When Lily Yohannes received her first senior international call-up at just 16 years old, there were doubts about whether the youngster would be able to perform at such a young age, especially with her lack of experience in youth national camps. In her two appearances for the USWNT so far, she has exceeded all expectations but Colombian footballer Sebastián Salazar believes Yohannes has a long way to go before becoming a regular for Emma Hayes.
Having the option to represent either the Netherlands or the United States, Lily Yohannes ultimately chose the Stars and Stripes. In her second appearance for Emma Hayes’ side, she faced the Dutch at home and endured boos from the home crowd. Despite the cold reception, Yohannes delivered a solid performance. Speaking on the Futbol Americas podcast, Sebastián Salazar highlights that the youngster should have started the midfielder so she’d be ready for future games.
“I think Lily Yohannes is not a player for the future for some far time off, even though she’s 17,” said Salazar who went on to emphasize how poor the American midfield was during their scrappy 2-1 win over the Netherlands. “A player like Lily Yohannes could have done very well in helping the US stabilize in the first half for this game, so I was a little disappointed to see not get the start.”
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After being brought on in the second half, Yohannes provided the game-winner for Lynn Williams. At 17, she put on a solid performance for the game which could have a clueless spectator confuse her for a veteran. “She’s got a great international future in front of her, US fans are gonna love her for a long time and I got zero problems with the Dutch fans booing her” added Salazar.
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While one camp celebrated the USWNT’s win and Alyssa Naeher’s farewell match, Dutch coach Andries Jonker was upset with his team’s second-half performance, especially with Yohannes, whose previous choices left the coach displeased.
“I don’t want a player who would rather play in another shirt” – Andries Jonker
After moving to the Netherlands at a young age, Yohannes was eligible to represent the national team, with the KNVB (Royal Dutch Football Association) actively pursuing her since last year. So when she ultimately chose the Stars and Stripes, the Dutch coach expressed disappointment, believing their efforts in pursuing her had been in vain. “I think she should do what she wants to do. If that’s her dream, she should pursue it and live it. I don’t want a player who would rather play in another shirt.” said Jonker in a pre-match conference.
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It only hurt them more when Yohannes scored the winner for Hayes’ side in front of the Dutch fans, many of who have seen her shine at Ajax. Being the youngest player to ever start a UEFA Champions League game, the American is already a favorite at the Amsterdam club, but not so much among the ‘Oranje’.
As for Emma Hayes, having the youngster in their squad is a sigh of relief for the young talent looks promising. She will be instrumental in the 2027 World Cup, by which she will have enough time to hone her skills. We cannot wait to see her linking up with the likes of Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson, and more.
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Did Lily Yohannes make the right choice choosing USWNT over the Netherlands? What's your take?
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