International Soccer
Cavan vs. Mora: Futures of USA and Mexico to face off for the first time
The United States Mens National team will face off against Mexico in their third friendly of the international window on Saturday night in Glendale, Arizona. The futures of both national teams will be on display, as USMNT’s Cavan Sullivan will face off against Mexico’s Gilberto Mora for the first time.
Saturday’s match will be the 80th meeting between the two sides. The first since the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final that Mexico won 2-1. Mora, who was 16 at the time, broke out during the Gold Cup and faced the U.S. in the final. The USMNT team that Mexico and Mora will face on Saturday will be very different. Sullivan, who is about a year younger than Mora, was not yet part of the national team. Other new faces include Justin Ellis, Julian Hall, and Adri Mehmeti, in addition to Union homegrowns Neil Pierre and Frankie Westfield.
New USMNT captain Tyler Adams spoke about the new USMNT faces in the matchday-1 press conference. “Every young player that’s come into camp has watched these games growing up. I’m sure of it. I think they understand what these games are like and what they need to do to be able to have an impact on it,” Adams described. “But at the same time, it’s an opportunity for them to get thrown into the deep end as well and really get their feet wet, and understand that for the long run, if the U.S. wants to grow and get better, we need to be able to compete with the likes of Mexico at a high level.”
Sullivan’s only experience with the national team is the two recent friendlies against Chile and Peru. Saturday’s match against Mexico will be the most significant match of his young career, having recently turned 17 years old. According to USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino, it’s so far so good for the young Sullivan. “I’m so happy with his performance, I feel really proud,” Pochettino said after the match against Peru. “At 16 years old, performing, fighting, and playing with personality. With character.”
His first game against Mexico provides Sullivan with the opportunity to continue to make a name for himself on the global stage. One must wonder if the World Cup came just a year too early for Sullivan, who has broken out in the second half of 2026. Gilberto Mora, who is about to turn 18 years old, played at the 2026 World Cup for Mexico and impressed many with his abilities on the ball.
Adams spoke about Mora ahead of the match. “He’s a very talented player, obviously, for his age. I think that’s the first thing I noticed when playing against him in Gold Cup, is he’s extremely mature in the way he plays the game at such a young age,” Adams said, full of praise for Mora. “The decisions that he makes on the pitch, he’s very controlled, and the impact that he’s been able to have at such a young age speaks volumes to his game.”
Saturday night’s match will be the first chance to see the two wonderkids on the same pitch. After rumors floated that Mora had picked up an ankle injury in training, new Mexico head coach Rafael Márquez clarified that Mora is available to play. “Gil was undergoing some routine tests, he was experiencing slight discomfort, but he is recovering quite well,” Márquez clarified before the match. “He is eligible for the next match”.
USMNT will look to continue their run of form in September on Saturday night, winning the first two matches of the window against Peru and Chile. The match will start at 10 p.m. EST and will air on TNT.
