Lily Yohannes is a unique talent. Emma Hayes is also right to caution the hype.

Emma Hayes could read the room. The United States women’s national team head coach has been here before, both in her current job and previously in over a decade as head coach of Chelsea. She has coached prodigies and proven global stars, and she speaks frequently about the importance of her role in managing players’ mental loads.

A third successive question had rolled in about the performance of 17-year-old midfielder Lily Yohannes, whose sublime key pass created the Americans’ first goal in Thursday’s 2-0 victory over Colombia to open the 2025 campaign.

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“Listen, I think it’s really early on,” Hayes said about Yohannes after complimenting her skills. “I don’t think we should get carried away. I think she’s someone who deserves to develop without putting too much focus and attention on it.”

Yohannes’ potential talent is undeniable. Her story – a Virginia-born kid who moved to the Netherlands, turned pro at 15 and recently chose to represent the U.S. despite interest from the Dutch – is impossible to ignore.

Hayes’ warning shouldn’t be ignored, either, even if it was obligatory in her role as coach.

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