University of Akron soccer takes center stage as 2022 World Cup begins in Qatar
You might not see a bigger smile than the one that graces the face of University of Akron men’s soccer coach Jared Embick at 1 p.m. Monday.
That smile will be there again at 2 p.m. Wednesday.
And for good reason.
When the United States faces Wales in the World Cup on Monday, he’ll be watching former Zips star DeAndre Yedlin lace it up for the Americans.
He’ll do it all over again Wednesday when Canada takes on Belgium and another Akron star, Richie Laryea, tries to send the Great White North forward.
Getting the Call:Former UA soccer player DeAndre Yedlin makes U.S. World Cup roster
Along with its match against Wales, the U.S. plays England on Nov. 25 and Iron on Nov. 29 in Group B play. All games are 2 p.m. starts.
Canada plays Croatia at 11 a.m. Nov. 27 and Morocco at 10 a.m. Dec. 1 in Group F play.
“There’s a lot of pride for the program,” Embick said. “It shows that if you go the college route it's still a viable path for the kids. You can come here and we're able to help you clean up a couple things and put you in a good situation.”
How Akron soccer stars DeAndre Yedlin, Richie Laryea started, where they are now
Yedlin played for Akron from 2011-12 when Embick was an assistant coach.
He was an All-Mid-American Conference first-team honoree after appearing in 22 games and starting 21 games at right back, contributing six assists.
He was a freshman All-American for the Zips after appearing in 23 games and starting 20. He scored a goal and had six helpers.
Like Yedlin, Laryea played two seasons for the Zips.
He was a third-team All-American as a sophomore after starting 22 games in the midfield.
Laryea led Akron in goals (11) and was second in assists (7).
As a freshman, he started all 20 games and had a goal and two assists to earn second-team All-MAC honors.
“They’ve done a fantastic job since they left,” Embick said. “There’s always a sense of pride when you worked with anybody, even if it was a high school team club team, and they go on to represent your country. They continue to motivate and push players.”
At a university that holds a national championship (2010), three runner-up showings (1986, 2009, 2018), 25 NCAA Tournament appearances and a combined 36 regular season and tournament league titles, Yedlin and Laryea are the pinnacle of what the Zips are about.
Yedlin, 29, has already played in a World Cup after appearing in three matches in 2014.
He made his debut on Feb. 1 that year and is the only player on the team's roster this year with any World Cup experience.
The 2014 U.S. Soccer Young Male Player of the Year has eight assists in 75 appearances.
The defender has 34 caps and has started in 27 games for Team Canada. He enters World Cup action with a goal and three assists.
Laryea, 27, made his debut with the team on Sept. 7, 2019.
“We’re just so excited for them,” Embick said. “It's the same for both of them. We’re just overwhelmed with a sense of pride of what we can do here at this program. It really shows how we can help players later in their career. Those two are great examples of many.”
Contact Brad Bournival at bbournival@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @bbournival.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron stars DeAndre Yedlin, Richie Laryea on display at World Cup
