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Yuna McCormack is a soft-spoken 5-foot-9 attacking midfielder out of Mill Valley, a charming town located across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. The rising sophomore at the University of Virginia earned her first two caps at the Under-20 level in the USA’s final two matches before the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, and then was named to the roster for her first major tournament. As a 14-year-old, she did help the USA win the 2018 Concacaf Girls’ U-15 Championship, and she’s now looking forward to displaying her talents on the world’s stage.
ussoccer.com: What were your initial thoughts and emotions when you found out you made the U-20 World Cup roster?
Yuna McCormack: “Honestly, just so proud and excited for the opportunity. Going to a U-20 World Cup was always a goal of mine. At the beginning of this year, I wasn’t invited to the first few camps so that was frustrating at the time, but I continued to stay positive and continued to work on myself. I had a good support system that helped me along the way and when (U.S. head coach) Tracey (Kevins) called me into the last camp before the World Cup, I knew I had to be ready to prove myself and put out my best performances in training and the games. I think I was able to do that, so the fact that I was named to the team, I just felt really proud of everything I’d done up to that point and I’m really looking forward to this adventure.
ussoccer.com: What are your favorite things about playing at an elite level for college and country?
YM: “I’ve always focused on my development, so just being in a training environment that challenges me and allows me to grow every single day, that’s really important. Being able to play with the best players around the country is amazing and when we’re on the field together, I just feel like we all have big goals and it’s a sisterhood and we all want to help each other get better.”
ussoccer.com: What part of watching the USWNT at the 2024 Olympics did you find most inspiring?
YM: “Going into the tournament a lot of people doubted the U.S. team, but right away from the group stage, they established themselves as one of the favorites to win the tournament. Watching them on the field, they are just so fast and fearless, and seeing them win the gold medal was just so inspiring. It was a great example of what our team can accomplish in this tournament if we are mentally and physically tough and locked in for every minute of every game.”
ussoccer.com: What qualities do you think are most important for a player wanting to compete at the international level?
YM: “A few things, but first, you always must believe in yourself and bring that confidence to the field. As a soccer player, you can’t control a lot of things, so you just have to focus on controlling what you can. When you are confident, you can play freely and just showcase who you are, which is so important at this level because everyone is here for a reason. And of course, you have to always have a positive mindset. As I said earlier, not getting invited to camps was frustrating, but just showing up to training ready to improve and get 1% better every day is so important.”
ussoccer.com: What experiences from playing in a U-20 WWC do you hope will serve you best as you continue to grow as a person and a player?
YM: “Seeing that the U-20 World Cup has been the start of a lot of big players’ careers, I just hope that I can do the same for myself and that we all can really showcase what we can do as a team. Playing with the best players in the country and against all the best players from around the world is a unique experience and something I can carry with me for the rest of my life.”