Julie Ertz bids farewell as USA women stroll past South Africa in friendly
Two-time Women’s World Cup winner Julie Ertz played her final match for the United States, an emotional 3-0 victory over South Africa in a friendly on Thursday night in Cincinnati.
Ertz announced last month that she was retiring after a 10-year career. She started against South Africa, wearing the captain’s armband for her 123th appearance for the United States.
Lynn Williams scored twice as the US did all their scoring in the first half. Ertz subbed out in the 35th minute to a standing ovation from the crowd at TQL Stadium, shorty after Trinity Rodman’s goal that made it 2-0.
The teams play again on Sunday at Soldier Field in Chicago. That match will be the last for Megan Rapinoe, who is also retiring.
It was the first match for the United States since exiting this summer’s Women’s World Cup in the round of 16. The Americans were eliminated by Sweden in a penalty shootout, their earliest elimination from soccer’s top tournament.
The 31-year-old Ertz had already hinted at her retirement following the loss to Sweden, tearfully telling reporters it was likely her final match wearing the team crest. She made it official in August.
She said before Thursday’s game that being able to spend time with her son and husband Zach Ertz, a tight end for the Arizona Cardinals, was “irreplaceable”. And she was grateful to walk away on her own terms.
“I do feel I could step away and be like, ‘It’s not because Momma can’t play.
Momma can play. She has just adapted priorities,’” Ertz said. “And I think that just comes with age and just I feel like I’ve been so blessed to have the career that I’ve had.”
It was uncertain whether Ertz would return to soccer before she was named to the World Cup team. The two-time US player of the year nursed
a knee injury before helping the US win bronze at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, then took time off for the birth of her son last year.
But she appeared in a pair of exhibitions against Ireland in April and signed with Angel City in the National Women’s Soccer League, working her way back into shape.
Known for her versatility, Ertz was a center back for the 2015 World Cup champion US team and a defensive midfielder when the Americans defended their title in 2019.
She finishes her national team career with 20 goals. She started all 17 of her World Cup matches.
Ertz scored six goals in 95 games with the NWSL’s Chicago Red Stars from 2014 through 2021. She played in three games for Angel City this season with one goal.
going to go,” she says. “At least for myself, growing up all I cared about was surfing, so I didn’t really watch the Olympics too much. Now that I’ve been to the Olympics, I understand why it’s so incredible to make it, because of the feeling that you get for representing your country. It’s powerful. I also think it’s brought a lot of eyes to surfing and that’s really special.
“On the tour, everyone’s ultimate goal and dream is to win a world title because [it means] you are the best surfer in the world. You have 10 events, every single different kind of condition, going against everybody and Mother Nature. But if you ask the average person that doesn’t know anything about surfing, they do know about the Olympics. That’s where the Olympics is so huge. So in a perfect world you win both.”
Even as she savors her career-best win and looks ahead to her unfinished Olympic business, Marks believes her most important victory came during her time away from the spotlight and will continue to serve her in the deepest waters. “There were moments when I doubted myself and I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to find that happiness again in my surfing and in myself,” she says. “It’s just a win in itself that I’ve been able to find that place of happiness and become more secure in myself.”