Sanjay Sujanthakumar
@sanjaysujan.bsky.social
🇺🇸⚽️ freelance journalist 🎙️ @scuffed.bsky.social ✍️ @backheeled.com @us.theguardian.com
🎙️ New pod ‼️ Greg and Vince recap the cherry on top of the window. We downed Marsch to cap a 12-point break, played a lot of kids, will reap the Pot 1 math benefits, Gio started 4/4, Freeman's influence expanding. The soccer wasn't fantastic but to a certain extent who cares.
Four wins. 13 debuts. 🇺🇸 The USMNT’s fall camp offered a glimpse into the future with young attackers and promising goalkeepers making their cases. But questions remain for Mauricio Pochettino. @sanjaysujan.bsky.social looks back — and looks ahead for the U.S. ⤵️
The USMNT’s future is here, but midfield questions remain for Pochettino
After four fall friendlies, which young players should return for November’s competitive games?
backheeled.com
🎙️ New pod ‼️ Greg and Belz talk through the W. Mexico in shambles. Cavan scores cinematically to become the youngest USMNT goalscorer of all time. Tres a zero.
Gio Reyna’s USMNT revival might be upon us. After years of injuries, Reyna is finding rhythm as the only player to start all three of the U.S.'s fall friendlies. “I’m only getting stronger.” @sanjaysujan.bsky.social examines the uptick of one of the USMNT's biggest talents ⤵️
Gio Reyna's USMNT revival is here: "I’m only getting stronger"
After years of injuries and interrupted development, Reyna is playing regularly and growing "more confident" in his body. That's big news for the United States.
backheeled.com
Last time I was here, the USMNT were reeling from Couva + beginning a new era (real ones remember the Nick Lima game). Today? The USMNT is near the beginning of a different era fueled by young talent galore. Coverage to come from @sanjaysujan.bsky.social and me for @backheeled.com.
▪️ Cavan Sullivan, best player on the field? ▪️ Julian Hall, Diego Kochen shine ▪️ Justin Ellis shows promise off the bench ▪️ USMNT don't struggle with "difficult" atmosphere @joeclowery.bsky.social and @sanjaysujan.bsky.social break down the USMNT's 3-0 win over Mexico ⤵️
Cavan Sullivan, USMNT youngsters shine & more takeaways from Mexico win
Sullivan made history against El Tri, but he wasn't the only fresh face who impressed.
backheeled.com
🎙️ New pod ‼️ Vince and Belz talk through the 4-2 win over Chile in St. Louis earlier this week #USMNT
If your reaction to Wemby saying this is a hearty “hell yeah”, it behooves me to let you know that @theguardian.com does not take business from betting companies, we have a great sports section, no paywall, and a great app. www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/o...
‘It’s sad seeing players promote it’: Wembanyama says he will never endorse gambling companies
Spurs star says it is ‘very sad’ to see NBA players promote gambling companies and insists money no longer drives his sponsorship decisions
theguardian.com
I sat down with Cavan Sullivan, Neil Pierre and Frankie Westfield - all together - at their first senior #USMNT camp. "Every moment is sort of like a pinch-me moment," Sullivan said. Now comes "the biggest game of our lives," their first U.S.-Mexico showcase: www.inquirer.com/soccer/cavan...
Cavan Sullivan, Neil Pierre, and Frankie Westfield savor ‘a pinch-me moment’ with their USMNT debuts
The trio of Union players sat down together for a joint interview with The Inquirer ahead of what Sullivan called ‘the biggest game of our lives’: their first showdown with rival Mexico.
inquirer.com
🎙️ New pod ‼️ Vince and Belz talk through the 4-1 win, the 11 debuts, the young goal-scorers and Sebastian Berhalter's decisive cameo. Three more matches to go in this window, lots to think about #USMNT
“The dream is a reality,” Cavan Sullivan said of his senior #USMNT debut. “I feel really proud” Mauricio Pochettino said. “It shows maturity,” Alex Freeman said. And you’re really going to want to read what Gio Reyna said: www.inquirer.com/soccer/cavan... via @phillysport.bsky.social
For Cavan Sullivan, ‘the dream is reality’ in a successful USMNT debut
Mauricio Pochettino said he was 'so happy' with the 16-year-old's game, while teammates praised Sullivan's maturity and hard work.
