Tag: Lily Yohannes

Hayes: Yohannes still undecided on international future after USWNT Olympic omission

The USWNT and Netherlands are both hoping to land the 17-year-old midfielder

U.S. women’s national team head coach Emma Hayes said Lily Yohannes is still undecided on her international future after the teenager wasn’t named to the USWNT’s Olympic roster.

Yohannes had an incredible USWNT debut earlier this month, scoring against South Korea in a 20-minute cameo to become the third-youngest goalscorer in program history.

The Ajax midfielder, who turned 17 this month, was born in Virginia and moved to the Netherlands with her family when she was 10. She is expected to gain Dutch citizenship soon, and will then face a decision over which country to represent.

Speaking to the media after naming her 18-player Olympic roster, Hayes said that Yohannes was considered for the squad but has yet to fully decide on which country she wants to play for in the long run.

“Lily was a consideration for this roster but at this moment, Lily hasn’t made a decision about her future and I support that,” Hayes said.

“I’m sure everybody can appreciate she’s a young player that really enjoyed her time with us at the last camp. But it’s an important decision and one that I support.

“One thing I want is for every player that’s part of this roster [to be] conscious of all the commitments and opportunities that come with that, but that moment isn’t now with Lily.

“I will continue to work with with Lily beyond the Olympics and I really do hope that she will be part of our future. But at this moment, she wasn’t ready to make that decision, and I fully support it.”

Hayes did not specify if Yohannes would have been on her roster if she were ready to commit to the USWNT.

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The USWNT can’t let Lily get away

The USWNT has a generational talent on its hands with options for her international future

The U.S. women’s national team knows what kind of talent it has with Lily Yohannes.

After the 16-year-old scored on her USWNT debut on Tuesday night, the praise from some of the team’s most established players was unanimous.

‘Lily is a baller,” Sophia Smith said on the TNT broadcast after the game. “From the first day she came into camp, she was making these passes that you don’t see a 16-year-old make — you don’t even see veteran players make.”

“This one will be special,” Lindsey Horan said on her Instagram story.

“You have a bright, bright future,” Mallory Swanson said on hers.

That Yohannes is a player for the future has been known for some time. But Tuesday night’s display — though it only took place over 20 minutes — showed that the Ajax midfielder could be ready to play a significant role for the USWNT right now.

It wasn’t just the goal, as composed as that finish was. It was her entire display: composed, strong on the ball, an expansive passing range, field awareness. It was the entire package.

“She doesn’t look like a 16-year-old,” head coach Emma Hayes said after the game.

The performance will lead to even more speculation over the next step for Yohannes, both in the short term and over the long haul.

In the short term, a previously unthinkable question now seems like a plausible one: Should she make the Olympic roster?

It may still be too early, but it suddenly doesn’t seem so outrageous that the teenager could compete with Korbin Albert for what looks to be the last withdrawn midfielder spot on the 18-player roster.

If Yohannes does improbably make the squad, it would emphatically answer the more long-term question surrounding her future: Which country will she represent?

Yohannes was born in Virginia and moved to the Netherlands with her family when she was 10 years old. She is not yet eligible to play for the Dutch, but she is expected to gain her citizenship soon.

As of last month, the midfielder said she was still undecided on her international future. Netherlands head coach Andries Jonker has claimed that Yohannes wants to play for the Dutch.

If Yohannes makes the USWNT Olympic squad and sees the field, her international future would be sorted. Hayes won’t put Yohannes on the roster just to cap-tie her, but it would undoubtedly be an added bonus.

Hayes coached Chelsea against Ajax in the Champions League this season, so she knows better than most what kind of talent she has on her hands.

“I think playing in Europe has accelerated her learning,” Hayes said. “[She] plays for a big club in Ajax, plus she’s been playing in Champions League — I remember her having a good game when Chelsea played them — so she’s had exposures that many American 16-year-olds have not had. And it shows.”

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Lily Yohannes, 16, makes history with goal in first USWNT cap

The teenager made it a debut to remember on Tuesday night

Lily Yohannes, 16, had a U.S. women’s national team debut to remember on Tuesday, scoring a goal against South Korea in a 3-0 win.

The midfielder entered in the 72nd minute of the friendly in St. Paul, Minnesota, becoming the eighth-youngest USWNT player ever and the youngest since 2001.

