USA’S Yuna McCormack on family ties, goal scoring and squad harmony.
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Yuna McCormack scored USA’s first goal at Colombia 2024
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Has family ties to Japan and is excited about a potential second round clash
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Credits a strong atmosphere within the squad as the key to American success
Yuna McCormack admits that things could get a little awkward and that family loyalties may be tested should USA end up meeting Japan at some point during the ongoing FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.™
“Oh, I’m not sure who my grandparents would be cheering for,” she tells FIFA. “It would be a pretty crazy experience, something really cool, just really cool.”
The 19-year-old from California is the daughter of an American father and a Japanese mother and she retains plenty of links with the maternal side of the family, speaking the language and having spent a year living just outside of Tokyo, where her mother’s relatives remain.
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Should the US find their way to an eventual meeting with the 2018 champions, then McCormack can take plenty of credit as it was her goal against Morocco that got the American campaign up-and-running.
A 1-0 defeat to Spain in their opener meant that the team needed a reaction in the following clash with Morocco. For 45 minutes the African debutants frustrated their more highly-fancied rivals before McCormack finally broke the deadlock, scoring her nation’s first goal at Colombia 2024 in the process.
It was a well-taken effort too; a one-two with right-back Gisele Thompson saw McCormack receive inside the box on her left, shift to her right and then place the shot through the legs of not one, but two, Moroccan defenders and past keeper Fatima El Jebraoui into the far corner.
Having only been called into the national set-up for a series of friendlies leading up to the U-20 Women’s World Cup, McCormack was no certainty of making the final squad, let alone being the woman who would kick-start their campaign. As she explains the goal was a relief, both personally and collectively.
“It really feels amazing, it’s been a long journey up to this point but just to score a goal here felt unreal. I’m just so excited for the team and to be able to score the winning goal is amazing.
“It definitely feels good to get one and it gives me more confidence to keep shooting and hopefully that will see me score more.”
On the books of the University of Virginia, the teenage forward has been a steady supplier of goals at the college level back home and has already shown she can finish on the global stage. Technically sound, fitness is also not an issue as her father was a two-time Canadian Ironman champion.
As a youngster it wasn’t so much the gruelling bike, swim and marathon brigade that drew her in, but rather the simple beauty of a sport that she still describes with a child-like enthusiasm.
“I started playing when I was six-years-old, and started playing competitively shortly after that. I grew up playing soccer all my life and always loved it, I just love the game so much and it’s really amazing to be here at a World Cup.”
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The plan for McCormack and Co is to be around for a while longer yet. The US has a rich pedigree at this level, having won a joint-record three titles and a point in their final group outing against Paraguay will likely be enough to see them through to the round of 16.
It’s there where stern examinations will follow but, as McCormack explains, it’s there where the US tends to thrive as an ultra-competitive team environment lends itself to the team finishing tournaments strongly.
“We have such a great environment within the team, I’m quite new but everyone was super welcoming. It’s very competitive but we always push each other and it helps us get better and come together as a team.
“For sure things will be harder [as the tournament progresses], it will be a tough challenge but we believe in ourselves, we believe in our team and we just know that we will get it done.”
