Two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup winner Julie Ertz dreams for a third on return from pregnancy

Ertz played a crucial role in the 2019 World Cup win for the Stars and Stripes and is returning after a break for pregnancy, for the friendlies against Ireland this week.

Julie Ertz celebrates after winning the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup final against Netherlands at Stade de Lyon, France.

Julie Ertz will look to mark her return in style in her first national team call-up since the Tokyo 2020 Games as she eyes a spot in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup roster for the United States Women’s National Team.

The 30-year-old played a crucial role in the 2019 World Cup win for the Stars and Stripes and is returning after a break for pregnancy, for the friendlies against Ireland this week.

“I just wanted to make sure that when I was coming back, I was strong enough to be able to be myself,” she told reporters in an interaction on Tuesday.

“I do not want to be the player I was before because I want to be better. I loved the sport differently than I do now (after pregnancy) and that new perspective seems to have given me a new drive.”

Ertz, a defensive midfielder, has been one of the pillars to absorb pressure during opposition attacks and begin counter attacks and her absence, naturally, left the midfield exposed.

Julie Ertz celebrates with the FIFA Women’s World Cup trophy. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES

Head coach Vlatko Andonovski, who took charge of the side in October 2019, has experimented with Andi Sullivan, Lindsey Horan and Kristie Mewis in the middle of the park with Sullivan being the closest to a midfield pivot and an attacking switch.

But the absence of Ertz – a two-time US Soccer Female player of the year – has clearly been felt in the losses against England, Spain and Germany in the friendlies last year.

“I am grateful to anybody who feels I can make an impact. I know, probably my success with the team, individually and collectively, has probably asked questions (on when would I return),” she said.

“And that’s why I am back because I do love competing, I do love the sport and irrespective of my pregnancy, I have learnt that pressure is a privilege.”

Challenges on and off the field

Ertz, who last played for the USWNT in the Olympics, helping it to a bronze, has been without a club in the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League) and that disqualifies any player from beg picked for the national team.

However, the national team’s  collective bargaining argument mandates that women returning from pregnancy must be given an opportunity irrespective of the club situation.

“Her mindset is superb,” Andonovski told reporters. “She’s committed to the game, she’s committed to this team, and when I say committed — fully committed in every aspect of it. She’s ready physically, she’s ready mentally, she’s excited to be back in the environment. Most importantly, she feels confident that she can help this team win another title, and, for me, that’s what matters the most.”

Married to Arizona Cardinals’ Zach Ertz, Julie talked about the journey of leaving the field for family and returning where she belongs.

Julie Ertz celebrates with her husband, NFL player Zach Ertz, following USA’s victory in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup final. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES

“When you have two athletes, probably closer to the beginning of their careers, there are emotional conversations which are also very touching, real and raw,” she said.

“There was a moment I was sitting on the couch with my husband and my baby. And we talked about everything like having a baby, how it works logistically and making sure my family’s there. And anyone who has gone through that process (of having a kid and coming back to work) knows it’s challenging and extremely emotional.”

The United States is drawn in Group E in the FIFA Women’s World Cup alongside Vietnam, Netherlands and debutant Portugal and will open its campaign against Vietnam on July 22.

For Ertz, the battle will be an uphill one with the friendlies (against Ireland) being the only window for her to re-establish her dominance in the middle of the park.

“I’ve been in really good conversations with Vladko, about what they’ve been looking at, and what they’re been trying to do in each game. In previous games, and it’s been a little bit different from game to game, so it’s been fun kind of listening to what he sees and allows you to ask questions,” Ertz said.

When asked whether she is keeping the World Cup her ultimate aim for now, she smiled to say that she is taking one step at a time and that the process of returning back to the camp is quite ‘rewarding’.

Julie Ertz battles for possession with Gaetane Thiney of France during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup quarterfinal. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES

“I think it’s easy to look ahead and always be like, yeah, going to World Cup is amazing, but it’s not as easy as said. I’ve been blessed to be able to go to a few and I enjoyed that process, but I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, so I just kind of tried to enjoy it step by step and it was a possibility. And just the journey of that process has already been really rewarding,” she said.

Team news and a new chapter for USWNT

The roster for the friendlies will have Megan Rapinoe out with a leg injury while winger Sophia Smith returns after recuperating from an ankle injury.

However, with veteran defenders Kelly O’Hara (hip injury) and Casey Krueger (pregnancy) back, the team will look for the best possible combination at the back.

“When it comes to World Cup time, it’s all about detail. I just think the game continuously adapts and your opponents constantly get better. I just feel like there’s always room for improvement. I’m proud of the player that I have been able to be but at the same time, it’s hard to just be complacent,” Ertz said.

The United States became the trailblazer in women’s football when it won the inaugural Women’s World Cup in 1999. The current roster of the USWNT has a record number of mothers in the team – Crystal Dunn, Adrianna Franch, Alex Morgan, Krueger and Ertz.

If the current lot makes it to Australia, the United States will turn over another chapter in women’s football, mastering the art of motherhood and sport with finesse. 

“We’ve been training together and it’s nice to be able to have somebody who understands and pushes you and knows where you want to be, being teammates prior as well. So, it’s been like a team within a team. They’ve really inspired me and I’m sure they’ve inspired other moms as well,” Ertz said.