By Mike Woitalla
Perhaps the most impressive player so far during the USA’s run at the 2015 Women’s World Cup has been 24-year-old Julie Johnston.
The central defender is marshaling a backline that has limited the USA’s four opponents to just one goal while goalkeeper Hope Solo has barely been called upon. As impressiveas Johnston’s ability to intercept passes and strip foes of the ball is her comfort with the ball at her feet. That’s not so surprising considering she grew up playing attacking roles.
“She was well beyond the other girls as far as talent and ambition,” says Gene Warne, who started coaching Johnston when she was 9 with Gilbert SC (now Arizona ArsenalSC) after Johnston got her start in AYSO. “Some were exploring daisies on the ground and butterflies in the air, but she was constantly working with the ball and looking for ways toscore.”
How intensively competitive Johnston was as a 10-year-old was demonstrated when Warne’s team scrimmaged a boys team, which had a commanding lead by halftime. Warne told thegirls that, in the second half, they should focus connecting passes and every time they’d connect three, he would consider that a goal for the girls.
“They all thought it was afine idea,” Warne said. “But then I saw Julie, crying like crazy. I thought she was hurt and ask her what was wrong. She said, ‘I don’t want to pass three times. I want to beatthem!’”
After a couple years ofplaying for Warne, Johnston followed her older sister Melanie to Sereno SC.
“We lost eight championship games in a row against Johnston’s Sereno team,” saysWarne. “She started playing more defense, but also played midfield and forward. She played wherever they needed her and was always comfortable anywhere.
“There’s no doubtthat playing different positions has made her such a good player. You understand what the players you’re facing were taught about playing that position. One of the things that makes her such anawesome player is she anticipates what her opponents are going to do before they do it and that’s what playing a lot of positions growing up can do for you. That’s playing with a purpose.”
Her balls skills, Warne says, came from desire:
“At practice, you basically are taught how to do things,” he says. “But to become proficient you have to spend time on yourown. She played with her older sister, who was a great player, too.”
Johnston recalled thebattles with Melanie:
“My sister started playing so of course I wanted to do everything my sister could do. We were always super-competitive. She was always that much better than meat things until I started to get older and taller than her. Everything was so competitive. But it was so much fun because I had a partner I could go out and practice with. My family loved it. It was asoccer family.”
Johnston’s track reminds me of what I was told by then-Bayern Munich youth program director Werner Kern in 2012. When the club identifies a youngprospect as having the potential to be an understanding central defender, they use him as a midfielder throughout his youth career to ensure he develops all-around skills and the ability to read thegame.
Johnston also played on the backline, in midfield and up front at Santa Clara University under Coach Jerry Smith.
Photo courtesy Santa Clara University
Warne, now in his34th year of youth coaching, is of course enjoying watching his former player at the World Cup.
“It’s absolutely great being able to point Julie out to the girls I coachnow,” he says, “and say, ‘This girl came from Arizona and was once doing the same things you’re doing, and it’s gotten her a college education and a chance playinternational soccer. That doesn’t happen to everyone, but who knows where you’re going to go.”
Serbia win makes USAlook good
Serbia won the 2015 U-20 World Cup with a 2-1 overtime win over Brazil in the final. It marks the second straight tournament the USA tied the eventual champion. In 2013,the USA tied France, 1-1, in the group stage. The Bleuets, led by Paul Pogba, were later crowned the champions in Turkey.
In New Zealand earlier this month, Coach TabRamos‘ team played to a 0-0 tie with Serbia in the quarterfinals and before exiting in a shootout that went nine rounds.
The Serbs were coached by Veljko Paunovic, who played for the Philadelphia Union in 2011 when it madethe playoffs.
2015 U-20 World Cup
Winner: Serbia
Runner-up: Brazil
Third: Mali
Fourth: Senegal
Golden Ball: Adama Traore (Cameroon)
Silver Ball: Danilo (Brazil)
Bronze Ball: SergejMilinkovic (Serbia)
Leading scorers (Golden Shoe)
5 Viktor Kovalenko (Ukraine)
5 Bence Mervo(Hungary)
4 Marc Stendera (Germany)
Golden Glove
Predrag Rajkovic (Serbia)
Fair PlayAward
Ukraine
Development Academy games streamed live
Selected games from the U.S. Soccer DevelopmentAcademy Showcase in Westfield, Ind., are being streamed live at USSoccer.com and are archived on U.S. Soccer’s YouTube Channel.
