Julie Ertz

Chicago Red Stars, 2014–2021

On January 17, 2014, Ertz was selected third overall in the first round of the 2014 NWSL College Draft by the Chicago Red Stars. She subsequently signed with the team for the 2014 season. She made her first appearance for the team on April 19 in a match against the Western New York Flash. She scored the only goal of the match in the 59th minute. In the 2014 season, Ertz started in 21 matches and scored two goals. The Red Stars finished fifth in the regular season with a 9–7–8 record and did not advance to the playoffs. Following the 2014 season, Ertz was named NWSL Rookie of the Year and came second in voting (tied with Ali Krieger) behind Becky Sauerbrunn for NWSL Defender of the Year. In 2015, Ertz missed almost half of the NWSL season due to commitments with the United States women's national team at the FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada. She returned to the Red Stars on July 22 during a match against the Boston Breakers, which ended in 2–1 victory for the Red Stars. She made 11 appearances for the Red Stars during the 2015 season, playing 990 minutes. The Red Stars finished second in the regular season with an 8–3–9 record and advanced to the playoffs. The Red Stars faced FC Kansas City in the semi-finals of the playoffs on September 13. Ertz started in the match, which ended in a 0–3 defeat for the Red Stars and they were eliminated from the playoffs. Following the 2015 season, Ertz was named to the NWSL Best XI and was again a…

Club

As of match played May 13, 2023

International

As of match played September 21, 2023

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

Born and raised in Mesa, Arizona, to Kristi and David Johnston, Ertz was raised with her sister Melanie Johnston. Julie was introduced to soccer through her local AYSO region. The Johnston sisters played for Sereno Soccer Club in Phoenix; Julie played for the 1992 side and Melanie played for the 1990s. Regarding Julie's switch to the team, Ertz stated that "it ended up being the best decision [she's] ever made." Sereno was a nationally known club with alumni that have gone on to play in college, on professional teams and for national teams. Ertz played with the team from 2004 to 2010 on the U13 through U19 teams. She won the state title nine times during her time there and was captain of the team. Ertz attended Dobson High School in Mesa from 2006 to 2010, where she volunteered as a student athletic trainer all four years. She never played for the soccer team at the school, instead opting to devote her time to playing for Sereno. While at Dobson, Ertz was a member of the National Honor Society.

Santa Clara Broncos, 2010–2013

Ertz attended Santa Clara University, where she majored in communications and played as a midfielder for the Broncos women's soccer team. In 2010, as a college freshman, she played in 20 games, starting 16 and accumulating 1,519 minutes of playing time. At the end of the season, she led the team in assists with five and recorded the third-most shots on the team with 31. She was named WCC Freshman of the Year and received NSCAA All-West Region…

In February 2016, she became engaged to NFL tight end Zach Ertz at Klein Field, the Stanford University baseball stadium where they first met. They were married on March 26, 2017, on the coast of Santa Barbara, California. Zach and Julie Ertz were featured in ESPN The Magazine's The Body Issue 2017. Their first son Madden was born on August 11, 2022. On August 24, 2024, they announced the birth of twin sons Kace and Kyren. Ertz was featured along with her national teammates in the EA Sports' FIFA video game series in FIFA 16, the first time women players were included in the game and has been included in every EA Sports FIFA title since. Following the United States' win at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, Ertz and her teammates became the first women's sports team to be honored with a ticker-tape parade in New York City. Each player received a key to the city from Mayor Bill de Blasio. In October of the same year, the team was honored by President Barack Obama at the White House.