CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

MR. JULIE JOHNSTON

in 2015, en route to a third Women’s World Cup victory, new stars emerged for the US Women’s National Team. No one’s profile was elevated more than Julie Johnston, who at the time went by Julie Johnston. The Santa Clara product had been a key part of the Youth National Team pools, but was on the fringes of the USWNT roster heading into the World Cup Qualifying cycles in 2014. Injuries opened the door, she impressed Jill Ellis and Johnston made her way to Canada with the team.

She quickly emerged as a key part of the squad, anchoring the backline next to veteran Becky Sauerbrunn. With her blond ponytail, blue pre-wrap and propensity for biting tackles followed by a bright smile, fans quickly fell in love with Johnston. The more she gained popularity, the more fans craved information about the new star. They quickly learned that Johnston, was in a long-term relationship with emerging NFL star Zach Ertz — a tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles. Just as USWNT fans fell in love with Julie, so too did they fall in love with Zach. And as their individual fame grew, their collective fame grew as well, transcending sports journals into the pages of People and US Weekly. But, something interesting happened along the way — in a country where American football is the biggest sport on the block, a woman playing association football was seen as the bigger overall star and the more accomplished athlete. The cross pollination of both fan bases brought more people to soccer. And the power of sports power couples was realized.

Katie Baker, a writer for The Ringer that covers sports, culture and more, joined the show to talk about the impact of Zach Ertz and Julie Johnston when they first broke onto the scene, and the continued interest in their relationship as they became Zach and Julie Ertz once married. Baker also talked about why America is fascinated with the love lives of celebrities and how it helps bring attention to a sport like soccer. She also explores why the USWNT uniquely features a variety of power couples.