On the occasion of her final game in a U.S. women’s national team jersey, Julie Ertz had kept her emotions in check. Mostly. But a postgame montage of her career and a speech to the crowd proved to be too much. The tears flowed, showing the passion that defined Ertz’s career.
“To every girl out there who dreams to be here, it’s worth it,” she said as she addressed the crowd at Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium after the game. “Every part of it.”
The U.S. prevailed over South Africa 3-0 on Thursday, thanks to a 10-minute stretch in the first half that saw Lynn Williams score a pair of goals and Trinity Rodman add another. The win didn’t amount to a complete catharsis following a hugely disappointing 2023 Women’s World Cup that saw the earliest U.S. exit from a World Cup in the history of the program. That recovery will require many more pages to be turned, not to mention the hiring of a new manager.
Ertz’s international finale added a feel-good element to the occasion, though. Even as the U.S. cruised to victory, this…
