Dustin Safranek-USA TODAY Sports
Julie Ertz will probably play for the United States women’s national team at the 2023 World Cup.
Up until a month ago, that would have been a dangerous bet to make. Ertz had not played a competitive match in over 18 months, and U.S. head coach Vlatko Andonovski had recently said that he would not be able to rely on Ertz at the World Cup. The implicit question was not whether she would be back in time for the World Cup, but whether she planned to come back at all.
Then came the announcement of her return, and on Saturday, there she was back on the field for the U.S., as if nothing had changed.
At her best, Ertz is among the best players in the world. Andonovski reiterated this point moments after the public announcement. What version of the player will the U.S. be getting this summer? That is a question has become ubiquitous for a U.S. team that contended with a mountain of major injuries over the past year, the latest being a torn patella tendon for Mallory Swanson, the team’s most in-form…
