Lily Yohannes is keen to put any controversy of her decision to pick playing for the United States over the Netherlands behind her and wants to push on and establish herself in Emma Hayes’ side.
Yohannes, 17, came on as a second-half substitute in the USWNT’s 2-1 win over the Netherlands in The Hague on Tuesday evening. It was just her second appearance for the U.S., but her first since making public her decision over where her international allegiances would lie.
She could have played for the Dutch, and the KNVB (Dutch football federation) made it clear they were keen on her to declare for the Leeuwinnen. Yohannes was born in the U.S., but moved to the Netherlands when she was 10 years old and plays her club football for Ajax.
But she has opted to play for the USWNT, having already made her debut for the national team against South Korea back in June. Tuesday night’s match against the Netherlands marked the next chapter of her career with the USWNT having declared allegiance, and she played a key role in their win.
“[It was] nice, nice to be able to play here, familiar stadium of course for me,” Yohannes told ESPN NL. “And many familiar faces and family in the stands, so that’s nice. I think I just tried to focus on the match, get in and help the team. So that’s my focus.”
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Yohannes’ original reception from the Dutch crowd was warm, with just a handful of boos. But that consternation got louder after confusion around a throw-in, when Yohannes threw the ball back into the field off a Dutch throw-in. “I thought the ball was for us, so I went to throw the ball in,” she said.
She then heard the boos get louder the next couple of times she touched the ball. “I understand the reactions,” Yohannes said. “[Playing for the USWNT] is a choice I have to make, and I am happy with it. It’s all happened, I’ve made my choice and I just want to continue now and just work hard to help the team and earn a place in the team.”
It was a match where the USWNT were under pressure in the first half but managed to keep it at 1-1 at the break thanks largely to the goalkeeping of Alyssa Naeher, who was playing her final match for the USWNT.
Hayes switched things up at half time, and her substitutions swung the balance of the match back in the USWNT’s favour. Yohannes was a 66th minute substitution for Lindsey Horan and she played a part in the USWNT’s second goal, as she managed to put Yazmeen Ryan into space who crossed for Lynn Williams to slide in for the winner in the 71st minute.
Having now played in front of a partisan Netherlands crowd, Yohannes wants to put any noise around her national decision behind her and try to force her way into the first team. “That’s what my focus is on now yes,” she said.
