The holidays came early for the United States women’s national team program. Lily Yohannes, 17, a dual national, has chosen to represent the United States internationally instead of the Netherlands. It can be considered another win of the Emma Hayes era with the USWNT after the young midfielder spent time with the national team shortly before her Olympic gold medal run. Yohannes announced his decision on social media on Monday.
“I want to express my deepest gratitude to the United States and Dutch soccer federations for their unwavering support and patient guidance as I made the decision about my international future. Their dedication and encouragement have been invaluable, and I extend my sincere thanks to both federations. “Yohannes said in his post.
“After much consideration, I have decided to commit to representing my country, the United States. The United States is my homeland, my birthplace, and where my extended family resides. These strong connections have driven me to honor my roots and proudly commit to with USA Soccer. I am excited and eager to continue working and earn a spot on the United States Women’s National Team.”
Who is Lily Yohannes?
The teenager signed a contract with Dutch club AFC Ajax when she was just 15 years old. Born in the United States, she and her family moved to the Netherlands when she was ten and began training at the club when she was 13. A talented prospect who made history when she became the youngest player to start in a League of UEFA Women’s Champions League. League match at 16 years old and is the youngest American to do so. He currently has two goals and one assist in six games for Ajax.
Despite his eligibility to play for any of the national teams, Yohannes had recently applied for Dutch citizenship in 2024, and Netherlands head coach Andries Jonker said Yohannes was not yet eligible to play for the Netherlands in October. USWNT head coach Hayes has expressed patience and process whenever asked about the program’s situation with Yohannes. The moment seemed to pay off, as the teenager will now be able to be part of the national team’s preparation towards the 2027-28 international cycle.
Where will he play?
Yohannes was called up to the USNWT training camps for the June 2024 friendlies ahead of the Paris Olympics. Hayes selected several young players to evaluate before naming her official Olympic roster. The midfielder made her debut and scored her first international goal against South Korea in just 15 minutes of play.
She covers a lot of ground as a defensive, possession and passing midfielder and performs with a level of calm mostly seen in veterans of the game. Her connectivity is an advantage to the teammates around her and she has the ability to create, help others or generate her own shot on goal.
As the USWNT midfield continues its own evolution and strives for consistency after Julie Ertz and Sam Mewis, incumbents Lindsey Horan and Rose Lavelle are veterans who will need to manage minutes differently. Could Yohannes be the definitive answer in the number 8 role?
Sam Coffey has emerged as the newest and almost irreplaceable face, a deep defensive number 6 in the middle third, alongside Horan and Lavelle. Meanwhile, the coaching staff is evaluating several options to rotate positions in different formations between Emily Sonnett, Korbin Albert, Ashley Sanchez, Jaedyn Shaw, Catarina Macario and Hal Hershfelt, all players who have been in the midfield blender after the 2019-20 cycle .
No matter where Yohannes plays, his decision makes one thing clearer: the options are much better now that Yohannes is officially in the mix.
Look ahead
The USWNT will close out the calendar year with a series of friendlies in Europe. Hayes and his team will face England on November 30 and then finish 2024 against the Netherlands on December 3. The timing is almost perfect for another Yohannes appearance with the young talent already playing soccer in Europe.