inquirer.com
🎙️NEW POD‼️ Ryan Richter coaches the hottest team in MLS. He’s got a front-row seat to the Cavan Sullivan experience, and he sat down to talk with Belz about the mid-season rebirth of the Philadelphia Union
Three years ago, Cavan Sullivan was dreaming about playing for the USMNT. Now he’s in his first senior team camp. Meet the family, coaches and environment that helped shape one of American soccer’s most intriguing young talents. @sanjaysujan.bsky.social ⤵️
Meet the Sullivans, America’s next big soccer family
With a prodigy, a U.S. youth international, and a set of ambitious twins at home, life is never dull for the Sullivan family.
backheeled.com
New from me: A column on Cavan Sullivan's first senior #USMNT camp, and the hype train, and comparisons to Freddy Adu, and my experiences with both of them over time. They are not close to the same. We should say so loud and clear. www.inquirer.com/soccer/cavan... via @phillysport.bsky.social
For all the hype, Cavan Sullivan has genuinely earned his moment on the USMNT’s biggest stage
Yes, he’s an amazing talent, and has marketing deals better than players twice his age. But that alone — never mind the hype — wouldn’t have seen Sullivan score six goals in the last six Union games.
inquirer.com
“The expectation they gave me was, enjoy, compete, and obviously it’s an honor to represent the crest,” Neil Pierre said of his first #USMNT camp. Or as he put it more bluntly, “They tell me, like, ‘Yeah, great to meet you, but hey, you better show it on the field.’” Welcome aboard, 6-foot-7 kid:
Neil Pierre could be on the cusp of his next star turn as he heads to his first USMNT camp
It’s understandable that Cavan Sullivan gets the most hype of the trio of young Union stars on Mauricio Pochettino's latest roster. But Pierre's turn is on the way, and he has earned the right to it.
inquirer.com
🎙️ New pod ‼️ Vince, Sanjay and Belz talk about the roster and revisit the weekend.
🎙️ New pod ‼️ Poch (implicitly) warns Cavan, who scored again. Gio scores too, among others. Vince and Sanjay with much to discuss on The Monday Review.
The headlines are already touting Red Bull-Union as Julian Hall vs. Cavan Sullivan. If it was up to me, it would be Adri Mehmeti vs. Cavan Sullivan - yes, I think that highly of Mehmeti. I asked Ryan Richter his opinion of Mehmeti, and got plenty in the answer: www.inquirer.com/soccer/mls-s...
![Really impressed with him. I think he's a really top player. We saw him last year in the [Red Bull] second team, and it's no surprise that when Michael took the job that that he threw him in right away because he knows what he's capable of.
You see the quality that he's playing with, the bravery to play forward, the timing of his movements, the way he positions himself so that he can play forward and break lines, with almost every opportunity he has to turn in the midfield.
It's really impressive. And it's impressive for a young player, with the nuance that he puts into to these types of of passes, with the tempo that he plays with, the quickness that he releases it, the place that he puts the ball for the guy receiving the pass that he will play in his path, or play in his front foot so that he can turn and go forward.
It's key to the way that they play, and it's really impressive to see a young player that plays with such a nuanced game and such a calmness in midfield.
And that's going to be a challenge for us, that we make sure we don't give him time on the ball or don't let him receive the ball in a dangerous position where he can pick these forward passes. But overall, been really impressed when you go through the tapes of some of the stuff that he's doing.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:gj2bc6vdtaw5mfhzhzdxr3j3/bafkreiecyfl3uaj6bum5j4b33qb2gwtagthwub6tlqk5tydiwhfrg4bapa)
You know about their brothers, but it’s time to learn about Declan and Ronan Sullivan, embarking on their own international ⚽️ journey to the excitement of millions Spoke to the twins + former #USMNT captain and new 🇧🇩 head coach Thomas Dooley @us.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/football/202...
