Lily Yohannes marks one year with USWNT: Emma Hayes praises teen's 'unbelievable maturity and coachability'

The youngest player on the U.S. women's national team, 17-year-old midfielder Lily Yohannes, returns with the squad to the place where she made her national debut and scored her first USWNT goal nearly one year ago.

The Stars and Stripes will face China for a friendly at Allianz Field in Minnesota, as head coach Emma Hayes also marks one year on the job. Yohannes' trajectory alongside Hayes might be considered perfect timing or happenstance, but either way, the teenage talent is just getting started.

She has emerged as one of the most exciting, upcoming talents in women's soccer. She showcased elite playmaking ability and maturity beyond her years for both the USWNT and Dutch club Ajax. A technically gifted midfielder, Yohannes has quickly become a mainstay on rosters in 2025 as part of the USWNT's build-up to the 2027-28 international cycle.

"I keep saying to everyone, she's 17. She's still got a couple of years of years of experience as a professional. I think the next two years of development will be important for her. I think it's been an unbelievable development pathway for her to be at Ajax. That, for me, has, I think, advanced her positional play in a way that makes her stand out beyond her years," Hayes told media during pre-match availability.

While she's not a consistent starter, yet, Yohannes made has made headlines in Europe with her vision, composure, and tactical intelligence. At just 16, she became the youngest player to start a UEFA Women's Champions League group stage game, and became the eighth-youngest player all-time to debut for the USWNT and third youngest player to score with the senior national team

Part of the buzz around Yohannes last year was her potential eligibility to play for either the United States or the Netherlands. Lily was born in Virginia, but moved with her family to Europe in 2017. It was there where she participated with Ajax academies and later joined the first team on a full contract in 2023.

She received her first USWNT callup during Hayes' first official matches as head coach in June 2024, and that following November, the teen midfieder officailly declared her allegiance to the U.S. national team.

"I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the United States and Dutch Football Federations for their unwavering support and patient guidance as I made my decision regarding my international future. Their dedication and encouragement have been invaluable, and I extend my heartfelt thanks to both Federations," Yohannes said in a social media post last year.

"After much consideration, I have decided to commit to represent my country, the United States. The U.S. 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 U.S. Soccer. I am excited and eager to continue putting in the work and earn my place on the U.S. Women's National Team."

Since the start of 2025, Yohannes has been named to every senior roster from January camps, SheBelieves Cup, and now the first friendlies to kick off summer. She now has six appearances for the national team, and her one goal from her debut, but Hayes' approach to Yohannes is not to be rushed. The manager is still making sure the young player continues her development at the international level, even as Yohannes profile rises.

"She's physically developed in the last 12 months, tactically, in possession. When she plays for her club team, they generally have the ball against sort of mid to low blocks. So, I think she's developed that side of her play. I think for us, playing against opponents like Brazil and Japan were extremely high-level games that will serve her well in the future. But as I always keep saying, she's got a lot of development to do. I think it will be up and down, and I think they will see really good moments, and I think we'll see different moments. I think it's what you can expect from a 17-year-old," said Hayes.

"She's got unbelievable maturity and coachability, and someone who I know is going to become an important part of our program, but I'm invested in that development, and we have to be patient with that, considering her tender age and her lack of international and high-level experience."

As Yohanes continues to get those different experiences across UWCL and with the USWNT, she's asorbing as much as she can from the environments around her. She credits all of her USWNT teammates for having an impact on her and points to USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps and forward Catarina Macario as examples of influence.

"Everybody is really helpful and has made my joining the team so much easier. I would say from Lindsey [Heaps], to Cat [Macario]. Literally, I can name so many players, all the experienced players, they've been here for so long, so they know how it is coming in as a first-timer. Now that I've been in camp for a little while, I think I've grown my comfortability, I would say, and I'm just trying to continue to grow," Yohannes said.

What sets her apart is her maturity. Despite her age, she plays with the poise of a seasoned veteran, rarely rushed in possession, and consistently makes smart decisions. This trait has earned her trust at both club and international levels. Yohannes' game is defined by her elite passing range and ability to dictate tempo. She is comfortable in both deep-lying and advanced midfield roles, and excels at breaking lines with precise through balls and maintaining possession under pressure.

During Ajax's 2023-24 UEFA Women's Champions League campaign, she demonstrated her fearlessness against top European competition, displaying a knack for finding pockets of space and linking play between defense and attack. Her assist in Ajax's victory over Roma, where she forced a turnover and generated an attacking sequence, highlighted her ability to unlock defenses with a single pass.

"I think it's one thing to do what she's doing in clubs at Ajax and playing in Champions League, but to come into the international level, I think it's always like a different environment, a different step up, but I think she's fit in seamlessly. And I think you guys have all seen how special she can be, and she's just a different kind of footballer than maybe we're used to, and seeing a lot of special qualities. So, I'm really proud of what she's doing. But I mean, she's still 17 years old, so we've got a lot [more] to come," Heaps said.

Team vice-captain Naomi Girma is back with the national team for the first time this year and is no stranger to fast rising profile. Shortly after being drafted to San Diego in the 2022 NWSL Draft, her standout performances as a centerback quickly earned her Rookie of the Year and Defender of the Year honors, and her consistent play led her to the 2023 USWNT World Cup roster.

The parallels are only slightly similar, in that the next World Cup is still a full two years away, but Yohannes' presence can undoubtedly evolve over that time, and it's not some far-fetched theory that she could crack that roster as a 20-year-old if her development continues.

"I think she's grown so much in the past year. she came in as a young player, but she seemed like she had been playing with us for a while, and you could tell she just has that calm and that sense of confidence in the ball too. So, I think that's such a good trait to have in a midfielder," said Girma.

"She's just level-headed. And I feel like, as much as she's rising, she's still very much herself. It's really great to see someone like her doing so well and really establishing herself in the team."

How to watch and odds for USWNT vs. China

• Date: Saturday, May 31 | Time: 5:30 ET
• Location: Alliance Field -- Saint Paul, Mn.
• TV: TBS | Live stream: HBO Max