Julie Ertz Announces Retirement After USWNT Loses at World Cup, Says Team Is in ‘Great Hands’

"You know, sometimes you learn the most from your failures," Ertz told ESPN after the USWNT's World Cup exit

Julie Ertz is hanging up her cleats and retiring following the United States Women's National Team's loss on Sunday.

"Unfortunately this is my last time in this crest," Ertz, 31, told ESPN after the team's tough loss to Sweden. The outlet reported that Ertz was visibly emotional during the interview, and "fought back tears" as she answered questions on Sunday.

Reflecting on the hard-fought match, which came down to penalty kicks for Sweden, Ertz told ESPN, "You know, sometimes you learn the most from your failures, which sucks. But it's part of my career as well."

Looking forward for the team, Ertz said the "future is in absolutely great hands" as she leaves behind this chapter of her life.

"I'm so excited for [the USWNT] in the future," she added.

Unless Ertz takes a page out of Tom Brady's book and decides to give it another season, she will retire with two World Cup wins (in 2015 and 2019), 122 appearances for the United States and 20 goals in USWNT games.

Going forward, Ertz will likely take some time to spend with her husband Zach Ertz and son, Madden Matthew, who will celebrate his first birthday on Friday.

Related: Zach Ertz and Julie Ertz Announce the Birth of Their Baby Boy: 'How Blessed We Are'

Ertz and her husband Zach, a former tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles, tied the knot in March 2017. The couple wed in an outdoor ceremony at the Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara, California. At the time, Julie told PEOPLE that their wedding was a "dream come true."

In a 2021 interview with PEOPLE, the soccer star raved about how Zach had been extremely supportive of her career — especially because he can relate.

"Being married to a professional athlete is a huge blessing because he understands the lifestyle completely," she told PEOPLE in May. "We both know what it takes to reach the top of our sports, so we are always on the same page with our daily routines, and we keep each other disciplined."

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The new of Ertz's retirement comes at the same time as teammate Alex Morgan's announcement that she does not plan to retire.

Speaking to ESPN after the team's defeat, Morgan, 34, said the loss is "really hard to swallow" and will "take a while" for her to "process" in the coming days.

"I'm not planning to hang up my boots anytime soon now," she responded when the outlet asked her what her future in soccer holds. "Just one day at a time now," Morgan added.

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Read the original article on People.