Sullivan Goal lifts U17 MNT to victory | Club football | Youth football

After a back-and-forth battle, the U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team used a 79th-minute strike from substitute Cavan Sullivan to earn a 1–0 victory against Burkina Faso in the team’s opening match of the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup at Aspire Zone. The win moves the U.S. into second in Group I heading into its next match against Tajikistan on Saturday, Nov. 8 (9:45 a.m. ET; FS2, Telemundo, Peacock).

The match marked the second time the two countries have met at the U-17 World Cup, the first time coming during the group stage of the last edition in Indonesia 2023. In Jakarta, the US overpowered their opponent 2-1 with goals from Keyrol Figueroa and the only player who was also on the 2025 World Cup squad, Nimfasha Berchimas.

Fast forward to November 2025, both teams met again on the World Cup stage. The eagerness to get off to a hot start was evident from the first whistle as both teams created chances in the final third. The first was the USA with a bright spark from the fleet-footed Berchimas who took the incoming pressure from an opposing defender down the right flank and into the penalty area. The forward created enough space to deliver a low cross to the top of the six, which was quickly grabbed by ‘keeper Rahim Ouattara.

Within the second minute, the West African team won a corner after a quick attack. A powerful cross was placed towards the first post, but it was not hit by either team. The ball fell to Fadil Barro on the penalty spot, whose header was stopped by an impressive diving save from Aidan Stokes to keep the game level.

The US answered with a chance of its own 11 minutes into the first half. Left winger Mathis Albert linked up with creative midfielder Máximo Carrizo and found space in the final third with one-touch passes, giving Albert the opportunity to strike from inside the penalty area, but he narrowly pushed his effort wide of the target.

With both teams defending well, both sides’ strategies began to play out. The US opted for a possession-based style of play, building from the back and involving the creative midfielders to create chances in attack. Burkina Faso preferred to employ a counter-attacking strategy which proved effective as the taller forwards were able to bring the ball down and play with the wingers on the pitch.

Only a few minutes before injury time did the USA manage to create the best chance of the half. Albert again proved dangerous, placing a precise through ball for Julian Hall in the 18-yard box, where he was able to clear from a left-footed attack, but was denied by Ouattara, sending the teams into the dressing room at 0-0.

Burkina Faso started the second half in the same way as the first, taking to the field with quick attacks and long balls. In the 51st minute, the team went on the attack and switched the pitch with a precise pass towards Alassana Bagayogo, who collected the ball and cut it to his right foot before firing a shot that was deflected for a Juan Villa corner. Burkina Faso continued to put pressure on the American backline and found space to threaten. Bagayogo almost struck again in the 58th minute, this time rising from a free-kick and heading the ball just wide of Stokes’ left post.

The first clear chance for the US in the second half came in the 67th minute after a free kick just a few meters away from the 18-meter area towards the left flank. Albert curled a right-footed shot towards the front post, but was saved by Barro just in time before reaching the goal.

After absorbing that pressure, the United States found the only goal of the match just eleven minutes before full time. Albert created the chance again, delivering a cross from the left of the pitch into the path of Hall, who just missed on his headed attempt, but the ball fell perfectly for Sullivan, who started the match just 17 minutes earlier, to head home from close range past Ouattara.

Stokes and the U.S. backline struggled to keep Burkina Faso from equalizing, earning a clean sheet and a valuable three points to start the 2025 World Cup campaign.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• Cavan Sullivan came off the bench in the 62nd minute to score on his U-17 World Cup debut.
• Goalkeeper Aidan Stokes made four saves and earned a clean sheet.
• Nimfasha Berchimas became the first American player to compete in two different FIFA U-17 World Cups. The Charlotte FC striker appeared in all four matches for the US during the 2023 edition in Indonesia, setting up three goals.
• The US moves to 10W-8L-1D in opening matches of the FIFA U-17 World Cup and improves to 5W-8L-1D in matches against African Football Confederation (AFC) nations.

– MATCH REPORT USA UNDER 17 MEN NATIONAL TEAM –

Agreement: United States Under-17 Men’s National Team vs. Australia
Date: November 5, 2025
Competition: FIFA U-17 World Cup 2025; Group stage
Location: Aspire Zone Pitch 4 – Khaled Salman
Presence: N/A
Kick-off: 6:15 PM local time (10:15 AM ET)
Weather: 82 degrees, clear

Setups:

USA: 1-Aidan Stokes; 2-Juan Villa, 4-Christopher Cupps, 5-Ramiz Hamouda (20-Enrique Martinez, 76), 3-Pedro Guimaraes; 15-Cooper Sánchez (19-Mateo Tsakiris 85); 8-Jude Terry (6-Cavan Sullivan, 62), 10-Maximo Carrizo (captain) (18-Luca Moisa, 75); 7-Nimfasha Berchimas (13-Kellan LeBlanc, 85), 16-Julian Hall, 11-Mathis Albert

Substitutes not used: 12-Jack Kortkamp, ​​​​21-William Lodmell, 9-Chase Adams, 14-Jordan Griffin, 17-Jamir Johnson

Head coach: Gonzalo Segares

bfafa: 1-rahim alat, 2-Soumane Ouevogo, 4-Mikali 3-Sallal Barro, 8-Samatal, 8-Samal) (6-Mahamed Defa, 77), 19-locel Tapaba, 20-Alassana Diagorogo, 90-méhamed)

Substantial nod: 21-Moumine Oeonara, 13-Moumine Guidou Togola, 14-erilyvou Sangare,
Not available: 16-Prince Ouedraogo

Head coach: Anthony Popović

Summary of Statistics: US/BFA
Shots: 9/16
Shots on target: 4/4
Saves: 4/3
Corners: 5/5
Errors: 16 / 9
Offside: 1/0