Homecoming: DeAndre Yedlin excited to return to Seattle, face Sounders with Inter Miami

SFC: You’ve been a huge Sounders supporter from afar, especially when the club won MLS Cup in 2016 and 2019. What was that like watching and rooting from abroad?

DY: It was difficult because you always want to be a part of it, but I’m so proud of those guys. A lot of those guys who were a part of those groups I’ve still kept in touch with and am close with, and even on this team now, there’s a lot of guys I’m still close with. You always want to see your friends do well. I was really happy for them then and hopefully come Saturday it’s going to be business on the field, but off the field it’s always a good friendship.

SFC: From a pure sporting perspective, what are you expecting from the Sounders as an opponent coming to play here on Saturday? What kind of match are you anticipating?

DY: When you think about the Sounders organization and how they’ve been throughout the years, even back when I was there, it’s always been a really honest team. It’s a team of workers and a team that’s going to give you their all every game. That’s really difficult to play against. You can’t cheat, you have to be focused the whole game. They have really quality players, really smart players, really good players technically, and they’re organized. They’ve shown throughout the last few years that they’re one of the best teams in the league. We have to go in and be quite prepared and ready to play them because they are a very, very good team with experienced players and players who can really hurt you.

SFC: Brian Schmetzer was an assistant during your time here. What are your memories of him and what do you think of the job he’s done since he took over in 2016?

DY: I think he’s a great coach. He’s one of my favorites that I’ve had in my career. The job he’s done is incredible. Seattle is challenging for titles every year. That’s not an easy thing to do, to be that consistent. Clearly, he’s got an equation that’s working out well. He’s done a great job and hats off to him. I wouldn’t have doubted him when he got the head coach job. Probably some people did because he wasn’t a huge name in the soccer world, but he’s proved a lot of people wrong and done an incredible job with the club and organization.