for the equation to work. But when his unexpected ideas do work, they tend to do damage because they're ideas the defense isn't prepared for. This is what makes Cavan different and makes him such an exciting player for the USMNT. One of the biggest things holding the team back, especially against elite competition, is a lack of players with highly unexpected ideas who can also execute those ideas even against organized and talented defenses. When you play the best defenses in the world, it takes special ideas and execution to score goals, and that's the kind of thing Sullivan can bring.
One of the other aspects of Sullivan's game that's really advanced is his movement off the ball. Most of his goals in MLS have come from really intelligent, high-effort movement in the final third. He has a great knack for overlapping, running into the channels and crashing the box at the right time. These habits are what's going to make him a goal scorer throughout his career. Of course he can give you the spectacular individual play, but he'll get the majority of his goals because of his desire to run at the right time to the right spots in the box.
I do think it's fair to say that early in games Sullivan can take longer than you'd like to get into a rhythm, and sometimes he can even be described as sloppy. While that isn't ideal, I think you have to take that because the payoff is worth it. It's important to be patient when watching Sullivan play because oftentimes it takes him a while to grow into games and produce the big impact plays. I also think it's why he was less impactful as a substitute for Philadelphia earlier in the season.
Against the ball, Sullivan has improved a lot. When you're a superstar on the ball, it's easy to take playing against the ball less seriously, but that isn't the case with Sullivan. Philly's system is dependent on high pressure, and he's improved a lot this year. He has the instincts and recognition to close space at the right time and jump passing lanes to initiate dangerous transition opportunities.
Physically
There's a chance Cavan isn't finished growing — he's only 16, and plenty of players go through a final growth spurt between 16 and 18 — though his frame suggests he might already be close to his adult size. Either way, I don't think it's a major issue. He isn't the biggest guy at 5-foot-7, but he's got some special physical tools: his initial burst of pace, his contact balance and his ability to change direction.
He isn't the most fluid and natural runner — in fact, he's kind of an awkward runner — but the results are what matters, and what he does is continuously blow by defenders, and not just slow ones. In a recent game against San Diego FC, he beat CB, Manu Duah, San Diego FC (2005) convincingly in a one-on-one situation. Duah is arguably the best one-on-one defender in space in MLS, and the profile of defender Cavan will see regularly once he moves to Europe. That play showed me his burst will translate to higher levels. It's the combination of burst, contact balance and change of direction that makes him such a handful in one-on-one situations. He can ride contact, create leverage and take advantage once he's made the defender overcommit in one direction. He doesn't have the world-class burst and pace that Pulisic had at 17, but he has better strength and change of direction. He's a different kind of athlete, but his physical traits translate to high levels of competition.
Mentally
Sullivan's mentality is what may end up separating him from all of the United States' top prospects that preceded him. I don't mean that to be a dig at any of the other guys who come to mind, but I do think Sullivan is a little different. He has the drive, competitiveness, work ethic and self-belief that are found in the top athletes across any sport. Does that mean he'll have guaranteed success? Absolutely not, but it does mean he'll give himself the best chance to succeed. From the first time I watched Cavan play at 12, he's played the same way — with a fearlessness and confidence that he's the best player on the field, even though he's always played against older players who are bigger and stronger than he is. Failure doesn't deter him. He tries audacious things on the field, and he always has, and many times those attempts don't come off. In fact, sometimes he can look silly. But sometimes they do come off and lead to the spectacular. Sullivan isn't deterred by things not working. He has a short memory and a belief that at some point something he tries will be the thing that changes a game.
How often have you heard someone say, "Can we stop hyping Cavan and let him develop so the pressure doesn't sink him?" People have been hyping him for years, and it hasn't changed anything. I think the kid is just wired in a unique way, and the only things that could get in his way are injuries or toxic club environments. I just don't think money and fame will change his insatiable desire to be the best player he can be. If I'm wrong, keep this receipt, but I don't think I will be.