Another set of Sullivan brothers are making football waves in Bangladesh
While Cavan and Quinn Sullivan star in MLS with the Philadelphia Union, brothers Ronan and Declan have connected with their South Asian heritage
theguardian.com
"You play basketball, right?" Neil Pierre hears it all the time. But the 6'7" Philadelphia Union teenager chose soccer — and he's now one of the USMNT's most intriguing prospects. @sanjaysujan.bsky.social sat down with Pierre to learn all about his rise ⤵️
Meet Neil Pierre, the Philadelphia Union’s 6-foot-7 teenager who could be the USMNT's next rising star
The center back has emerged as one of MLS’s most intriguing young players — and a potential future U.S. mainstay.
backheeled.com
🎙️ New pod ‼️ @cboehm.bsky.social joins Belz to talk through a few MLS things and think retrospectively about the World Cup.
🎙️ New pod ‼️ Yunus Musah set for his midfield chance in Milan. The European season is upon us. Mehmeti and Cavan keep cooking. The Monday Review
The 2030 World Cup cycle starts now. Mauricio Pochettino has four years to help build a better USMNT — and that means giving young talent real opportunities. @sanjaysujan.bsky.social examines the biggest priorities for the start of Pochettino's new cycle ⤵️
Pochettino's biggest USMNT priority? Hand the keys to the next generation
With a new four-year contract signed, Mauricio Pochettino's focus should shift toward building the USMNT's next core rather than relying on its last one.
backheeled.com
The big Mauricio Pochettino piece, with his answers to some key questions: - Is he really committed through 2030? - How much will he open the door to young players? - Will he move to the U.S.? (Yes, he might.) And more... www.inquirer.com/soccer/mauri... via @phillysport.bsky.social
Mauricio Pochettino stays on as USMNT manager, and promises things won’t stay the same
Pochettino has agreed to a new deal through the 2030 World Cup. He signaled he intends to see it out, and that he might now live full-time in the U.S.But those are just two of many quesitons.
inquirer.com
🎙️ New pod ‼️ Adri Mehmeti sits down with Sanjay to discuss his rise, soccer in his Staten Island home, playing for Michael Bradley, his national team future and more.
🎙️ New pod ‼️ Brooklyn FC head coach Marlon LeBlanc joins Belz for a wide-ranging chat. The former West Virginia University, Philly Union II and U.S. U-18 boss and father of a legit prospect talks about the World Cup, USL, the Sullivans, coaching education and more.
#RBNY and #NYCFC with their first home games tonight since the World Cup. Can they capitalize on the bump? Check out my piece @backheeled.com looking at the stadium situations, identities, and futures of two franchises aiming for more relevance in the Big Apple www.backheeled.com/mls-new-york...
MLS has a New York problem. Is a solution on the way?
A new stadium, distinct identities, and post-World Cup momentum have given New York's MLS clubs their best chance yet to capture the city's soccer fans.
backheeled.com
My friend, Mr. Philadelphia, heard from me first. Before anyone
Jonathan Tannenwald@jtannenwald.bsky.social · 3mo ago“Did you hear about LeBron?” Ryan Richter’s first words to me as I walked in at the end of practice. Yes, Ryan, I did…
#RBNY and #NYCFC with their first home games tonight since the World Cup. Can they capitalize on the bump? Check out my piece @backheeled.com looking at the stadium situations, identities, and futures of two franchises aiming for more relevance in the Big Apple www.backheeled.com/mls-new-york...
MLS has a New York problem. Is a solution on the way?
A new stadium, distinct identities, and post-World Cup momentum have given New York's MLS clubs their best chance yet to capture the city's soccer fans.
backheeled.com
The Austin FC academy is under investigation by local police and the FBI for allegations of youth-on-youth sexual abuse among players. Reporting w/ @mlsist.bsky.social: www.theguardian.com/football/202...
Austin FC academy under investigation by police and FBI for allegations of youth-on-youth sexual abuse
Multiple league, club, and law enforcement sources confirm ongoing inquiries into MLS club
theguardian.com