There were times last fall when Julie Ertz would stare lovingly at Madden, the months-old baby boy resting in her arms, and wonder how the heck any new mom could ever return to work.
But now comes the hard part — or, rather, the latest of many hard parts.
Ertz’s stunning return to the sport prompted discourse often framed by speculation about how “close to 100%” she could be. “We know the quality of the player,” head coach Vlatko Andonovski said last week. “And if she comes anywhere near her best, she will certainly help us win a World Cup.” She also knows, of course, that “my past successes with the team, individually and collectively ... I'm sure that's why I am back.” She is getting this chance to snatch a World Cup roster spot, and perhaps even reclaim her place in the starting 11, because she spent most of her 20s as a stalwart center back and then a dominant midfield destroyer. She is back because she fills a need and, at her best, could elevate the USWNT to a three-peat this summer Down Under.
But “pressure is a privilege,” now and always, Ertz said Tuesday. She is handling it by giving herself grace, and by reframing her return.She has been deep in conversation with Andonovski in recent weeks, analyzing video clips and talking tactics, getting up to speed with what she’s missed in meetings and on the training field while away.
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