SAN JOSE, Calif. – San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Jackson Yueill was selected as captain of the United States U-23 National Team for the Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying Championship in Guadalajara, Mexico through a vote by players and coaches. The tournament, which starts tomorrow when the USA takes on Costa Rica at 2:30 p.m. PT (FS1, TUDN), will see two teams from the North America, Central America and Caribbean region qualify for this summer’s Olympics.
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“Jackson is a leader for this group on and off the field,” said U-23 head coach Jason Kreis. “After tallying votes, he was the clear choice to captain this team during Olympic qualifying. He’s well-suited to the way we want to play and his experience with this system will help him anchor our midfield during this difficult tournament. Jackson is an incredibly hard worker and I’m proud of how much he’s grown over the last two years.”
Yueill, 23, wore the captain’s armband for the Earthquakes in 2020 and proceeded to lead the club in minutes played that season while helping the team to its first MLS Cup Playoff berth since 2017. The Quakes signed Yueill to a new multi-year contract last October that extends beyond the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
With nine caps for the senior U.S. National Team, Yueill carries the most senior international experience of any player on the roster. The midfielder was called to the very first training camp of the U-23 USMNT cycle in March 2019 and made his senior team debut a few months later against Jamaica in Washington D.C. The Minnesota native played in all three of the USMNT’s victories during the inaugural Concacaf Nations League in fall 2019 and started both of the senior team’s domestic matches in 2020.
