Julie Ertz facts for kids

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"Julie Johnston" redirects here. For other uses, see Julie Johnston (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids
Julie Ertz

Ertz with the USWNT in 2019

Personal information

Full name

Julie Beth Ertz

Birth name

Julie Beth Johnston

Date of birth

April 6, 1992 (age 33)

Place of birth

Mesa, Arizona, U.S.

Height

5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)

Position(s)

Midfielder, defender

Youth career

AYSO Region 503

2000–2004

Arizona Arsenal Soccer Club

2004–2010

Sereno Soccer Club

College career

Years

Team

Apps

(Gls)

2010–2013

Santa Clara Broncos

(31)

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps

(Gls)

2014–2021

Chicago Red Stars

(6)

2023

Angel City FC

(1)

International career

United States U15

United States U18

2012

United States U20

2013

United States U23

2013–2023

United States

123

(20)

Medal record

Women's soccer

Representing the United States
Olympic Games
Bronze	2020 Tokyo	Team
FIFA Women's World Cup
Gold	2015 Canada	Team
Gold	2019 France	Team

*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Julie Beth Ertz (born April 6, 1992), whose maiden name was Johnston, is an American former professional soccer player. She played as a midfielder and defender. From 2014 to 2021, she played for the National Women's Soccer League club Chicago Red Stars. In 2023, she played for Angel City FC.

Ertz was a key player for the United States women's national team from 2013 to 2023. She played her first international game on February 9, 2013, against Scotland. She played a total of 123 games for her country.

Julie Ertz played college soccer for the Santa Clara University Broncos from 2010 to 2013. After college, the Chicago Red Stars picked her third overall in the 2014 NWSL College Draft. She was named the NWSL Rookie of the Year. Ertz helped the United States win two FIFA Women's World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019. In 2015, at 23 years old, she was one of the youngest players on the team. She played every minute of all seven games in the 2015 tournament. After the 2023 World Cup, Ertz retired from playing for the national team.

In 2017, Ertz started playing as a center midfielder for her club and country. She won the U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year award that year. She won the award again in 2019. Her husband, Zach Ertz, is a professional football player in the National Football League (NFL).

Early Life and Soccer Beginnings
- College Soccer at Santa Clara, 2010–2013
Professional Club Career
- Playing for Chicago Red Stars, 2014–2021
- Playing for Angel City FC, 2023
International Career
- Youth National Teams
- Senior National Team
Personal Life
Career Statistics
- Club
- International
Honors and Awards
See also

Early Life and Soccer Beginnings

Julie Ertz was born in Mesa, Arizona. Her parents are Kristi and David Johnston. She grew up with her sister, Melanie Johnston. Julie started playing soccer in her local AYSO league.

The Johnston sisters played for the Sereno Soccer Club in Phoenix. Julie played for the 1992 team, and Melanie played for the 1990 team. Julie said that joining Sereno was "the best decision [she's] ever made." Sereno was a well-known club. Many players from Sereno went on to play in college, for professional teams, and for national teams. Ertz played with the team from 2004 to 2010. She was on the U13 through U19 teams. She won the state title nine times and was the team captain.

Ertz went to Dobson High School in Mesa from 2006 to 2010. She volunteered as a student athletic trainer all four years. She chose not to play for her high school soccer team. Instead, she focused on playing for Sereno. While at Dobson, Ertz was also a member of the National Honor Society.

College Soccer at Santa Clara, 2010–2013

Ertz attended Santa Clara University. She studied communications there. She played as a midfielder for the Broncos women's soccer team.

In 2010, as a freshman, she played in 20 games. She started 16 of them. She led the team with five assists. She was named WCC Freshman of the Year. She also received other honors for her great play.

As a sophomore in 2011, Ertz started all 21 games. She scored nine goals and had four assists. She was a top player for the Hermann Trophy award. She was named to the NSCAA All-American First-Team.

In 2012, her junior year, Ertz played in 15 games and started 14. She led the Broncos with eight goals. She also had five assists. She was named to the All-WCC First Team. She was also named U.S. Soccer Young Female Athlete of the Year.

In 2013, Ertz played in 22 games. She led the team with eight assists and four game-winning goals. She scored 12 goals that season. She received many awards, including WCC Player of the Year. Overall, Ertz played 79 games and scored 31 goals for the Broncos.

Professional Club Career

Ertz (then known as Johnston; left) with the Chicago Red Stars during a match against Houston Dash on July 26, 2014

Playing for Chicago Red Stars, 2014–2021

On January 17, 2014, the Chicago Red Stars picked Ertz third overall in the 2014 NWSL College Draft. She signed with the team for the 2014 season. She played her first game on April 19 against the Western New York Flash. She scored the only goal in that game, helping her team win.

