- Star midfielder Julie Ertz saved the USWNT from its first scoreless showing in three years with a gorgeous 87th-minute header off of a Christen Press free-kick.
- The goal, which came in her 101st cap for the national team, propelled the USWNT to a 1-0 win over Spain in its second of three SheBelieves Cup matches this month.
- Ertz told the media that her husband, Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz, was in the stands to see her heroics and that she "definitely looked up to try and see" if she could find him after the goal.
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Julie Ertz is often described as the backbone of the US Women's National Team, and on Sunday, the 27-year-old midfielder lived up to that moniker.
The 2019 US Soccer Female Player of the Year was the hero at the USWNT's second of three SheBelieves Cup games, thanks to an 87th-minute goal. The header, which came off of a Christen Press set-piece, put the red, white, and blue on the board against Spain and saved them from registering their first scoreless outing since March 7, 2017.
After the USWNT earned a free kick just outside the box, striker Christen Press delivered a perfectly-placed cross over Spain's back line. Ertz sprinted into the box, elevated to connect with the ball, and beamed as her header sailed past Spanish goalkeeper Sandra Paños to give the USWNT a late 1-0 advantage.
And even though she was the one who recorded the game-winner with time winding down in the match, Julie may have only been the second-happiest Ertz-family athlete after the timely goal.
Julie's husband, Zach, was one of 26,500 people in attendance for Sunday evening's sold-out matchup at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey. Cameras caught the Philadelphia Eagles tight end celebrating his wife's stellar go-ahead goal from his spot in the stands.
Check out his sweet reaction:
After the game, Julie said she was immediately looking for her husband in the stands after recording the 20th international goal of her career.
"Obviously he doesn't get to come to that many games, so when he does, it's definitely truly special," Ertz said. "So to get that goal — I definitely looked up to try and see if I could find him. I blew him a kiss, but it was great to have him here."
As excited as both sides of the Ertz power couple may have been, newly-minted USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski was arguably the most excited person in the entire stadium after the goal.
The USWNT will now travel to Frisco, Texas, for a Wednesday-night matchup against Japan in its final bout of the 2020 SheBelieves Cup.
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