ORLANDO — The question directed at Mauricio Pochettino was about Cavan Sullivan, the 16-year-old forward whose debut found him in the starting lineup for the U.S.’s 4-1 victory over Peru on Saturday.
Pochettino began saying nice things about his prized prospect, but before long he was broadening his praise.
“He’s so great,” Pochettino said. “He only needs time, like Mathis Albert, like Zavier or Adri or Brooklyn or Neil or Frankie or Julian or Justin … ”
Pochettino stopped himself with a laugh. The gathering of reporters and guests in the media room followed suit.
He brought more players into the conversation not necessarily to deflect attention from Sullivan, who clocked 62 quality minutes, but to appropriately salute the gang of newcomers, including seven other teenagers who made their senior debuts.
“You ask me only about Cavan, but I need to say that all were fantastic and all have different personality. We are so, so happy,” Pochettino said following the first U.S. match since the World Cup. “After one week [of training] … we are so excited now to continue building that journey in the next few games and few weeks.”
In reality, Pochettino is overseeing a four-year project, culminating with the 2030 World Cup. Many of the players introduced Saturday seem on the right path toward contributing to the program, which, despite making international strides, is still seeking a breakthrough moment on the global scene.
Perhaps the answer lies with the kids.
Justin Ellis scored four minutes into his USMNT debut, at his club stadium, on a free kick from the player he called his boyhood idol.
Pochettino watched Justin Ellis, 19, score four minutes into his debut — and, for good measure, at his home stadium. He saw Mathis Albert, 17, draw a penalty kick moments into his first game. He saw Julian Hall, 18, score 10 minutes into his initial appearance, a second-half goal that provided a two-goal cushion.
More than the performance and the final score, Pochettino saw a mix of novice and seasoned players work well together.
“One of our question marks was: ‘OK, it’s the first time we are going to play together,'” Pochettino said. “But after the game we felt like we were training for a while.”
He added, “They want to evolve, want to learn, want to run, want to play. This is why we are so proud and we are so happy.”
Pochettino admitted there are going to be ups and downs along the way, then added, “But it’s important we start to show the possibilities we will have with this group of players.”
Saturday’s match, like the next three in the coming 10 days, was a friendly, littered with substitutions and lacking consequences. Nonetheless, it was a promising start.
Pochettino said he wasn’t surprised how well a group playing together for the first time performed over 90 minutes.
“The language of football is good players connect quickly,” he said. “They don’t need too much time together, and because they are good, they have quality, they connect so quickly. They only need a few training sessions.”
Speaking on the connectivity, Pochettino said, “They understand much better than how we explain!”
He was also quick to credit the experienced players who have made the youngsters feel welcome.
“The headline is: The senior players deserve massive credit in the way they treat, in the way they guide, in the way they support, in the way they welcome, in the way they create an environment very comfortable for them [so it] feels like home.”
Take Gio Reyna, for instance. Upon his call-up to camp last week, Ellis shared how he had idolized Reyna for years. It provided fun fodder in the delegation during the week of work at the national training center near Atlanta.
On a more serious note, Ellis said on Friday night Reyna told him “he was going to assist me,” Ellis said.
Like clockwork, early in the match, Reyna’s free kick met Ellis for a no-look header and a 1-0 lead.
“A little brother here in camp for me, so he’s been awesome,” said Reyna, just 23 but a two-time World Cup midfielder. “I told him I just want to give him an assist.”
Reyna said the new crew “brought great energy. None of them showed nerves at all. Very aggressive, and they fit in right away.”
Cavan Sullivan became the second youngest player to start his debut for the U.S. and played 62 minutes against Peru.
Sullivan, who will turn 17 on Monday, drew the bulk of the pregame attention because of his age and because he’s enjoying a sensational breakout season with the Philadelphia Union. He became the second-youngest player in U.S. men’s history to start his debut.
“It was a really special day for me, my family,” said Sullivan, whose parents attended the match at Inter.co Stadium. “It’s crazy that I represented my country [with] the highest level with the men’s national team, so I’m really happy to have done this. Overall, it was a really amazing night.”
He said he wasn’t as calm as he might have looked before kickoff.
“There were nerves [and] I was super excited — a little bit of both,” said Sullivan. “Pregame was definitely nerve-wracking, yeah.”
Captain Tyler Adams said he thought the situation was ideal for the mass debuts and integration.
“It was a great way to introduce them to international football,” he said. “I don’t want to say [there was] no pressure; there is pressure. It’s an opportunity for them to prove what they’re capable of. But in a game like this, where the coach shows so much faith and says, ‘Some guys start from the beginning. Some guys are going to come off the bench. You know your role, what it looks like,’ they can be comfortable, and there’s a good blend of experience as well.”
From the World Cup squad, Malik Tillman converted a penalty kick for a 2-1 lead and Sebastian Berhalter assisted on Hall’s goal and capped the evening with a sensational strike from distance.
The introductions fit into Pochettino’s plan to mold the team over four years, after having just 18 months to prepare for this summer’s World Cup. The work will continue with friendlies against Chile on Tuesday in St. Louis, Mexico next Saturday in greater Phoenix and Canada on Oct. 6 in St. Paul.
When things turn serious in November, for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals, some of the absent veterans, such as Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun and Weston McKennie, will probably return to the mix.
This international window, though, allows Pochettino to evaluate his talent pool and expand his roster options.
The 4-1 victory was not as important as creating “that type of connection and to start to [play] for the people and for everyone here in the country, to see how exciting it is and to see this team play,” Pochettino said. “We want to build the journey.”
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