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SPORTS Monday 9 october 2017

Yedlin wants to be the U.S.

soccer team’s Energizer Bunny

By RONALD BLUM 2013 to sign with his home- and became a regular
AP Sports Writer town Seattle Sounders, the with the Black Cats under
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — De- team for which he served manager Sam Allardyce.
Andre Yedlin wants to be as a ball boy. “I’ve had to grow up pretty
the U.S. soccer team’s En- He became the first rookie quick, but I’m glad that I
ergizer Bunny. in eight years selected for chose to make this step to
His bursts from right back MLS’s All-Star Game and kind of move away from
can stretch defenses. His was given his national what I’m comfortable
pace helps him return to his team debut the following from,” Yedlin said.
defensive spot and disrupt February by coach Jurgen Spurs sold him in August
opposing attackers. Klinsmann as a 74th-minute 2016 to Newcastle, which
“Everybody tells me they substitute in an exhibition had been relegated to
don’t know how I have so against South Korea. Yed- the second-tier League
much energy, and I think lin made another late ap- Championship. The Mag-
people feed off that, which pearance two months later pies earned a promotion
is great,” he said this week- against Mexico, and then last spring under manager
end ahead of Tuesday’s at age 20 was among sev- Rafa Benitez. The Magpies
World Cup qualifier at Trini- eral startling selections by are Sunderland’s rival in
dad and Tobago. Klinsmann for the 23-man the Tyne-Wear derby, their
The Americans would World Cup roster in 2014. stadiums just a 12-mile drive
clinch their eighth straight “Especially being so young apart.
the World Cup berth with and not really expecting “It’s a very physical league. United States’ DeAndre Yedlin (2) blocks the path of Panama’s
a win and almost certainly to go, it was a crazy feel- It’s a league that if you lose Abdiel Arroyo (22) path for a shot during the second half of a
with a tie, due to a supe- ing,” Yedlin said. “I can’t focus for even a little bit of World Cup qualifying soccer match, Friday, Oct. 6, 2017, in Or-
rior goal difference. A loss obviously thank Jurgen time, they can punish you,” lando, Fla. The United States won 4-0. Associated Press
could result in a berth, elim- enough for putting his trust Yedlin said. “Working with
ination or a playoff next in me and bringing me into Rafa has taken my game him back in,” Arena said.
month against Australia or that, and that’s really what to another level.” Yedlin looks forward to re-
Syria — depending on the jump-started my career.” Yedlin made 27 league ap- turning to England, where
results of the Honduras- During that World Cup in pearances but Klinsmann he rents a house built by
Mexico and Panama-Cos- Brazil, Yedlin made late criticized him that Octo- former Newcastle captain
ta Rica games. appearances against Por- ber, saying he struggled in Fabricio Coloccini. He has
Yedlin missed last month’s tugal and Germany, then consecutive national team a 5 1/2 -month old English
home loss to Costa Rica replaced an injured Fabian training camps. A ham- bulldog, Simba. And Yedlin
and then a draw at Hon- Johnson in the first half of string injury caused Yedlin doesn’t even mind Eng-
duras that put qualification the second-round overtime to miss March qualifiers, the land’s cold, wet winters.
in peril. Having returned defeat to Belgium. first after Arena replaced “Oh, I grew up in Seattle,”
after recovering from a Yedlin agreed after the Klinsmann in November. he said, “I’ve always been
hamstring injury, he helped tournament to a $4 million Yedlin returned for the June used to it.”q
spark a 4-0 rout of Panama transfer to Tottenham and games, then injured his
on Friday night that has reported to his new club in right hamstring while mak-
the Americans on track to January 2015. But he got ing a cross in Newcastle’s
qualify. into just one match, as a July 29 friendly at Germa-
“DeAndre did a very good late sub in a loss to Aston ny’s Mainz.
job — and not necessar- Villa that April. Yedlin was “Since it was the second
ily in terms of his attacking stuck behind England right time, we really wanted to
prowess, marauding down back Kyle Walker. make sure that it was 100
that right-hand side,” said “Every day in training I tried percent when I came back
former U.S. defender Alexi to absorb what I can from because the third time,
Lalas, now a Fox analyst. him,” Yedlin said. “Not re- then you have to look to-
“Much more I think he’s ally in terms of just speaking wards surgery,” he said.
learned to harness that en- with him, but just watch- Yedlin made his season
ergy and that speed that ing him, watching how he debut on Sept. 16 and af-
he has to use it to much plays, watching where he ter starting three matches
greater effect when he’s is positionally, watching headed to Florida to rejoin
defending.” when he gets forward.” the national team.
Yedlin left Akron during his Yedlin was loaned to Sun- “He continues to grow as a
sophomore year in January derland that September player, and it’s great to get