Next up: Cavan Sullivan joins elite list of Philadelphia Union homegrowns
Cavan Sullivan is the Philadelphia Union's latest homegrown player, joining an esteemed list of academy products at the perennial Eastern Conference contenders.
PRONUNCIATION
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2020 (Philadelphia): McKenzie has made 22 appearances (22 starts) for the Union at centerback, scoring two goals and collecting three assists ... Helped the Union secure a 1-0 victory over NYCFC (July 9), the first shutout of the season ... Helped secure a clean sheet in the 1-0 victory over New England Revolution (July 25) to send the Union to the MLS is Back Quarterfinals ... Registered his first two MLS assists in a 4-1 road win over the Montreal Impact (September 20)...played a key role in back-to-back clean sheets in a scoreless draw at FC Cincinnati (September 23) and in a 3-0 win against Inter Miami CF (September 27)...Scored his first professional goal with the equalizer at D.C. United (October 14) in the club's playoff-clinching 2-2 draw...Notched his second goal of the season and added an asisst in the Union's 5-0 win over Toronto FC (October 24).
2019 (Philadelphia/Bethlehem): McKenzie has made seven appearances (six starts) for the Union ... missed the match at Sporting Kansas City (March 10) after being listed as out with a concussion ... came on as a substitute for his season debut, at LA Galaxy (April 13) ... missed the stretch of matches from vs. Montreal (April 20) through at Toronto (May 11) while recovering from an appendectomy ... was called up to the U.S. roster for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup and missed the stretch of matches from vs. Seattle (May 18) through vs. the Red Bulls (June 8) while with the U-20s ... made his first appearance of the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup as a substitute vs. Nigeria (May 27), helping the U.S. close out a 2-0 win ... started the final group stage match vs. Qatar (May 30), serving as captain en route to a 1-0 win and qualification to the Knockout Round ... came on as a substitute in the U-20s Round of 16 win over France (June 4) ... started his first Union match of the season in the 3-1 win over D.C. United (August 24) ... was called up by the United States Under-23 national team for the first time ahead of a training camp in Chula Vista, CA (September 1-10); during the camp, he started a friendly vs. Japan (September 9) and was called up once again ahead of a training camp in Miami, FL (October 6-15) ... made one appearance in the Open Cup, starting the Fourth Round match at D.C. United (June 12) ... has made six appearances (six starts) for Bethlehem ... made his Steel FC debut for the season with a start vs. Memphis (March 24).
2018 (Philadelphia/Bethlehem): McKenzie made 19 regular-season appearances (18 starts) for Philadelphia at centerback and was named a finalist for the league's Rookie of the Year award. He made his club and league debut with a substitute appearance vs. Orlando (April 13) and followed that up with his first MLS start the next week, at FC Dallas (April 21). He was part of a clean sheet performance in his second career start, at Montreal (May 12). He helped the Union to another clean sheet during a start at the New York Red Bulls (May 26) and was named to the MLS Team of the Week for Week 13. Once again, he was part of a clean sheet win over Vancouver (June 23), for which he was named to the MLS Team of the Week (Week 17). He came on as a substitute in the 2018 MLS Homegrown Game (July 31), wearing the captain's armband in the second half. He earned a call-up from the U.S. U-20s ahead of the Four Team International Tournament in September, where he served as the captain in the opening match vs. Jamaica (September 7) and in the final match vs. Venezuela (September 11). He was again named to the U.S. U-20 roster for the 2018 Concacaf U-20 Championship, and he also started the Union's Knockout Round match at NYCFC (October 31). In the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, McKenzie made three appearances (three starts) at centerback. For Bethlehem Steel FC, he = made two appearances (two starts) at centerback.
2017 (Bethlehem): McKenzie made six additional appearances with Steel FC as an amateur.
2016 (Bethlehem): As an amateur, McKenzie made two appearances for Steel FC in their inaugural 2016 campaign.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
McKenzie is a United States international and received his first senior team call-up for the 2019 January camp.
In late 2017, he was called up to the U.S. U-20s for the first time for the inaugural United States Youth National Team Summit Camp in Lakewood Ranch, Florida. He earned his first call-up as a professional ahead of the U-20 training camp in Spain, with friendlies scheduled for March 21, March 23 and March 27, 2018. He started the first friendly, vs. France's U-21s.
In September 2018, he was again called-up by the U-20s ahead of the Four Team International tournament. He joined the team for games vs. Jamaica (September 7), the U.S. U-19s (September 9) and Venezuela (September 11). He appeared and served as the captain in the opening match as well as the final match. He received an additional call-up by the U-20s ahead of the 2018 Concacaf U-20 Championship, a tournament which he helped the U.S. win. He joined the team following the completion of the Union's season and recorded two goals as part of a start vs. the U.S. Virgin Islands (November 3). He also started the team's third Group Stage game, vs. Trinidad & Tobago (November 5), as well as their fifth, vs. Suriname, where he served as captain and scored a goal (November 9). He started the first match of the qualification stage, vs. Costa Rica (November 16), in which the U.S. won and clinched a berth in the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup. In the Semifinals, vs. Honduras (November 19), he started and served as captain in a 1-0 win. He also started the final vs. Mexico, a 2-0 win (November 21).
On May 10, 2019, McKenzie was named to the US roster for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland. He made his first appearance of the tournament as a substitute in the second Group Stage match, vs. Nigeria (May 27), helping the U.S. close out a 2-0 win. He made his first start of the tournament in the final Group Stage match, vs. Qatar (May 30), which the U.S. won 1-0, ensuring qualification to the Knockout Round. In the Round of 16, he came on as a substitute and helped close out a 3-2 win over France (June 4). The U.S. finished the tournament as quarterfinalists. Later in 2019, he received his first call-up at the U-23 level for a training camp in Chula Vista, CA (September 1-10). During that camp, he started in a friendly vs. Japan (September 9). He was called up once again ahead of a training camp in Miami, FL (October 6-15).
He previously played for the U-18s while also attending camps for the U-16s and U-15s.
COLLEGE EXPERIENCE
Over one season at Wake Forest University in 2017, he appeared in 16 matches as a freshman, playing 685 minutes for a team that finished in fifth place in the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I final postseason rankings. He helped the school to a 19-2-2 record over his one year with the Demon Deacons.
YOUTH EXPERIENCE
A Union Academy graduate, he made 26 starts over his final two years with the Under-18s. He played his club soccer for the Delaware Rush and the Wilmington Rangers before coming to the Union Academy.
Signed by Philadelphia Union as a Homegrown Player on January 18, 2018
Name: Mark McKenzie
Position: Defender
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 191
Born: February 25, 1999 in the Bronx, NY
Hometown: Bear, DE
Citizenship: United States
Acquired: Signed by Philadelphia Union as a Homegrown Player on January 18, 2018