USMNT vs Ecuador: 5 Takeaways From Friendly

Oct 10, 2014; Hartford, CT, USA; Ecuador forward Enner Valencia (13) works the ball against USA defensemen DeAndre Yedlin (2) in the second half at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

4. DeAndre Yedlin as a winger

One of the experiments in the lineup for this friendly was that of DeAndre Yedlin and using him as a winger instead of a right back where has played for club and country. His exceptional speed lends you to believe that him as a winger could be a great move. He has shown his willingness and that he is very comfortable getting forward from that right back spot. Not to mention, his biggest weakness has been his defensive ability. So is this the start of a new position for DeAndre Yedlin? I cannot say yes or no right now, but it is definitely a possibility, for country that is.

He looked extremely comfortable playing with the knowing that there was a defender playing behind him in Timmy Chandler. He had the ability to cut inside and continue his runs without having to worry about immediately getting back into a defensive spot. He can really use his speed here to make darting runs and open up the field allowing other players to find space as well. Not only that, but this game he was the one that assisted Mix Diskerud and he almost had a goal of his own.

This may not be Yedlin’s position long term, we will not know that until more games are played. What we can take away from this is that DeAndre Yedlin showed his versatility and will give Klinsmann plenty to think about in the coming team selections. If he is able to work at it and possibly ink himself down as a possible winger in the future, that would make the decision of Johnson at right back much easier to make. I definitely think this is something to keep an eye on in the future though.