That would have been enough for memorable evening for the Virginia-born teenager, but she was not done. Not by a longshot.

Just 10 minutes after stepping onto the pitch, Yohannes found the net with a composed finish to make it 3-0. At age 16 years, 358 days, Yohannes became the third-youngest scorer in USWNT history.

Trinity Rodman got on the end of a short corner and beat her marker before sending a low cross into the area. The ball made its way through a crowd of players before finding Yohannes, who swept home with a cool first-time finish.

“It’s a dream come true, really,” Yohannes said on TNT after the game.

“I played this scenario out in my head like how many times before this game, just having the idea of coming on and scoring. That was really amazing support from my teammates all running up to me. That made it so much more special.”

Yohannes became the youngest USWNT call-up since 2017 when she was named to the SheBelieves Cup roster in March, though she did not play in either match.

This time around the Ajax midfielder did see the field, and made a huge impression in her 20 minutes on the Allianz Field pitch.

Watch Yohannes score on USWNT debut

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16-year-old Lily Yohannes scored her first goal for USWNT in a historic moment for the team

The future for USWNT is bright with players like 16-year-old Lily Yohannes.

The United States women’s national soccer team might have a rising star on its hands.

During a friendly match against South Korea on Tuesday night, 16-year-old midfielder Lily Yohannes scored her first goal in her debut with USWNT.

Per the team, Yohannes is the eighth-youngest player to make their USWNT debut and is the youngest athlete to play for the team since 2001. With her stellar goal, she’s the third-youngest player to ever score for the U.S. during a competition.

She made the first USWNT roster for new coach Emma Hayes last month.

That has to make you all at once very impressed and very excited for the future of the UWSNT with players like Yohannes coming into their own on the pitch at such a young age.

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USWNT prospect Yohannes still undecided on international future

The 16-year-old midfielder has a big international future — but which country will she be representing?

U.S. women’s national team prospect Lily Yohannes has said she is still undecided over her international future as she draws closer to gaining Dutch citizenship.

Yohannes, 16, became the youngest USWNT call-up since 2017 when she was named to the SheBelieves Cup roster in March, though she did not play in either match.

The Ajax midfielder has marked herself as one of the top prospects in Europe this season, becoming a regular starter for the Champions League quarterfinalists.

Her performances have set off widespread speculation over her international future. Yohannes was born in Virginia and moved to the Netherlands with her family when she was 10 years old.

Though she isn’t yet eligible for the Netherlands, Yohannes has been in camp with Dutch youth national teams and will likely gain her citizenship soon. In February, Netherlands head coach Andries Jonker claimed that Yohannes wanted to play for the Dutch national team when she became a citizen.

In an episode of the Friendlies podcast with ex-USWNT star Sam Mewis, Yohannes said that despite accepting a recent call-up for the USA, she is still open when it comes to her international future.

“I haven’t made a decision on my international future yet,” Yohannes said. “But I think [the USWNT camp] was just a great opportunity to see the environment, and help me make that decision in the future.”

Watch Yohannes address international future

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Macario on USWNT newcomer Yohannes: I cannot believe she’s 16

Yonannes is the youngest USWNT call-up in seven years

Catarina Macario said she’s been highly impressed by 16-year-old Lily Yohannes, the newest member of the U.S. women’s national team.

The Ajax midfielder was named to the roster for the team’s two upcoming SheBelieves Cup matches, becoming the youngest USWNT call-up since a 16-year-old Sophia Smith in 2017.

Ahead of the USWNT’s match against Japan on Saturday, Macario told the media that her teenage teammate is showing an ability beyond her years.

“She’s a tremendous player,” Macario said on Wednesday. “Really sweet girl. I honestly cannot believe that she’s 16. She just reads the game so well, and you can really see that.”

Macario’s Chelsea side recently eliminated Ajax in the Women’s Champions League quarterfinals, and the forward credited the midfielder for helping the Dutch side reach the last eight.

“Ajax had a tremendous run in the Champions League, and I do feel like that was a lot thanks to her,” Macario said. “And obviously the rest of her team, but I do feel like she made a great impact.

“She was just telling me how last year she was still in the reserve team. I’m like, ‘Oh my god. How is that possible?’ Like, she’s so good, you know? So I’m really happy for her that she’s in this environment now.”

