Mythical striker Julie Ertz will pull the sound one terminating era for america girls’s nationwide staff upcoming this generation.

The adorned midfielder/defender gets a “farewell game” from the USWNT when it hosts South Africa in a pleasant on Sept. 21 in Cincinnati, the federation introduced Thursday.  The fit would be the first of a two-game pleasant line, because the USWNT will bid see you later to Megan Rapinoe, who received’t play games in Cincinnati, in the second one fit 3 days upcoming in Chicago. 

Ertz, 31, introduced her depart from football on Aug. 31 upcoming indicating that she’d most probably grasp the cleats up following america’ spherical of 16 move on the 2023 Girls’s Global Cup, bringing up difficulties of balancing her past as a mom with seeking to play games football as probably the most causes for depart. It wasn’t unclouded on the era if Ertz would play games one ultimate fit with the nationwide staff as she stated adieu to her NWSL staff Angel Town FC.

“I expected to just walk away after retirement, but to have the opportunity to say goodbye to my teammates and the fans one last time is something special that many players dream of,” Ertz stated in a observation Thursday. “I wasn’t expecting this honor so I’m very thankful to [interim head coach] Twila [Kilgore] and to U.S. Soccer for giving me the chance to close this chapter of my life with those who have made this journey so memorable.”

Ertz, who made her USWNT debut in 2013, retires as one of the vital achieved avid gamers within the federation’s historical past. She was once an integral a part of america’ back-to-back Girls’s Global Cup wins in 2015 and 2019, scoring a purpose within the extreme event, probably the most 20 targets she scored in her global profession. She received the U.S. Football Feminine Participant of the Week award two times, first profitable it in 2017 and once more in 2019. 

Following the COVID-delayed 2020 Olympics performed in the summertime of 2021, Ertz didn’t play games football professionally or the world over for almost two years as she battled an trauma sooner than giving start to her son in August 2022. She returned to america nationwide staff for a pleasant in April and made her debut with Angel Town upcoming that generation. 

Even if she was once clear of the sport for so long as she was once, Ertz was once considered by way of many as probably the most lead avid gamers for the USWNT right through the 2023 Global Cup as her place flexibility helped the squad surrender only one purpose over 4 video games.

---

---