Dream debut turns into reality for 16-year-old USWNT substitute Lily Yohannes

ST. PAUL, Minnesota — What was one of Emma Hayes' early observations about Lily Yohannes when she met her in person at the United States women's national team camp this week? 

"She's really tall," Hayes said with a chuckle. 

Hayes had seen Yohannes play in person before, but they had not physically met. In fact, Hayes recently coached against her when Chelsea played Yohannes' club Ajax in the Champions League in March. Yohannes started that game — she's the youngest player ever to start a UEFA Champions League match — but picked up a yellow card that ruled her out of the second meeting.

Fast-forward exactly 11 weeks, and 16-year-old Yohannes made her USWNT debut under Hayes and scored her first goal all in one night. She entered Tuesday night's match against South Korea in the 72nd minute and scored in the 82nd to clinch a 3-0 victory.

"She doesn't look like a 16-year-old," Hayes said. "She knows what I think about her. And I have really pushed and wanted her in this squad. She's a player I've admired — even as the Chelsea manager."

Yohannes came on for Korbin Albert and looked confident right away. You could see it in the way she moved through the midfield, played off Sam Coffey, looked to find the wingers and get into the box. She positioned herself in the right place at the right time when Trinity Rodman received a short corner, dribbled toward the goal, and cut a low cross through a crowded box that Yohannes calmly ran onto and one-touched into the back of the net.

"We were clowning out there with her and were like, ‘Yo, that was the smoothest first goal I've ever seen,'" said an excited Crystal Dunn, who scored the opening goal of the match. 

But for Yohannes, she was just doing exactly what she'd learned all week