Though Macario didn’t play in the first leg and Yohannes sat out the second leg due to a suspension, the Chelsea forward said she had a brief interaction with Yohannes that foreshadowed events to come.

“I remember joking around with her after the first game. I was like, ‘Oh, you’re American, right? Do you want to join us?’ or something like that. And then I found out a few days later that she was called into camp. So that was really sweet.”

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Lily Yohannes, 16, becomes youngest USWNT call-up since 2017

The Ajax teenager has become one of the top midfield prospects in Europe

Ajax midfielder Lily Yohannes, 16, has been named to the U.S. women’s national team roster for the SheBelieves Cup.

Yohannes becomes the youngest USWNT call-up since 2017, when a 16-year-old Sophia Smith was named to the team’s roster for a pair of friendlies against Russia.

Yohannes has become a regular starter for Ajax this season, making history as the youngest player to ever start a UEFA Women’s Champions League match, and the youngest American to ever play in the UEFA Champions League — men’s or women’s.

“We’ve been following her for quite a long time,” USWNT head coach Twila Kilgore told the media after the roster was released. “She’s played many, many games at Ajax, including Champions League games, which I think the public is more familiar with but we’re also able to follow along in the league.”

“Lily is somebody that can play the six, eight or 10,” Kilgore added. “She does for her club. And while we look to deepen the player pool with those that can play in a variety of different roles within the midfield positions, she’s somebody that comes to mind. We had the space and availability in camp to bring her in, and this was the right time to do so.”

(Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

The teenager’s international future has become a topic of much discussion in recent months. Yohannes was born in Virginia, and moved to the Netherlands with her family when she was 10 years old. In February, Netherlands head coach Andries Jonker claimed that Yohannes wanted to play for the Dutch national team when she became a citizen.

Yohannes has been called into camps with the U.S. at the U-15 and U-16 level, and also attended a Netherlands U-19 camp this year as a guest player.

With the midfielder not yet eligible for the Netherlands, she has now taken a big step toward a future with the country of her birth — though she will still remain eligible for both countries after the SheBelieves Cup.

FIFA rules allow players to file a one-time switch to a new country if they have played no more than three competitive matches at senior level prior to turning 21. Pro Soccer Wire has confirmed that SheBelieves Cup games do not count as competitive matches for the purposes of FIFA’s rules.

Kilgore noted that while Yohannes wasn’t yet eligible to play for the Netherlands, accepting a call from the USWNT was a positive step toward securing her long-term international future.

“I think we offered Lily an invitation to this camp and she accepted and that’s a pretty big statement,” Kilgore said. “I think that she’s prepared to come in and do whatever is asked of her.”

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Future USWNT boss Hayes won’t recruit Yohannes during Chelsea-Ajax tie

The 16-year-old midfielder is in high demand thanks to her emergence with Ajax

Emma Hayes has said she won’t try to sway Lily Yohannes toward the U.S. women’s national team when Chelsea meets Ajax in the UEFA Women’s Champions League quarterfinals.

Yohannes has won a starting role with Ajax at just 16 years old, marking herself as a potential future superstar for club and country.

Which country the midfielder represents, though, is an open question at this point. Yohannes was born in Virginia and moved to the Netherlands in 2017 at age 10. Though she is not yet a Dutch citizen, Netherlands manager Andries Jonker has claimed the teenager would like to play for the Dutch in the future.

That could be an alarming prospect for Hayes, who will finish out the current season as Chelsea head coach before taking over the USWNT in May.

Though Hayes was full of praise for Yohannes ahead of Tuesday’s quarterfinal first leg, the coach said she won’t use the meeting as a recruiting opportunity.

“There’s no denying Lily has tremendous talent, and to play for a top European team at the age of 16 in the center midfield position just shows how much faith the coaching team has in her,” Hayes said in a press conference.

“Her final pass is exceptional. She’s got the ability, especially in tight areas she can get out of pressure really well. But her vision, the quality of her execution is really, really high. Sometimes I don’t believe she’s 16 years of age because she plays with such maturity, but a wonderful talent.”

Asked if she would aim to convince the midfielder to pick the USWNT, Hayes responded: “No, absolutely not. I’m here for Chelsea and I don’t influence those things at this time. Whatever she decides in her future that’s for her and her family to decide.

“Tomorrow she’s on the other team and I’m more interested in how we’re going to stop her, to be honest.”

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