Griffin Yow
{{short description|American soccer player}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Griffin Yow
| image =
| fullname = Griffin McDorman Yow{{cite web |url=https://fdp.fifa.org/assetspublic/ce158/pdf/SquadLists-English.pdf |title=Men's Olympic Football Tournament Paris 2024: Squad list |page=15 |work=FIFA |date=July 24, 2024 |access-date=July 25, 2024}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2002|9|25|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Clifton, Virginia, United States
| height = {{height|ft=5|in=9}}
| position = Winger
| currentclub = Westerlo
| clubnumber = 18
| youthyears1 = 2016–2017
| youthclubs1 = Virginia Development Academy
| youthyears2 = 2017–2019
| youthclubs2 = D.C. United
| years1 = 2019–2022
| clubs1 = Loudoun United
| caps1 = 18
| goals1 = 3
| years2 = 2019–2022
| clubs2 = D.C. United
| caps2 = 32
| goals2 = 3
| years3 = 2022–
| clubs3 = Westerlo
| caps3 = 60
| goals3 = 13
| nationalyears1 = 2018–2019
| nationalteam1 = United States U17
| nationalcaps1 = 12
| nationalgoals1 = 7
| nationalyears2 = 2024
| nationalteam2 = United States U23
| nationalcaps2 = 7
| nationalgoals2 = 1
| club-update = April 11, 2025
| nationalteam-update = August 2, 2024
}}
Griffin McDorman Yow (born September 25, 2002) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a winger for Belgian Pro League club Westerlo.{{cite web |url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/griffin-yow/511015/ |title=USA – G. Yow – Profile with news, career statistics and history – Soccerway |website=int.soccerway.com |accessdate=March 11, 2019}}
Club career
=D.C. United=
Yow joined the D.C. United academy in 2017, and found himself engaging in training sessions with the first team at the age of 15. By 2019, Yow had withdrawn from high school and enrolled in online programs, electing to forego a collegiate soccer career in favor of professional opportunities in the sport.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/03/29/griffin-yow-doesnt-have-drivers-license-he-has-dc-united-contract/ |title=Griffin Yow doesn't have a driver's license, but he has a D.C. United contract |first=Steven |last=Goff |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=March 29, 2019 |accessdate=August 2, 2024}} Shortly thereafter, Yow made his professional debut with the club's USL Championship affiliate Loudoun United, and the following week scored the first goal in club history against Memphis 901 FC.{{cite web |url=https://www.loudoununitedfc.com/news/2020/10/01/griffin-yow-has-moved-up-the-pathway-to-pro-system-and-continues-to-show-promise-at-just-18-years-old/ |title=Griffin Yow has moved up the Pathway to Pro system and continues to show promise at just 18-years-old |work=Loudoun United |date=October 1, 2020 |accessdate=August 2, 2024}}
On March 19, 2019, he became the 12th homegrown player to be signed with D.C. United.{{cite web |url=https://www.dcunited.com/post/2019/03/19/dc-united-sign-academy-product-griffin-yow-12th-homegrown-club-history |title=sign Academy Product Griffin Yow as 12th Homegrown in Club History |publisher=D.C. United |date=2019-03-19 |accessdate=2019-04-21}} Yow made his professional debut with D.C. United in the 90th minute replacing Paul Arriola against New York City FC on April 21, 2019.{{Cite web |url=https://www.dcunited.com/post/2019/04/22/homegrown-griffin-yow-makes-mls-debut-against-nycfc |title=Homegrown Griffin Yow makes MLS debut against NYCFC | DC United}} This cameo made him the youngest player to appear in Major League Soccer during the 2019 season.{{cite web |url=https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/180635/16yearold-griffin-yow-is-on-the-fast-track-with-dc-united/ |title=16-Year-Old Griffin Yow Is on the Fast Track With D.C. United |first=Seth |last=Vertelney |work=Washington City Paper |date=April 22, 2019 |accessdate=August 2, 2024}} Yow scored his first non-competitive goal for D.C. United in a friendly against Real Betis on May 22, 2019. Yow made his first start with D.C. United on July 4, 2019, against FC Dallas, playing 58 minutes in a 0–2 loss.{{cite web |title=FC Dallas vs. D.C. United |url=https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2019-07-04-fc-dallas-vs-dc-united/boxscore |website=MLS MatchCenter |publisher=Major League Soccer |accessdate=5 July 2019 |date=4 July 2019}} On September 19, 2020, Yow scored his first Major League Soccer goal against Toronto FC, equalizing the game 2–2.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=September 20, 2020 |title=DC United teen academy product Griffin Yow scores late equalizer for 1st MLS goal |url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2020/09/20/dc-united-teen-academy-product-griffin-yow-scores-late-equalizer-1st-mls-goal |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210105184125/http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2020/09/20/dc-united-teen-academy-product-griffin-yow-scores-late-equalizer-1st-mls-goal |archive-date=January 5, 2021 |access-date=September 20, 2020 |website=mlssoccer.com}}
Following his departure from the club, Yow stated that he "didn't feel valued" at times during his stint with the team, owing to a lack of minutes and perceived on-field progress.{{cite web |url=https://prosoccerwire.usatoday.com/2024/01/17/westerlo-griffin-yow-d-c-united-didnt-value-me/ |title=Now thriving in Belgium, Yow admits he didn't feel valued at D.C. United |first=Seth |last=Vertelney |work=Pro Soccer Wire |date=January 17, 2024 |accessdate=August 2, 2024}} Yow made no more than a dozen league appearances in any of his four seasons with the club between 2019 and 2022.
