SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The breakout star of the 2015 Women's World Cup in Canada has been former Santa Clara star Julie Johnston. Johnston has started all five matches for the U.S. and is one of just five players on the team to have played all 450 minutes. In the quarterfinals she had the assist on America's only goal in a 1-0 victory over China. In her time on the Mission campus Johnston was a three-time First-Team All-American, four-time All-West Region selection, four-time All-WCC honoree, the 2010 WCC Freshman of the Year, and the 2013 WCC Player of the Year.
With Johnston taking the world by storm, those who know her best are blown away by her ability to be an impact player at such a young age.
"I'm very proud of Julie and everything that she's been able to accomplish," said Santa Clara head coach Jerry Smith. "She's handled herself so well on the biggest stage in our sport. It's been great to hear from veteran players on the team that I've coached tell me how great of a World Cup she is having but also how she's emerged as a leader. For someone to have so few international caps and play on that stage and at that level is something I can't remember happening before. There are several different groups that rate players after each match and Julie has consistently been the highest-rated player for the U.S."
Being in the backline makes Johnston the last line of defense for a team that has not allowed a goal in 423 minutes. The only goal surrendered this tournament was in the opening 3-1 win vs. Australia in the 27th minute. The 423-shutout minutes are third all-time in the World Cup and a record for the Americans.
"The most impressive thing on the field has been her ability to handle situations in the penalty box," said Smith. "Plays in the penalty box are situations that can be game-changers. You are defending world-class players and have to make the exact right moves to stop them. The team is close to setting a record for scoreless minutes in a World Cup and while there are so many people responsible for that, there is a direct correlation to the backline playing so well and Julie being inserted into the backline."
As if her defense wasn't enough, Johnston has been so dangerous on the attacking side of the ball as well. She scored three goals leading up to the World Cup and though she has just one assist, Johnston has been close on several occasions.
"She has also been one of the most dangerous goal scorers on the team," continued Smith. "Not only did she have the assist on the lone goal vs. China but she had two other dangerous chances in the game. Everyone that knows Julie knows how hard she works but no one could have predicted her having this kind of impact at such a young age on the game's biggest stage. She made a decision as a sophomore at Santa Clara that she was going to set big goals for herself and she's been tough enough to go after them."
In a Santa Clara-themed coincidence, Johnston's assist vs. China came in the first meeting between the two countries in the World Cup since the 1999 final when former Bronco and current volunteer assistant coach Brandi Chastain converted a final penalty kick to give the U.S. the win and performed her now-iconic celebration.
Another former Bronco that had success of the international stage, Leslie Osborne, is currently working for Fox Sports as an analyst on World Cup Tonight and has had an up-close view of Johnston during this World Cup. Osborne picked up 61 caps with the US from 2004-08 and scored three goals while playing in the 2007 Women's World Cup.
"Julie is playing well beyond her years and is the best player for team USA going into this semifinal," said Osborne, the Assistant Athletic Director for Intercollegiate Sports and Student-Athlete Leadership at SCU. "I love the partnership that she has created with Becky Sauerbrunn in the back backline. Julie is so confident, fierce in her tackling, her timing is impeccable, and she is contributing offensively too. It is so great to see a fellow Bronco represent the U.S. She is a difference maker and I am so excited for her."
Success on the international stage is something that Johnston does have some experience with, however. In 2012 Johnston was the captain of the U.S. U-20 World Cup winning team. She was awarded the Bronze Ball as the third-most impactful player in the tournament.
Her success this time around has been featured by the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. With a semifinal matchup against Germany, the country that was runner-up in the 2012 U-20 World Cup, set for today, June 30 at 4 p.m. Pacific, the entire Bronco community is beaming with pride for one of their own.
"We could not be more proud of Julie and her accomplishments," said Interim Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell. "Her rote competitiveness and graceful play set her apart among her peers. She's an inspiration to her teammates, to the Santa Clara soccer community, and to the millions of youth who call her a role model."
