Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Seventeen-year-old U.S. midfielder Lily Yohannes said she did not feel pressure to decide on which country to represent internationally prior to the United States and the Netherlands playing each other on Tuesday.
Yohannes recently decided to represent the United States despite interest from the Dutch. The U.S. women’s national team and the Netherlands play on Tuesday in The Hague, in the Americans’ final game of the year.
“I think the timing is kind of funny, but no, I don’t think that was really a factor in my decision,” Yohannes told reporters on Monday. “I think just the time felt right. I think the moment felt right. And when I made my decision, I think I just wanted to not prolong it anymore.”
Yohannes was born in the U.S. but moved to the Netherlands at age 10 with her family and signed a professional contract with Dutch powerhouse Ajax at age 15. She made her senior debut for the United States in June and scored 10 minutes into the match, but she did not commit to representing the U.S. ahead of this summer’s Olympics.
She said earlier this year that she was applying for Dutch citizenship, which would have made her eligible to play for the Netherlands. Dutch coach Andries Jonker publicly pursued Yohannes over the past year.
Yohannes was called up to the U.S. senior team in April for the SheBelieves Cup but did not play in either match. She debuted off the bench against South Korea in June and scored 10 minutes later before being swarmed by teammates to celebrate.
Making the trip to those camps including the first for the team under the guidance of new head coach Emma Hayes appears to have helped Yohannes in her decision to represent the U.S. and not the Netherlands.
“Yeah, definitely,” she said when asked if her U.S. teammates were a factor. “I think I had a really amazing experience, and experiences in both camps. That moment [of] coming on for my first cap, and just how welcoming everybody was, the coaching staff to the players — this is an environment of amazing players, but also really amazing people. So, to come into camp and be welcomed by everybody was very nice.”
U.S. teammate Jaedyn Shaw was on the field when Yohannes scored in June. Shaw said on Monday that she did not initially realize Yohannes had a decision to make between federations when Yohannes was first called up as a 16-year-old in March.
“Our job is just to really help her integrate into the team, whether she made that decision yet or not,” Shaw said. “I think that we all love her. I love having her here and love playing with her. So, I think it’s, it’s been great having her here, and really, really happy that she’ll be with us for the long run.”
Hayes spoke repeatedly this year about giving Yohannes space to make her decision. After Yohannes’ decision, Hayes praised the midfielder as an “exceptional talent” who can develop over the long haul.
“Getting the commitment from Lily Yohannes is massive for us, and one where I’m so grateful for everyone involved, from Lily to her dad to the federation, and everybody showing the importance of [how] you’ve got to get the plan right when someone like Lily is faced with such an interesting choice,” Hayes said.
Yohannes previously joined the U.S. U-15 and U-16 teams in training camps but never joined the U-17 squad due to club commitments with Ajax. Last year, she became the youngest player to ever start a UEFA Women’s Champions League group-stage match when Ajax beat Paris Saint-Germain.
Those performances began to attract the attention of Hayes and, at the time, interim coach Twila Kilgore, who said in February that she had spoken with Yohannes over the phone and via video calls, and that she had seen the teenager play live with Ajax.
Yohannes thanked U.S. Soccer and the Dutch federation when she announced her decision last month. In a press conference last week, however, Jonker sounded frustrated by the process.
“First of all, I read that she dreams of playing in an American shirt her whole life,” the Dutch coach said. “She could have said that right away. It would have saved Nigel a lot of work.
“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.”
Yohannes reportedly also endured some angry reactions on social media for her decision, but she said on Monday that she has tuned out external pressures around the decision.
“To be honest, I think I sort of just try to block out all the outside noise and just to have a great support system around me, with my family and my club,” she said. “I really didn’t feel like — obviously, I was asked the question a lot but I didn’t really feel pressure or anything like that. So that was really nice. Just focusing on the people [whose] voices matter. and the outside noise, just trying to block that out.”
Yohannes could earn her second U.S. cap on Tuesday against Jonker and the Netherlands. She did not play in the Americans’ scoreless draw with England on Saturday.
