9 July 2022
By Roger Kennedy
roger@TheCork.ie
Entertainment / Soccer
Every football star has had a defining moment that shaped their career trajectory. It was either a moment where they failed to grab an opportunity or a moment in which they took a risk that paid off in the end. In the case of Julia Grosso, it was the latter. She and many others will live to remember when she scored in the penalty shootout against Sweden. And in one swift move, she had propelled Canada to the top spot, enabling the team to bag a gold medal. It was the action that put her on the map and has ignited so much interest as to who she is and how she became such a top player for the Canadian team. It was also the trigger that pushed more people to take up betting on women’s football and looking for deals on sites like bestbettingsignupoffers.co.uk where they could wager. So, who is Julia Grosso?
Early Life
Julia, aged 21 at the time of this article, is a Vancouver-born Canadian who stands at 5 ft 7 inches tall. She was born Julia Angela Grosso on August 29th, 2000, to a Portuguese father and an Italian mother and thus shares both ancestries. She takes after her sister, who previously played for the Vancouver Whitecaps system under the Simon Fraser Clan. Julia started showing interest in playing football at the age of 4. And her parents, especially her father, encouraged her to keep at it and even enrolled her in clubs to help her nurture her talent. This support made it easy for her to train professionally from a young age.
Her father has supported her career from the start and continues pushing her to higher levels. Julia recalls calling him when she made it to the national team at the Tokyo Olympics. The two share a bond deeply rooted in their shared love for football.
Julia hoped to become like Christine Sinclair and other greats like her. And luckily, her dream came true when they played side-by-side in the last Tokyo Olympics. Sinclair is the world’s all-time highest goal scorer, and Julia termed playing with her an absolute honour.
Education Background
Julia attended Burnaby Central Secondary School. She played for the Whitecaps FC Girls Elite Rex after playing with Mountain United FC and Vancouver Italian Canadian SF in her younger years. Even at a young age, she was clear about what she wanted – to play for the Canadian national team and make it as a football star internationally.
Little did she know that she was manifesting what was to become her life. She stayed with the Whitecaps until 2018, leaving the team when she was 17. Before joining the University of Texas, Julia attended the Vancouver Technical Secondary School and thus has technical and vocational knowledge.
Football Career
Grosso was lucky enough to make her college debut in 2018 with the Texas Longhorns at the University of Texas. And in that game, the team bagged a 3-0 win against the Rice Owls, proving just what many people had long thought – she was a gifted player. That win earned her a spot among the Big 12 Freshman of the year and in the conference 2nd team.
Then, she got into the Big 12 Team Selection and the All-American 3rd team the following year. These wins set the ball rolling as she was chosen to be part of the Canadian national team in 2019 for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. However, while her name was featured on the list, she did not play any games. Thus, she did not get that shining moment.
But she did get a spot in the Tokyo Olympics squad, where she made history by scoring the winning penalty kick during the game against Sweden. That’s the goal that won Canada its first gold medal in women’s soccer and one that proved that women’s teams were on the rise. To date, Julia has the following honors:
- CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship Best IX: 2016
- Vancouver Whitecaps FC Showcase All-Star: 2016
- Vancouver Whitecaps FC Most Promising Player: 2016
- Canada Games All-Star: 2017
- BC Soccer Youth Player of the Year Female: 2018
Julia’s technical playing skills have been a great help to her career. Those who have played with her describe her as a fearless player willing to take risks when it counts. And when it comes to succeeding in football, that’s a trait that gets players quite far. No wonder she’s signed with Italian club Juventus on a one-year contract. Even there, she’s already making waves, having debuted on January 16th, 2022, with a 5-0 win against Pomigliano. The anticipation about her next move is rife as more teams set their eyes on the young player with a promising future.