Yedlin: USMNT youngsters have potential to be a 'golden generation'

DeAndre Yedlin is still relatively young at 25, but on the current U.S. national team, he passes for a grizzled veteran. That's fine by the Newcastle United defender, who sees the new group of American youngsters coming in as being a special group with the potential to help the USMNT rebound from the disappointment of missing the 2018 World Cup.

"Now that we have a base and just a stable platform you’ll really see an unbelievable growth, especially with these guys," Yedlin said at a media roundtable on Tuesday. "This group of players, and a couple of the other younger guys, this could be a golden generation for the U.S. I think."

It wasn't too long ago that Yedlin was part of his own young USMNT movement as one of the youngest members of the 2014 U.S. World Cup team. What he sees now in a group of youngsters led by Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams is a collection of talent that is benefiting from making the jump to European soccer at young ages, much like Yedlin did when he transferred from the Seattle Sounders to Tottenham at the age of 22.

"A big part of that is players taking that step early and getting over to Europe," Yedlin said. "I don’t like to talk badly on MLS, and I’m not talking badly on MLS, but I think just making that step and getting out of your comfort zone, once you do step out of your comfort zone and then you do find some success it brings even that much more confidence to you. I think that’s what he’s experienced, that’s what Weston has experienced. You see Christian, you see these guys, they’re playing with so much confidence, which I don’t think we’ve seen so much with younger players before."

Yedlin is one of the few players on the current USMNT who was a regular part of the squad that failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, a failure the team is still having to deal with and discuss, even though the general consensus among the veteran players in camp is that there is no point dwelling on that failure. Still, it is impossible to forget.

"I don’t think it’s easy, but I think it’s necessary that we try to forget that and move forward with this young group," Yedlin said. "I think that’s how we’re going to reach our full potential. It’s on not dwelling on what happened in the past, but focusing on what’s ahead in the future."

Yedlin has more pressing matters to attend to these days, most importantly a new positional role under USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter, who revealed on Monday that Yedlin would be deployed as a wide midfielder rather than his traditional right back role.

"I was definitely very open to it," Yedlin said of the positional change. "I’m not going to tell him ‘I don’t agree with what you’re doing’. It’s obviously how he sees it. The way he wants to play with the outside backs I think it does suit me better to play in the wing position in this formation. It’s a position where you’re high and wide and you get the ball and you go forward and attack, which is more or less what I do at Newcastle so it does have a lot of similarities to how I’ve been playing."

Yedlin will have to adapt to a new position, while also continuing to grow into the type of veteran the younger generation can lean on.

"I’m definitely going to have to be a leader in this group," Yedlin said. "Just as I tried to be the last year with Dave (Sarachan)."

Despite all the changes, Yedlin is very optimistic about the direction the U.S. national team is heading, particularly after a 2018 spent in limbo as the team waited to find out who the new head coach would be. Now, with Berhalter in charge, and an impressive generation of young talent breaking in, Yedlin sees the potential for a team that can win back the love of a fanbase still stung by missing the 2018 World Cup.

"I think the biggest thing is people are going to be wowed by the growth," Yedlin said. "With the system Gregg has set up, and his goals for us over the next year, I think people are going to be wowed by the growth of this team. This team has the capabilities to learn so much and take in so much."