USMNT's next generation breaks through: Cavan Sullivan, Julian Hall and Pochettino's road to 2030

The post-World Cup comedown is usually hard to avoid, but the U.S. men's national team has flipped the script at the start of the new four-year cycle. In his first window after the tournament, Mauricio Pochettino gave 13 different players their first senior cap, blending a group of debutants with an average age of 19 alongside several World Cup participants. The result was a perfect run of four wins and the sense that a generational shift is already under way ahead of 2030.

• The United States won all four fall friendlies against Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada.
• Pochettino handed out 13 first caps during the window.
• Julian Hall scored three goals and added one assist in his first four senior appearances.
• Cavan Sullivan, 17, scored his first international goal in the 3-0 win over Mexico.
• Gio Reyna embraced a mentoring role and started eight consecutive games for club and country.

Pochettino begins the generational shift with 13 USMNT debuts

Pochettino launched his most future-oriented roster expansion yet this fall, mixing newcomers with an average age of 19 with several players who already know what it means to compete at a World Cup. Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada threw different challenges at the group, and the team answered every one of them with a win.

The head coach was generous in his praise for the newcomers, pointing to their desire to learn and to showcase their talent, while also crediting the veterans for welcoming them into the group. At the same time, he avoided singling out individuals and kept the focus on the collective during this early stage of the cycle.

Julian Hall emerges as the breakout forward of the USMNT window

The clearest winner of the window is Julian Hall. The 18-year-old scored three goals and added an assist in his first four senior appearances, and he led all newcomers with an average of 52.25 minutes per game. He arrived after snapping a 12-game goalless run just in time for his first opportunity with the senior national team.

Hall showed natural striker's instincts to find the net against Chile and Mexico even when the team's overall performances were uneven. He still has room to grow in his decision-making speed and his consistency during matches, but those feel like coachable areas for a player in the very early stages of his career. Justin Ellis' injury against Canada may have boosted Hall's minutes, but he earned the start against Mexico on merit.

Justin Ellis and the battle for minutes in the USMNT attack

Ellis also deserves recognition after scoring twice during the window, though his playing time was cut short by the injury he picked up in the 1-0 win over Canada that forced a halftime substitution. His ability to create shots makes him a different kind of forward than Hall, but one just as useful for Pochettino.

Both players have a real case to return to the squad in November, especially since the forward line is not the deepest area of the roster. World Cup goalscorer Folarin Balogun is still building match fitness after missing the start of the season with Monaco, while Ricardo Pepi withdrew from the fall friendlies with an injury of his own.

We were sad because of the injury of Ricardo, but in football, when something bad happens, it is an opportunity for another player, and they need to be ready to take the possibility. The plan was already there with Justin and Julian: give them the chance to play even with Ricardo in camp, like you saw with the goalkeepers.

Cavan Sullivan, the face of the USMNT's 2030 generation

Cavan Sullivan is already the face of the USMNT's next generation, and Pochettino has not shied away from that reality. The 17-year-old started against Mexico and averaged 33.5 minutes per game during the window, slightly more than Ellis. Still, the way Pochettino has managed him has been a case study in patience with a player whose ceiling appears limitless.

The coach fielded more questions about Sullivan than any other player this fall and was slower to offer specific praise than he often is with more experienced names. That approach reflects exactly how highly he rates the teenager. It also showed in the roster construction: Sullivan did not have to carry the spotlight alone, with a healthy group of newcomers on the same journey and several veterans there to guide them.

After the win over Mexico, Pochettino eventually revealed what he thinks of the young talent. He called Sullivan a player of enormous quality with a very good balance in and out of possession, someone who enjoys both having the ball at his feet and chasing opponents to recover it. He also praised the fact that, after scoring, Sullivan put the team's result above his first senior international goal.

Brooklyn Raines and the search for Tyler Adams' backup

With far less noise, Brooklyn Raines put together a solid window. The 21-year-old midfielder ranked second among the newcomers with an average of 43 minutes per game, and his profile fits a position where the United States needs options. The USMNT went to the World Cup without a true backup for Tyler Adams, a decision shaped by injuries and roster choices.

No one has established himself as Adams' clear understudy since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Pochettino has time on his side before deciding who will fill that role, but his reliance on Raines during the fall friendlies is a sign that the young midfielder has a genuine chance to stake his claim.

Gio Reyna, from perennial prospect to USMNT leader

The newcomers were well positioned to make headlines, but alongside them was an eclectic mix of experienced players tasked with being role models. Tyler Adams and Chris Richards had already emerged as leaders years ago, while Sebastian Berhalter always seemed to have the mentality to join that group. The one who really rose to the challenge, however, was Gio Reyna.

Christian Pulisic has been the face of the USMNT for a decade, but Reyna was always considered the most naturally gifted player of his generation. Injuries and a lack of club minutes slowed his progress since his professional debut in 2020. The question was how he would handle the transition from being the next big thing to welcoming a whole group of young talents, and the answer has been positive.

Reyna is positioning himself as a bridge between the coaching staff and the newer players. He has now started eight consecutive games for club and country, the first time he has managed that streak in his career. Pochettino pointed out after the Canada match that his continuity at Strasbourg helps him adapt to the national team, and that his maturity, despite still being young, has made him one of the leaders of the group.

What is at stake for the USMNT against Haiti in the Nations League

The next major test comes in November with the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals against Haiti. Pochettino is expected to call in a full-strength version of the team for that matchup, though the exact shape of the roster remains the big question. Some of this window's newcomers may be ready to answer it.

The goalkeeper situation is another storyline to watch. Diego Kochen and Brian Schwake played 135 minutes each, more than Matt Freese and Chris Brady, the two other shot-stoppers in camp who happened to be on this year's World Cup roster. That may be too little to confirm Pochettino's long-term plans, but the minute distribution offers clues about the developing hierarchy in goal.