American soccer star Julie Ertz follows Megan Rapinoe out the door as she announces her international retirement after World Cup disappointment – but insists ‘the future is in good hands’

Megan Rapinoe is not the only two-time World Cup winner to leave US Soccer after Sunday’s crushing defeat in Melbourne.

Julie Ertz, a US defense star for the last decade, has told ESPN that she intends to retire from international play after losing to Sweden on penalties in the round of 16.

“Unfortunately this is the last time I’m in this crest,” said Ertz, who made no mention of her NWSL career with LA-based Angel City FC.

The 31-year-old is a new mom after giving birth to a boy named Madden last August — five years after she and her NFL star husband Zach married in Santa Barbara, California, where she attended college. Zach currently plays tight end for the Arizona Cardinals.

After Madden’s birth, Ertz played two friendlies for the US in April and recovered enough to qualify for her third World Cup, where she was counted on to anchor the defense following a serious foot injury to captain Becky Sauerbrunn.

But while the US struggled to score in the ongoing World Cup, the defense played strong – especially with Ertz alongside former Stanford star, Naomi Girma.

“The future is definitely in good hands,” said Ertz. “You know, sometimes you learn the most from your failures, which sucks. But it’s also part of my career.

“I’m so excited for (the USWNT) going forward.”

Ertz ends her international career with 20 goals in 122 appearances.

And other retirements could follow for the US.

The once dominant Americans fell to a goalless draw with Sweden in the Round of 16 on penalties from the Women’s World Cup on Sunday. It was the earliest ever exit for the four-time tournament champion.

A shootout during the 1999 World Cup – with a very different result – gave the US team a boost to the sport’s worldwide fame. The Americans defeated China on penalties in front of a sold-out crowd at the Rose Bowl and Brandi Chastain took off her jersey in celebration.

Aside from some desperate energy in their last game, this American team seemed unusually timid and disorganized during this World Cup. The two-time defending champion squeaked through in the group stage with just a win against Vietnam and disappointing draws against the Netherlands and Portugal.

Americans have fallen victim to the growing parity in women’s football. Former powerhouse teams like the United States, Germany and Brazil were all sent home early, while teams like Jamaica, Colombia and the new Morocco beat expectations.

“I think it says a lot about the growth of the game,” defender Crystal Dunn said. “I think so many people are looking for us to win games 5-0 and World Cups.

We can be proud that those days are not here. We, as members of the US women’s national team, have always fought for the growth of this game worldwide, and I think that’s what you’re seeing.”

After a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics and now an early exit from the World Cup, coach Vlatko Andonovski’s future with the team is uncertain as it prepares for the next major tournament, next year’s Paris Games.

Andonovski took over from Jill Ellis, who led the Americans to their consecutive World Cup titles in 2015 and ’19. He has gone 51-5-9 during his time with the team.

“I never came on track, never came into the dressing room thinking I wanted to do something to save my job,” Andonovski said in apparent shock on Sunday. “I was always focused on doing a good job, doing my job to the best of my ability to prepare this team for the challenges ahead and to prepare them to represent our country.”

US Soccer issued a brief statement Monday morning.

“While we are all disappointed that our journey has ended at the Women’s World Cup, we would like to thank the players, coaches and staff for their remarkable efforts and our fans both in the stands and at home for their continued support,” the federation said. . “As we always do after a major tournament, we will conduct an evaluation to identify areas for improvement and determine our next steps. Looking ahead, we embrace the hard work it takes to become champions again.”

In addition to stronger competition, the United States also suffered from inexperience.

The United States brought 14 players to the World Cup who had never played in the event. Twelve of them had never even played in a major tournament.

The changes were part of an American youth movement after the disappointing Tokyo Games. Andonovski turned his attention to developing young players like Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman and 18-year-old Alyssa Thompson.

One player, midfielder Savannah DeMelo, had never appeared in a national team game when she was included in the World Cup squad. She appeared as a substitute in a broadcast match against Wales in San Jose, before starting the opening two World Cup matches.

Smith, the 2022 American Football Player of the Year, started the tournament well with two goals against Vietnam, but otherwise remained scoreless. She missed her penalty attempt against Sweden along with Rapinoe and Kelley O’Hara.

The only other goalscorer for the team was co-captain Lindsey Horan, who also scored two goals.

“Even if it didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to, it’s a huge experience for some of these young players,” said Andonovski. “There is a group of players who will make a mark in the future.”

There was backlash on social media and among pundits after the game, critical of both Andonovski’s tactics and Rapinoe’s reaction after missing her penalty attempt. She laughed and later explained that she fully expected to make it.

Rapinoe, the outspoken star of the 2019 World Cup, known for her iconic victory attitude, wasn’t the same game-changer she once was. At 38 years old, and after a few World Cup titles and an Olympic gold medal, her role had diminished. She announced before the tournament started that it would be her last World Cup.

“I know it’s the end and it’s sad, but knowing that this is really the only time I’ve been in one of these so early says so much about how much success I’ve been able to have and how much I’ve loved it to play for this team and for this country,” Rapinoe said with tears in her eyes. ‘It was an honor.’

It was also clear that the United States was missing several key players.

Mallory Swanson, the team’s top scorer this year, tore her patellar tendon during an exhibition game against Ireland in April. Becky Sauerbrunn, the team’s captain, announced in June that she was unable to recover from a foot injury in time for the tournament.

Dynamic striker Catarina Macario, hailed as one of the team’s future stars, tore her ACL last year while playing for French club Lyon and failed to recover in time.

In the end, however, the United States struggled most with its identity. It could never earn the trust of past teams, including the legendary ’99ers.

“All we want to do is be successful, be able to uphold the legacy this team deserves. At that moment we failed,” said attacker Alex Morgan, who, like Rapinoe, played in her fourth World Cup. “But I’m still hopeful about the future of this team. I still stand by that. This game is evolving, the game is getting better and that won’t change. It just goes on and on.’