William Paul Yarbrough Story (born March 20, 1989) is a professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Major League Soccer club San Jose Earthquakes. Born in Mexico, he represented the United States national team.

William Yarbrough
Yarbrough with the United States in 2015
Personal information
Full name William Paul Yarbrough Story
Date of birth (1989-03-20) March 20, 1989 (age 35)
Place of birth Aguascalientes, Mexico
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
San Jose Earthquakes
Number 25
Youth career
1995–2004 Gallos de Aguascalientes
2005–2010 Pachuca
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2013 Pachuca 0 (0)
2010–2011Tampico Madero (loan) 28 (0)
2011Titanes Tulancingo (loan) 13 (0)
2012–2013León (loan) 9 (0)
2013–2020 León 161 (0)
2020Colorado Rapids (loan) 14 (0)
2021–2023 Colorado Rapids 88 (0)
2022 Colorado Rapids 2 1 (0)
2024– San Jose Earthquakes 17 (0)
International career
2015–2016 United States 3 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of July 14, 2024

Personal life

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Yarbrough was born and raised in Aguascalientes, Mexico,[2] to American parents who emigrated from Texas in the 1980s.[3] His parents are missionaries Lee Yarbrough and Stacey Story, who decided to live in Mexico, after having their honeymoon there.[4] He is a devout Christian.[5]

Club career

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Yarbrough in 2014

Pachuca

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Yarbrough started his career at six years old with Gallos de Aguascalientes. In 2005, he was invited for a trial with the U17 team of C.F. Pachuca and later signed with them at the age of sixteen.[6] He played until April 2010 for the youth squad of Pachuca and was loaned out to his first senior team, Jaibos Tampico Madero.[7] He was on loan until July 2011, participating in 38 matches during the Liga Premier de México 2010–2011 season. In summer 2011, he joined Titanes Tulancingo on another loan.[8]

León

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During the 2012–2013 season, he was loaned out to Club León from Pachuca, and did not play a league match during the 2012 Apertura tournament. Yarbrough played his only match in the first round of the Copa MX Apertura against Dorados de Sinaloa. Yarbrough was the starting goalkeeper for León until the end of the 2013 Clausura tournament, playing 8 matches.[9]

Yarbrough eventually joined León on a permanent basis, becoming their starting goalkeeper for most matches of both the Apertura and Clausura over the following seasons, and helped León to two Liga MX titles.[10] In the 2015 Apertura and 2016 Clausura, Yarbrough led León to a third-place finish, while leading all Liga MX goalkeepers in both saves and clean sheets.[11]

In May 2018, León acquired Rodolfo Cota. Cota took over as the starting goalkeeper. Yarbrough started four matches late in 2018, and started two matches in September 2019.

On March 6, 2020, Yarbrough was loaned to MLS side Colorado Rapids for one year.[12]

Colorado Rapids

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Yarbrough made his Rapids debut against Sporting Kansas City at the MLS is Back Tournament on July 17, 2020.[13] Yarbrough earned his first Rapids victory and clean sheet in a 5–0 win over Real Salt Lake to reclaim the Rocky Mountain Cup.[14] Yarbrough ended the season with a 6-4-4 (W-L-D) record and four clean sheets. Yarbrough also started Colorado's first-round playoff loss at Minnesota United FC.[15]

On February 2, 2021, Yarbrough moved permanently to the Colorado Rapids on a 3-year deal.[16] In week two of the 2023 season, Yarbrough was named to the league's Team of the Matchday after registering eleven saves in a scoreless draw against Sporting Kansas City, becoming the first player in club history to do so.[17]

International career

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In 2007, Yarbrough received a call up to the Mexico national under-20 team. In an interview, Yarbrough said though he had been called up for the Mexico under-20s, he had no preference between the two national teams as he is eligible to represent both. Despite accepting a call-up from the Mexican Federation in 2007, he ended up accepting an offer to the U.S. national team.[18][19][20]

Yarbrough earned his first call-up to the United States national team in March 2015. He appeared in the bench when the United States played against Denmark on March 25, 2015. Yarbrough substituted Nick Rimando in the beginning of the second half against Switzerland on March 31 to earn his first cap. Yarbrough conceded one goal against Switzerland; the game ended in a 1–1 draw. In his second appearance for the United States, Yarbrough was subbed in for Rimando at halftime during a friendly against Mexico on April 15, 2015. He had two saves in the 2–0 victory for the U.S.[21]

Yarbrough made his 3rd appearance for the United States team in a friendly match against New Zealand which ended in a 1–1 draw.

Honors

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León

References

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  1. ^ "William Yarbrough". Colorado Rapids. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  2. ^ Ficha de WILLIAM YARBROUGH – BDFA Argentina. Bdfa.com.ar. Retrieved on December 2, 2015.
  3. ^ "American Exports: León's Mexico-born GK William Yarbrough has US roots & passport". mlssoccer.com. Major League Soccer. July 19, 2012. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  4. ^ "Lee Yarbrough". newfrontierstogether.org. New Frontiers International. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  5. ^ Marshall, Tom (March 20, 2015). "What USMNT gets with Leon goalkeeper William Yarbrough". espnfc.us. ESPN. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  6. ^ Gringo Report: Mexico-born GK Yarbrough has US roots. Mlssoccer.com (July 19, 2012). Retrieved on December 2, 2015
  7. ^ Marcelino Bernal fue elegido por Pachuca, como entrenador de la Jaiba Brava de cara al Clausura 2011.
  8. ^ Ruta:..: Titanes Recibe A Universidad Autónoma Del Edo. Periodicoruta.com. Retrieved on December 2, 2015.
  9. ^ *William YarbroughLiga MX stats at MedioTiempo.com (archived) (in Spanish)
  10. ^ Klinsmann looks beyond Tim Howard, Brad Guzan as U.S prepares for new era. ESPNFC.com. Retrieved on October 6, 2016
  11. ^ 2016 Clausura Liga MX Stats: Goalkeeping. FoxSports.com. Retrieved on October 5, 2016
  12. ^ "Colorado Rapids Sign Two-Time Liga MX Champion Goalkeeper William Yarbrough". coloradorapids.com. Colorado Rapids. March 6, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  13. ^ "MLS Match Center".
  14. ^ "MLS Match Center".
  15. ^ "William Yarbrough".
  16. ^ "Rapids Sign Goalkeeper William Yarbrough to Three-Year Contract from Liga MX's Club León".
  17. ^ "William Yarbrough earns Team of the Matchday honors for shutout performance against Sporting KC". Colorado Rapids. March 6, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  18. ^ "American Exports: León's Mexico-born GK William Yarbrough has US roots". mlssoccer.com. Major League Soccer. July 19, 2012. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  19. ^ Yarbrough, un capítulo más en la fuga de talento. Deportes.televisa.com. Retrieved on December 2, 2015.
  20. ^ I'm 100 percent Mexican – William Yarbrough. Mediotiempo.com. Retrieved on December 2, 2015.
  21. ^ "U.S. Men's National Team vs. Mexico - Matchcenter". mlssoccer.com. Major League Soccer. April 15, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
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