Tag: Lily Yohannes

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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