Union Homegrowns Cavan Sullivan and Neil Pierre Named to USMNT Roster for Nations League Quarterfinals

Union Homegrowns Cavan Sullivan and Neil Pierre Named to USMNT Roster for Nations League Quarterfinals

by

Union Homegrowns Cavan Sullivan and Neil Pierre Headed to U.S. Roster for Nations League Showdown with Haiti

The Philadelphia Union’s academy pipeline just delivered two of its brightest stars to the biggest stage in North American soccer. Cavan Sullivan and Neil Pierre were named to the U.S. Men’s National Team roster on Wednesday for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals against Haiti, Delco Times reported. The two-legged tie kicks off Nov. 14 at Nu Stadium in Miami and concludes Nov. 17 at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati.

These aren’t friendlies. Both matches are competitive fixtures that carry permanent weight—any young player appearing in either game would be cup-tied to the United States, closing the door on representing another country. Both Sullivan and Pierre are eligible to represent other nations, Delco Times noted, and for Pierre that other nation is Haiti, where both his parents came from Port-au-Prince.

Episode 437 – Cavan Sullivan, Neil Pierre and Frankie Westfield Call-Up to USMNT (ft. Cal Williams)

The games fall after MLS Decision Day, when the Union wrap their regular season at home against Toronto FC, and before the playoffs begin, meaning the club loses no postseason matches to international duty.

From October Breakthrough to Competitive Stakes

Sullivan and Pierre made their senior national team debuts against Peru on Sept. 26 during the final international window of September and October, part of a cavalcade of young players head coach Mauricio Pochettino called up for four friendlies. Sullivan turned 17 during that camp and appeared in three matches, notching one goal. That goal against Mexico on Oct. 3 made him the youngest goal scorer in U.S. men’s national team history at 17 years and five days. Both outlets agree the 17-year-old now carries three caps and one goal. Pierre also appeared in three games during that window, bringing his total to three caps, and continuing his climb through the national team setup while building chemistry with teammates like Danley Jean Jacques, who may feature for Haiti.

The 17-year-old has seven goals and 14 assists across 20 games (28 starts) this season, earning MLS’s designation as the top player in its 22 Under 22 prospect rankings. He recently returned from a two-game absence caused by an ankle injury suffered in Saturday’s loss to Cincinnati. Pierre, 19, has contributed five goals in 17 games (16 starts) since returning from a loan to Lyngby in Denmark on July 22, immediately after the World Cup, showing immediate impact upon his return to Philadelphia.

They weren’t the only young MLS-based Americans called back. The Red Bulls duo of Adri Mehmeti and Julian Hall and Orlando City’s Justin Ellis, all of whom took part in the October camp, are also on this roster alongside the Union pair.

USMNT Nations League Roster REVEALED! Full Breakdown & Reaction

Veteran Players Return After World Cup Exclusion

The local Philadelphia connections run deep beyond Sullivan and Pierre. Former Union homegrown Matt Freese, now New York City FC’s No. 1 and an Episcopal Academy graduate who served as the World Cup starter, brings 20 caps to the squad. Auston Trusty, a Penncrest grad and Media native playing for Celtic Glasgow in Scotland, adds his 14 caps, while George Campbell, born in Chester and raised in Nether Providence before breaking in with Atlanta United’s academy, earns another call after impressing in three appearances last window with West Bromwich Albion.

U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino said in a US Soccer press release, “We are excited to bring this group together at the beginning of our journey in this important competition. These players have earned the opportunity to compete and help achieve our main objective, which is to win and advance in the tournament.”

Union Homegrowns Cavan Sullivan and Neil Pierre Named to USMNT Roster for Nations League Quarterfinals
Photo: philadelphiaunion.com

November’s Two-Legged Test

The U.S. is chasing a fourth CONCACAF Nations League title in the competition’s fifth edition, having won three times since its inception in 2021. The winner of this quarterfinal tie advances to face the victor of Jamaica versus Mexico in the semifinals in March. Curaçao, Panama, Guatemala and Canada fill out the other side of the bracket.

For Sullivan and Pierre, the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals against Haiti represent a step up from the friendlies they played in October. The first leg in Miami begins at 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 14, with the return leg in Cincinnati following at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 17. Broadcasts will air on TBS, truTV, Universo, HBO Max and Peacock, with radio coverage on Westwood One and Fútbol de Primera.

One potential wrinkle: the Haiti roster may include Union midfielder Danley Jean Jacques, setting up a rare club-versus-club dynamic on the international stage where former teammates could face each other with national team eligibility on the line.

Whether Sullivan and Pierre see minutes in these competitive fixtures remains unanswered. What’s clear is that Pochettino has named them to the roster for the first official competitions of the 2030 World Cup cycle, and the Nations League quarterfinals are competitive ties.

USMNT Roster REACTION: Pulisic OUT, Cavan Sullivan and the Youth IN | DUEL NATS

More on Nations League

Cavan Sullivan Takes Over MLS + Last Looks Ahead of USMNT Roster

Related reading

Read next