It’s always exciting to see young teenagers kick off their professional soccer journeys early. Start ’em young, they say, as it’s often beneficial for the future, right? Well, not necessarily. We hate to break it to you, but there’s a major drawback. Precisely, the sudden name and fame can sometimes be overwhelming for them. Emma Hayes shares this belief and recently urged people not to ‘get carried away’ with the sensational rise of USWNT youngster Lily Yohannes.
The midfielder played until the final whistle in yesterday’s SheBelieves Cup win over Colombia. She had quite an impactful performance, bossing the center half of the pitch. The teenager even helped in the build-up for the opening goal with a stunning long pass to Yazmeen Ryan in the box, who then set up Catarina Macario for the finish.
Such a performance from Lily was hardly surprising to Hayes, who acknowledged how a “well-established, extremely structured, 433-environment, playing the Ajax way” has contributed to the 17-year-old’s development. “I think her qualities on the ball are unquestioned but I’m really pleased with the progress she’s making defensively,” said Hayes in the post-match presser, courtsey of JER-Sports Journalist.
The English tactician also heaped praise on Yohannes for also putting her physicality to the test against Colombia. Yet, However, Hayes believes it’s far too early to place high expectations on the Springfield, Virginia, native. “But listen, I think it’s really early on and I don’t think we should get carried away with it. She’s someone who deserves to develop without putting too much focus and attention on it,” added Hayes.
In fact, she was quick to downplay Yohannes’ individual efforts, insisting that it was the teamwork of those around her that allowed the Ajax midfielder to shine. “Sam Coffey did a lot of the work behind her, to be able to let her perform, just as Lindsay did the work in front of us. So it was a team performance tonight that has put us in a strong position,” concluded Emma.
The post Emma Hayes Gets Cautious of Young USWNT Star’s Growing Stardom Amid SheBelieves Cup Win: “Really Early On” appeared first on EssentiallySports.