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If we had joined MLS a few years earlier, Jackson Yueill might have been our first ever Homegrown player. The midfielder from Bloomington played his youth soccer for the Minnesota Thunder Academy along with fellow youth national team player Mukwelle Akale. But because MTA is not officially afiliated with MNUFC (yet?), Yueill will enter MLS through the SuperDraft.
In an interview with Brian Quarstad of FiveFive.One in June, Yueill revealed he intended his sophomore year to be his last at UCLA and he would be going pro after the college season.
With two college seasons behind him, the Minnesotan will leave Los Angeles with a strong resume. He played in 20 games in each of his two seasons there, scoring nine goals and creating 17 more.
His prodigious creativity helped him write his name into the NCAA record books when he created three goals in just 32 seconds against the then-top ranked Akron Zips. He dished out another assist later in the match to tie the school record for assists in a single game.
Add "Score 3-straight goals vs. the No. 1 team in the nation" to the list of things that can be done in 32 seconds. pic.twitter.com/68qX4oD8Y5
— UCLA Men's Soccer (@UCLAMSoccer) September 6, 2016
In addition to his assists record, he was also an All-Pac 12 first team selection and a NSCAA All-Far West Region first team selection. According to TopDrawerSoccer.com, Yueill is the #5 men’s collegiate player in the nation and many expect him to be drafted in the first round when the SuperDraft comes around in January.
The 19 year-old midfielder would be a fine addition to the engine room of nearly any team in the league. He tends to play as a #8, distributing the ball to his teammates and springing attacks from midfield. He has also shown a knack for deadballs during his time at UCLA, going 2 for 2 on penalty kicks and scoring some beauties from outside the box as well.
The team that drafts Yueill will be getting a midfielder with good potential and a long career ahead of him. He isn’t especially hard on the eyes either, making him a potential poster boy for a franchise. And perhaps he’d be worth even more to his hometown club?
Do you want United to select Yueill? Still on the Ebobisse train? Have you been eyeing someone else? Let us know in the comments below!