Ajax midfielder Lily Yohannes became the third youngest goalscorer in U.S. women’s national team history when she scored in the 82nd minute of a friendly against South Korea on Tuesday night.
Johannes has already made history just on the playing field. When she entered the field, the 16-year-old became the youngest player to cap the national team since 2001 and the eighth player to make her debut before turning 17. Lily and Tiffany Roberts serve as the youngest goalscorers for the U.S. women’s soccer team.
“It’s really a dream come true,” Johannes told TNT Sports after the USWNT’s 3-0 win. “I’ve rehearsed this scenario in my head countless times. My teammates all came running to support me, which made it even more special.
deeper
This is not last year’s USWNT – goals from Dunn and Johannes prove it
How does Johannes score?
While friendly caps don’t limit a player’s caps, seeing Lily Yohannes take the field at 72 feet was another step in the team’s ongoing post-World Cup renewal. She was given some freedom to move away from the clutches of Sam Coffey and move to winger, which she seemed to adapt to quickly. At times, she was also asked to navigate around the venerable Chi So-woon, which was a big ask for a first mission, but an important one that showed a level of trust and allowed Johannes to The willingness to fly or fall on your own merits.
Johannes chose to “fly” and scored her first goal, a clinical shot that rolled under goalkeeper Kim Jong-mi.
At just 16 years and 358 days old, Yohannes entered his name into the record books.
Lily’s dream debut!#USWNT X @public pic.twitter.com/RWlOYpLSjj
— U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (@USWNT) June 5, 2024
“Lily is a player. From the day she came into training camp, she started making passes that a 16-year-old girl wouldn’t do,” forward Sophia Smith said. “You don’t even see older players making these passes. She’s confident, she’s calm. We knew she was going to come into this game with high hopes and she didn’t miss a beat.
“She looks so natural and she’s scoring goals, which is fantastic and well-deserved.” — Stephen Young
Who is Lily Johannes?
Born in Springfield, Virginia, Johannes spent her childhood playing the game with her brother and father in a community of Ethiopian and Eritrean expatriates. When the family moved to the Netherlands, Johannes entered the Ajax Women’s youth academy system, eventually becoming a starter for the team this season.
She played 20 games this season, scoring five goals and assisting four, helping Ajax reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League, where they lost to Emma Hayes’ Chelsea.
“She’s like the most mature 16-year-old girl I’ve ever seen,” USWNT midfielder Rose Lavelle said Tuesday. “Honestly, I think she’s more mature than me. She’s just so impressive. I told her, ‘I’ll always remember my 100th game because it was Lily’s first and her first. First goal. “
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(Photo: Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)
