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In news that will surprise exactly nobody, DeAndre Yedlin won the U.S. Soccer Young Male Athlete of the Year Award for 2014, capping off a phenomenal year that saw the young star blossom from fledgling talent to one of the most promising young American athletes in soccer..
Yedlin wasn't the only nominee, but he might as well have been. While the other candidates – Mukwele Akale, Emerson Hyndman, Christian Pulisic, and Haji Wright – are all talented American footballers with bright futures, only Yedlin is a full international who has played at the World Cup and managed to be signed by a major English football club.
Yedlin had a pretty remarkable year in 2014. Coming off of a Seattle Sounders Rookie of the Year award in 2013, Yedlin turned into a dynamic force at right back for the Sounders, earning him a seat on the plane to Brazil this past summer. While there he managed to keep Eden Hazard in his pocket in USA's match against Belgium and turned his fine USMNT form into a transfer to Spurs.
We are still awaiting officially-official news about the status of Yedlin's Latvian passport which will grant him a swifter resolution to work permit issues, but it is expected that he will join Tottenham Hotspur in when the January transfer window opens.
Congratulations to DeAndre, and we look forward to seeing you in lilywhite!