In The Journey to the Cup, The Athletic tells the stories of players and teams as they work towards a place in the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Follow along as we track their progress as they prepare both mentally and physically for a chance to shine on the game’s biggest stage.
Melissa Ortiz is, in a word, everywhere.
The Colombia international-turned-broadcaster frequents American soccer screens — and airports. She hit (at least) eight cities in a month before sitting down with The Athletic to discuss her new jam-packed schedule.
This year, Ortiz became the sideline reporter for Warner Bros. Discovery Sports, as it kicked off its eight-year broadcast deal with U.S. Soccer, and a studio analyst for Apple TV+’s new MLS coverage, which puts her alongside the sport’s most prominent voices covering American soccer. But her globetrotting journey began with a familiar hook: the 1999 Women’s World Cup.
“It’s crazy because (I) work with Julie Foudy (at WBD Sports),” Ortiz said. “I told Julie, ‘You don’t understand. The ‘99ers, you guys didn’t just impact U.S. soccer, and not just North American soccer, you literally impacted global women’s soccer from 1999.’ I was only eight or nine years old at the time and just seeing what I was able to bring to South…