In 2014, Ertz started 21 games and scored two goals. The Red Stars finished fifth and did not make the playoffs. After the season, Ertz was named NWSL Rookie of the Year. She also came in second for NWSL Defender of the Year.

In 2015, Ertz missed some NWSL games. This was because she was playing for the United States national team in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. She returned to the Red Stars on July 22. She played in 11 games for the Red Stars that season. The Red Stars finished second and made the playoffs. They lost to FC Kansas City in the semi-finals. Ertz was named to the NWSL Best XI team. She was also a finalist for Defender of the Year again.

Ertz played twelve games for the Red Stars in the 2016 season. Then she joined the national team for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. She was a finalist for Defender of the Year for the third time.

In the 2017 season, Ertz played a new role as an attacking midfielder. She scored the winning goal in a 1–0 victory over FC Kansas City. Ertz was named to the NWSL Second XI team. She helped Chicago reach the championship semi-final.

Ertz missed the start of the 2018 NWSL season. She was recovering from a knee injury. She played her first game of the season on April 28. Ertz played in 15 games for the Red Stars in 2018. They made the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. They lost to the North Carolina Courage in the semi-finals. Ertz was named to the 2018 NWSL Second XI. She was a finalist for Defender of the Year for the fourth time.

At the end of the 2019 season, Ertz and the Chicago Red Stars played in their first NWSL Championship game. They played against the North Carolina Courage.

On December 3, 2021, Ertz's rights were traded to Angel City FC.

Playing for Angel City FC, 2023

After taking a year and a half break from soccer, Ertz signed with Angel City FC. She returned to the NWSL in April 2023. This was in a game against San Diego Wave FC.

On August 31, 2023, Ertz announced that she was retiring from professional soccer.

International Career

Youth National Teams

In 2006, Ertz attended a special camp for the United States U14 National team. In 2009, she was invited to a U18 national team training camp.

In 2012, Ertz played for the United States U20 team. She scored a goal against Switzerland. She had played 13 games and scored four goals for the U20 team. Ertz was the captain of the United States team. She led them to win the 2012 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship. Then, she captained her team to win the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in Japan. She also won the Bronze Ball award herself.

In 2013, Ertz played for the U23 team. They won the Four Nations Tournament in Spain. They beat England in the final game.

Senior National Team

First Games, 2013–2014

Ertz was first called to the national team in January 2013. She was on the team for a training camp before games against Scotland. Ertz played her first game for the national team on February 9, 2013, against Scotland. She came into the game in the 83rd minute. The United States won the game 4–1.

Ertz traveled to Europe with the national team in April. They played against Germany and the Netherlands. On April 9, Ertz started in the midfield against the Netherlands. The United States won the game 3–1. In late May, Ertz was named to the team that traveled to Canada.

Ertz started 2014 at a national team training camp. She was later named to the team for games against Canada and France. Ertz was also on the team for a game against Switzerland on August 20. She came into the game in the second half. The United States won 4–1.

Ertz joined the national team for a training camp in August. This was to prepare for games against Mexico. It was also for the 2014 CONCACAF Women's qualifying tournament. This tournament helped teams qualify for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. Ertz was added to the team roster after another player got injured. The United States qualified for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. This happened after they won against Mexico on October 24. After the tournament, Ertz was named to the team for a tournament in Brazil. She played in one game against China.

2015 FIFA Women's World Cup

Playing in a friendly, May 2015

Ertz started 2015 with a training camp in California. She was then named to the team that would travel to Europe. They played games against France and England. On February 21, Ertz was named to the team for the 2015 Algarve Cup in Portugal. She started three games in the tournament. This included the final against France on March 11. Ertz scored her first international goal in that game. This helped the United States win the tournament 2–0.

On April 14, Ertz was named to the team for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. She was one of only five U.S. players who played every minute of all seven games. In the semi-final against Germany, Ertz was given a yellow card. The United States won the game 2–0. They moved on to the World Cup final. In the final, the United States played Japan. Ertz accidentally scored an own goal. However, the United States still won the game and the World Cup title. After the tournament, Ertz was named to the FIFA Women's World Cup All-Star Team. She joined the team on a Victory Tour across the U.S.

2016 Rio Olympics

Yuika Sugasawa is fouled by Ertz in the 13th minute of the match between the United States and Japan on June 5, 2016

Ertz joined the national team for their first training camp of 2016. She was then named to the team for the 2016 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying tournament. The United States qualified for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. This happened after they won against Trinidad and Tobago. The United States won the tournament by beating Canada 2–0.

