Everybody has a Julie Ertz story. And on the latest episode of the “Snacks” podcast, Lynn Williams shared one of Ertz’s tenacity.
Ertz said goodbye to soccer, and to the U.S. women’s national team, last Thursday in her final game. In a “Behind the Crest” video from U.S. Soccer, the 31-year-old midfielder opened up about her career, saying she feels “blessed.”
“I feel like I’ve been so blessed to have the career that I’ve had, but it is, like, emotional, I think,” she said. “But then there’s just some part in your heart that is just like, you just know. And I think that is closure enough for me. And I think that’s why I’m just so grateful to have this last game to just close the chapter and say bye. I think anytime you say bye, it’s just sad, but also at the same time what a joyous time it is to reflect.”
One of those moments to reflect upon comes from Ertz’s early days with the national team. As Williams told Sam Mewis on their Just Women’s Sports podcast, USWNT players were talking about one of Ertz’s first opportunities with the national team ahead of her final match.
The tale featured Ertz as the fourth-string center-back for the USWNT. But a series of injuries forced Ertz into the starting lineup.
“I think that everybody can recognize the impact Julie has had on the game and on the national team,” Williams said. “… From that moment she just was like, ‘You know what, I’m gonna take my opportunity and run with it.’ And I thought that that was such a good message for everybody who wants to be on the national team.
“You never know when your opportunity is gonna come, and you never know how you’re gonna get it. Just continue to stay ready and when you do get that opportunity make the most of it. And I felt like that was just her career summed up in one moment. She just made the most of every single opportunity she got on the field.”
@justwomenssports “She just made the most of every single opportunity she got on the field” 🔥 #julieertz #uswnt #ussoccer ♬ original sound - Just Women’s Sports