=Westerlo=
On July 4, 2022, Yow was sold by D.C. United to recently promoted Westerlo.{{cite web |title=D.C. United Agree Terms with KVC Westerlo for the permanent transfer of Griffin Yow |url=https://www.dcunited.com/news/d-c-united-agree-terms-with-kvc-westerlo-for-the-permanent-transfer-of-griffin-y |website=D.C. United |access-date=July 4, 2022 |date=July 4, 2022}} After a quiet season in which he made just five league appearances, Yow broke into the starting eleven in October 2023 after a knee injury forced him to miss the start of the 2023–24 campaign. He enjoyed a hot start to the season, scoring three goals and tallying two assists in his first 10 games.{{cite web |url=http://www.americansoccernow.com/articles/now-confident-and-in-form-yow-excited-to-see-his-career-take-off-in-belgium |title=Now confident and in form, Yow excited to see his career take off in Belgium |first=Brian |last=Sciaretta |work=American Soccer Now |date=January 17, 2024 |accessdate=August 2, 2024}} At the end of the year, Yow had registered 29 appearances across all competitions, scoring seven times.
International career
Yow has appeared for the United States under-17 team, scoring his first goal against Brazil's under-17 team in a friendly tournament.{{cite web |title=U-17 MNT Forward Griffin Yow Takes Next Steps for Club and Country |url=https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2019/05/u17-mnt-forward-griffin-yow-takes-next-steps-for-club-and-country |website=US Soccer |accessdate=5 July 2019 |language=en |date=6 May 2019}} In October 2019, he was named to the squad for the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil.{{Cite web |url=https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2019/10/head-coach-raphael-wicky-names-usa-roster-for-2019-fifa-u17-world-cup-in-brazil |title=Head Coach Raphael Wicky Names USA Roster for 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil |website=www.ussoccer.com |language=en |access-date=2019-10-10}}
In March 2024, Yow was called up to the United States under-23 team ahead of friendlies against Guinea and France. That summer, Yow was selected to play in the 2024 Summer Olympics,{{cite web |url=https://wjla.com/sports/olympics/griffin-yow-usmnt-soccer-team-united-states-paris-france-natonal-dc-united-loudoun-fc-mls-major-league-usl-clifton-virginia-dmv-washington-maryland-virginia-2024-paris-olympics |title='A dream come true': Griffin Yow looks to make his country, and the DMV proud in Paris |first=Noah |last=Shubert |work=WJLA |date=July 18, 2024 |accessdate=August 2, 2024}}{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/07/08/us-olympic-mens-soccer-team/ |title=Kevin Paredes and Griffin Yow named to U.S. Olympic men's soccer team |first=Steven |last=Goff |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=July 8, 2024 |accessdate=August 2, 2024}} appearing in all of the team's group stage matches{{cite web |url=http://www.americansoccernow.com/articles/yow-on-olympic-run-the-job-is-not-done-we-want-to-medal |title=Yow on Olympic run: "The job is not done. We want to medal." |first=Brian |last=Sciaretta |work=American Soccer Now |date=August 1, 2024 |accessdate=August 2, 2024}} as well as their 4–0 loss to Morocco in the quarterfinals.
Career statistics
=Club=
{{updated|match played April 11, 2025}}
| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||||
| rowspan=2|Club
!rowspan=2|Season !colspan=3|League !colspan=2|National cup{{efn|Includes U.S. Open Cup, Belgian Cup}} !colspan=2|Continental !colspan=2|Other !colspan=2|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan=4|Loudoun United
|2019 |USL |15 | 3 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 15 | 3 | ||||
| 2021
|USL |1 | 0 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 2022
|USL |2 | 0 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 2 | 0 | ||||
| colspan=2|Total
!18||3||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||18||3 | ||||||||||
| rowspan=5|D.C. United
|2019 |MLS |2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 4 | 0 | |||
| 2020
|MLS |12 | 2 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 12 | 2 | ||||
| 2021
|MLS |11 | 1 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 11 | 1 | ||||
| 2022
|MLS |7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 9 | 0 | |||
| colspan=2|Total
!32 | 3 | 4 | 0 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 36 | 3 | |||
| rowspan=4|Westerlo
|5 | 0 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 5 | 0 | ||||
| 2023–24
|Belgian Pro League |28 | 7 | 1 | 0 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 29 | 7 | |||
| 2024–25
|Belgian Pro League |27 | 6 | 2 | 0 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 29 | 6 | |||
| colspan=2|Total
!60 | 13 | 3 | 0 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 63 | 13 | |||
| colspan=3|Career total
!110 | 19 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 117 | 19 |
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{MLS player}}
- {{USL Championship player}}
- {{U.S. Soccer player|y/griffin-yow}}
- {{Team USA|new_id=griffin-yow}}
- {{Olympics.com|griffin-yow}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20241007204819/https://www.olympics.com/en/paris-2024/athlete/griffin-yow_1943937 Griffin Yow] at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics (archived, [https://paris2024.rtve.es/es/paris-2024/atleta/griffin-yow_1943937 alternate link])
- {{Instagram}}
{{K.V.C. Westerlo squad}}
{{United States men's football squad 2024 Summer Olympics}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yow, Griffin}}
Category:People from Clifton, Virginia
Category:Soccer players from Fairfax County, Virginia
Category:American men's soccer players
Category:United States men's youth international soccer players
Category:Men's association football forwards
Category:Loudoun United FC players
Category:K.V.C. Westerlo players
Category:USL Championship players
Category:Major League Soccer players
Category:Belgian Pro League players
Category:Homegrown Players (MLS)
Category:Footballers at the 2024 Summer Olympics
Category:Olympic soccer players for the United States
Category:American expatriate men's soccer players
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium