The 14-year-old soccer prodigy Cavan Sullivan made history by becoming the youngest player ever to appear in an MLS match.
In the 85th minute, Sullivan who is only 14 years and 293 days old entered the field for the Philadelphia Union in place of Tai Baribo. When Freddy Adu made his debut in 2004 at the age of 14 years and 306 days he smashed that record.
He stepped onto the field for the Philadelphia Union he not only made a new record but also joined a unique group of brothers who have played together in Major League Soccer.
Soccer: A Family Affair
Soccer often brings families together and MLS is no exception. Over the years many brothers have shared the pitch either as teammates or opponents.
Famous examples include Michael and Brian Laudrup Ronald and Frank De Boer and the Neville brothers in Europe.
In MLS the Higuaín brothers, Federico and Gonzalo, recently made headlines by playing together for Inter Miami. They first shared the field in a 1-1 draw against Atlanta United on October 14, 2020, and went on to play 25 games together.
Before the Higuaíns, the Chará brothers, Yimmi and Diego, played together for the Portland Timbers. They previously teamed up in Colombia with Deportes Tolima. Other sibling duos include Chicago Fire’s Gabriel and Nicholas Slonina and Seattle Sounders’ Cristian and Alex Roldan.
In total, 18 pairs of brothers have played together in MLS matches. With Cavan Sullivan’s debut for the Union, he now joins his older brother Quinn Sullivan on this prestigious list.
Brothers Who Have Played Together in MLS
| Brothers | Team | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Chris and Sean Henderson | Colorado Rapids | 1996-1998 |
| Alexi and Greg Lalas | New England Revolution | 1997 |
| Judah and Micah Cooks | DC United | 2000-2001 |
| DaMarcus and Jamar Beasley | Chicago Fire | 2001 |
| Martin and Fausto Klinger | MetroStars | 2001 |
| Daouda and Ibrahim Kante | New England Revolution | 2003 |
| Brian and Jeff Carroll | DC United | 2006-2007 |
| Jim and Jeff Curtin | Chicago Fire | 2007 |
| Chris and Stephen Wondolowski | Houston Dynamo | 2008 |
| Gabriel and Michael Farfan | Philadelphia Union | 2011-2012 |
| Bradley and Shaun Wright-Phillips | New York Red Bulls | 2015 |
| Jose and Jaime Villarreal | LA Galaxy | 2017 |
| Giovani and Jonathan dos Santos | LA Galaxy | 2017-2018 |
| David and Mathieu Choiniere | Montreal Impact | 2018 |
| Cristian and Alex Roldán | Seattle Sounders | 2018-2020 |
| Diego and Yimmi Chará | Portland Timbers | 2020 |
| Gabriel and Nicholas Slonina | Chicago Fire | 2020 |
| Federico and Gonzalo Higuaín | Inter Miami CF | 2020 |
With Cavan Sullivan making his debut, the MLS sibling tradition continues to grow, showcasing the unique family connections in the sport.