Dutch target Johannes scored on his debut for the United States

For Ajax soccer player Lily Yohannes, her debut for the US national team was one she won’t soon forget. 16-year-old Johannes, closely watched by Netherlands national coach Andries Jonker, scored the third goal in a friendly against South Korea (3-0).

The midfielder, who has Eritrean roots, had come on ten minutes earlier as a replacement for PSG player Korbin Albert. On a low cross from Trinity Rodman, Yohannes stepped out and slotted the ball past the Korean keeper.

After his goal, his teammates all hugged Johannes, and the American benches cheered for the memorable moment.

Watch Yohannes’ goal against South Korea in the X-Post below.

“A dream come true,” Johannes said later. “I replayed this scene in my head many times before. It was nice to see how everyone came towards me after the goal, which made it even better.”

Johannes was born and raised in Springfield, Virginia. He has been living in the Netherlands since 2017.

He played a few times for the US youth teams and doesn’t (yet) have a Dutch passport, meaning a call-up to the Dutch team is still unlikely. The KNVB has already approached her to train with the Dutch under-19 team.

Jonker believes Johannes will choose to play for the Dutch team, despite his first few minutes for the US team. “I believe he can play for the Netherlands as a footballer, especially because he feels Dutch,” the national coach said earlier this year.

In theory, Yohannes could still switch national teams after making his US debut. FIFA allows footballers under the age of 21 to switch to another national team if they have not played more than three matches for their ‘first’ country.

This rule does not apply to players who have played minutes in an (inter)continental final.