US midfielder Fabian Johnson went down with an apparent hamstring injury in the first half against Belgium on Tuesday, and the man who replaced him does not have a whole lot of experience. His name is DeAndre Yedlin.
Yedlin, 20, is Clint Dempsey’s teammate with the Seattle Sounders. He has tremendous speed and is primarily a defender, having scored just one goal in his collegiate career at the University of Akron. He also has just one goal in 42 games with the Sounders.
Yedlin is considered a raw talent with tremendous potential. Last year, he became the first rookie since 2004 to be named to the MLS All-Star team. He came on as a substitute in the second half against Portugal and helped set up Clint Dempsey’s goal that put the US on top 2-1.
Johnson is one of the better offensive midfielders on the US roster and Yedlin primarily plays right back, so Jurgen Klinsmann will likely have to make some adjustments with Yedlin playing in place of Johnson. The 20-year-old is likely going to be on the US Men’s National Team for a long time, so now would be a great time for him to burst onto the scene.
