MLS Week 18: Team of the Week

Right Back: DeAndre Yedlin, Seattle Sounders 

Just turning 21, Seattle Sounders DeAndre Yedlin has found himself to be the hottest name in Major League Soccer since returning home from the World Cup as a member of the successful United States Men’s National Team, something that might comes as a shock considering the superstar of the USMNT is fellow Sounders teammate Clint Dempsey.

Still, Yedlin’s name has been the one in the news far more often of late, drawing interest from nearly every top club in Italy you could imagine at the moment as the rumor mill of the European transfer window engulfs the youngster who is still currently enjoying his time as one of the heroes of Seattle for the time being.

Returning home from Brazil, Yedlin jumped right into action for Seattle by playing two matches against the Sounders derby rivals in the Portland Timbers and didn’t miss a beat despite having to come out during extra time of the US Open Cup match on Wednesday due to fitness issues.

Yedlin’s best performance was saved for the league match on Sunday night where the Sounders shut down the Timbers attack, eventually winning 2-0 behind late goals from Clint Dempsey and Marco Pappa in front of nearly 70,000 supporters for one of the best matches of the year. Despite concerns over his fitness level entering the match after leaving as a sub during the Open Cup match, Yedlin put in a quality performance against Portland on Sunday and made plenty of dangerous runs down the flank to challenge the Timbers that showed Yedlin’s early exit during extra time on Wednesday was just a precautionary measure.

It was easy to see why Serie A clubs are reportedly very interested in Yedlin’s potential on Sunday as he was clearly the best fullback on the pitch not only due to his pace, but also defensively as Yedlin negated a Timbers attack that likely could have done damage on the wing if not for the presence of arguably the best fullback in the league presently. His future may be in the air, but on Derby Day in Seattle it was clear that Yedlin is still planning on putting in impressive performances for the Sounders for the time being.