Sunday, July 7th, 2019 -- Arizona natives, Julie Ertz (Mesa) and Jessica McDonald (Glendale), and the U.S. Women's National Team defeated the Netherlands on Sunday morning to clinch the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.
As youth players in Arizona, Ertz and McDonald won multiple Arizona Soccer Association State Cup titles and Ertz competed for the Arizona Soccer Association Olympic Development Program (ODP).
This is the second time that Ertz has won the World Cup (won in 2015) and it's the first for McDonald. Ertz also became the first Arizona native to score at a World Cup when she scored against Chile in a group stage match. For the U.S. Women's National Team, this is their fourth overall title and the first repeat title.
At this year's World Cup, Ertz started in every World Cup match except for the final group stage victory over Sweden. In the knockout rounds, Ertz played in every minute. McDonald appeared in one match and made her debut when she was brought on as a halftime substitute against Chile.