Ertz was named to the team for the 2016 SheBelieves Cup. She played in the opening game against England. She also played in two other games. She helped the United States win the 2016 SheBelieves Cup.

Ertz joined the team for a training camp before two games against Colombia. In the second game on April 10, Ertz played all 90 minutes. She scored two goals. This helped the United States win 3–0. Ertz was also on the team for two games against Japan. She started both games and scored a goal in the second game.

On July 12, Ertz was named to the team for the 2016 Olympic Games. She played her first Olympic game on August 3 against New Zealand. The U.S. won 2–0. She missed the next two group games due to a groin injury. She returned for the quarterfinal game against Sweden. The U.S. lost this game in penalty kicks.

Ertz signing a fan's poster in a friendly before the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup

2019 FIFA World Cup

Starting in 2017, Ertz moved from playing as a center back to a defensive center midfield position. This was part of new strategies by coach Jill Ellis. She did very well in this new role. In 2017, she was named the U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year.

In May 2019, she was named to the team for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France. This was her second World Cup. She scored a goal in the 3–0 win over Chile. Ertz also won the U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year award again.

2020 SheBelieves Cup

At the 2020 SheBelieves Cup on March 5, 2020, Ertz played her 100th game for the United States. This was in a 2–0 win against England.

Personal Life

In February 2016, Julie got engaged to NFL tight end Zach Ertz. They met at the Stanford University baseball stadium. They got married on March 26, 2017, in Santa Barbara, California. Zach and Julie Ertz were featured in ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue in 2017.

In April 2022, they announced they were going to have their first child. Their son was born on August 11, 2022. In April 2024, they announced they were expecting their second child. On August 24, 2024, they shared that they had twin sons.

Career Statistics

Club

Club	Season	League			Cup		Playoffs		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Chicago Red Stars	2014	NWSL	21	2	—		—		—		21	2
	2015		11	0	—		1	0	—		12	0
	2016		12	0	—		1	0	—		13	0
	2017		22	4	—		1	0	—		23	4
	2018		14	0	—		1	0	—		15	0
	2019		14	0	—		2	0	—		16	0
	2020		—		6	0	—		0	0	6	0
	2021		1	0	2	0	0	0	—		3	0
Angel City FC	2023		3	1	0	0	—		—		3	1
Career total			98	7	8	0	6	0	0	0	112	7

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
United States	2013	2	0
	2014	3	0
	2015	21	5
	2016	19	3
	2017	12	6
	2018	16	4
	2019	22	1
	2020	8	1
	2021	13	0
	2022	–	–
	2023	7	0
Total		123	20

Scores and results list United States's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Ertz goal.

List of international goals scored by Julie Ertz
No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	March 11, 2015	Faro	France	1–0	2–0	2015 Algarve Cup
2	April 4, 2015	St. Louis	New Zealand	3–0	4–0	Friendly
3	May 10, 2015	San Jose	Republic of Ireland	3–0	3–0	Friendly
4	August 16, 2015	Pittsburgh	Costa Rica	3–0	8–0	Friendly
5	September 20, 2015	Birmingham	Haiti	1–0	8–0	Friendly
6	April 10, 2016	Chester	Colombia	2–0	3–0	Friendly
7	April 10, 2016	Chester	Colombia	3–0	3–0	Friendly
8	June 5, 2016	Cleveland	Japan	1–0	2–0	Friendly
9	July 31, 2017	San Diego	Brazil	4–3	4–3	2017 Tournament of Nations
10	September 15, 2017	Commerce City	New Zealand	1–0	3–1	Friendly
11	September 15, 2017	Commerce City	New Zealand	2–0	3–1	Friendly
12	October 19, 2017	New Orleans	South Korea	1–0	3–1	Friendly
13	October 22, 2017	Cary	South Korea	4–0	6–0	Friendly
14	November 12, 2017	San Jose	Canada	1–0	3–1	Friendly
15	January 21, 2018	San Diego	Denmark	2–1	5–1	Friendly
16	August 2, 2018	Bridgeview	Brazil	2–1	4–1	2018 Tournament of Nations
17	October 4, 2018	Cary	Mexico	2–0	6–0	2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship
18	October 14, 2018	Frisco	Jamaica	3–0	6–0	2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship
19	June 16, 2019	Paris	Chile	2–0	3–0	2019 FIFA Women's World Cup
20	March 8, 2020	Harrison	Spain	1–0	1–0	2020 SheBelieves Cup