Julia Grosso (American soccer)
{{Short description|American soccer player (born 1998)}}
{{About|the American soccer player|the Canadian soccer player|Julia Grosso}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2019}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Julia Grosso
| image = Julia Grosso Royals 2024-01.png
| image_size = 180px
| caption = Grosso with the Utah Royals in 2024
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1998|12|10|mf=yes}}
| birth_place = Sunrise, Florida, United States
| height = {{height|ft=5|in=5}}
| position = Defender
| currentclub = Fort Lauderdale United FC
| clubnumber = 27
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = Sunrise SC
| youthclubs2 = St. Thomas Aquinas High School
| collegeyears1 = 2017–2021
| college1 = Kentucky Wildcats
| collegecaps1 = 84
| collegegoals1 = 4
| years1 = 2022–2024
| clubs1 = Melbourne City
| caps1 = 37
| goals1 = 2
| years2 = 2024
| clubs2 = Utah Royals
| caps2 = 0
| goals2 = 0
| club-update = May 27, 2024
| years3 = 2025–
| clubs3 = Fort Lauderdale United FC
| caps3 = 0
| goals3 = 0
| full_name = Julia Grosso{{cite web |url=https://commencement.uky.edu/sites/default/files/2023-04/May%202023%20Commencement%20Program%20Online.pdf |page=62 |accessdate=March 9, 2025 |title=May 2023 Commencement Program Online |publisher=University of Kentucky}}
}}
Julia Grosso (born December 10, 1998) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for National Women's Soccer League club Utah Royals. She previously played for A-League Women club Melbourne City, for whom she was named the 2022–23 Player of the Year.{{cite web |title=Grosso Returns: 2022/23 Player of the Year Signs On |url=https://melbournecityfc.com.au/news/20230824-grosso-returns |website=melbournecityfc.com.au |date=August 24, 2023 |access-date=29 August 2023}}
Early life
Grosso was born in Sunrise, Florida and played for Sunrise SC and St. Thomas Aquinas High School, with whom she won the 4A girls state championship in 2015 and 2017.{{cite news |title=St. Thomas wins Girls 4A FHSAA State Soccer Championship |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2017/02/17/photos-st-thomas-wins-girls-4a-fhsaa-state-soccer-championship/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=29 August 2023 |work=Sun-Sentinel |date=17 February 2017}}
College career
After appearing in every game in her first season with Kentucky in an attacking role, Grosso moved to a defensive role as a sophomore. She was a team captain in 2020, when the season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. She returned for a fifth year, again as a team captain.{{cite web |title=Julia Grosso bio |url=https://ukathletics.com/sports/wsoc/roster/player/julia-grosso/ |website=melbournecityfc.com.au |date=August 10, 2017 |access-date=29 August 2023}}
Before her final season, she was named to the SEC Preseason Watch List.{{cite web |last=Shelton |first=Hunter |title=Preview: Kentucky women's soccer kicks off season at Purdue on Thursday |url=https://kykernel.com/11721/sports/preview-kentucky-womens-soccer-kicks-off-season-at-purdue-on-thursday/ |work=The Kentucky Kernel |access-date=16 October 2023 |date=18 August 2021 }}
The Kentucky website lists her height as 5–8, but on her personal site, she is listed at 5–5.{{Cite web|url=https://jgrosso7.wixsite.com/juliagrosso7|title=Julia Grosso|website=juliagrosso7}}
Club career
= Melbourne City =
In October 2022, Melbourne City announced Grosso's signing with the Australian club.{{cite web |last1=Welsh |first1=Greg |title=Women's Soccer Alum, Julia Grosso, Signs with Melbourne City |url=https://ukathletics.com/news/2022/10/18/womens-soccer-alum-julia-grosso-signs-with-melbourne-city/ |website=UK Athletics |date=October 18, 2022}} She was signed as a winger but was noted for her ability to play as a full-back as well.{{cite web |title=City, Jets, And Canberra Add To Squads |url=https://impetusfootball.org/2022/10/18/city-jets-and-canberra-add-to-squads/ |website=Impetus 71 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221109215231/https://impetusfootball.org/2022/10/18/city-jets-and-canberra-add-to-squads/ |archive-date=November 9, 2022 |language=en |date=18 October 2022 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=City Sign American Winger Julia Grosso |date=October 17, 2022 |url=https://melbournecityfc.com.au/news/city-sign-american-winger-julia-grosso |access-date=29 August 2023}} The team first became aware of her via a highlight reel delivered by her agent and first met the coach over Zoom. She began her first season as a left winger, and went on to become the Melbourne City FC Player of the Year in her first season.{{cite web |last1=D'Urbano |first1=Nick |title=How a chance meeting, a Zoom call & a promise kicked off incredible debut year for City 'underdog' |url=https://aleagues.com.au/news/a-league-women-news-melbourne-city-julia-grosso/ |website=A-Leagues |language=en-AU |date=October 4, 2023}} She helped Melbourne City claim third place in the A-League's 2022–23 season, then re-signed on a two-year deal starting in 2023.{{cite web |last1=Pisani |first1=Sacha |title=World Cup star signs new A-Leagues deal after making history: Full details |url=https://keepup.com.au/news/melbourne-city-re-sign-new-zealand-world-cup-star-hannah-wilkinson-a-league-ins-and-outs/ |website=KeepUp |language=en-AU |date=September 8, 2023}} She was later utilized as an inverted full-back that transitions to midfield with possession of the ball,{{cite web |last1=Pisani |first1=Sacha |title=The Ange Postecoglou-inspired tactic used by Melbourne City: 'A new trend for Australian coaches?' |url=https://aleagues.com.au/news/a-league-melbourne-city-canberra-united-report-goals-highlights-pollicina-heyman/ |website=A-Leagues |language=en-AU |date=October 21, 2023}} being noted for her ability to play up and down whole field.{{cite web |title=Dub Zone {{!}} Round 2 {{!}} Liberty A-League 2023–24 |url=https://aleagues.com.au/videos/id/dub-zone-round-2-liberty-a-league-2023-24/6339661703112/ |website=A-Leagues |language=en-AU |time=16:50}} In June 2024, she left the club, exercising a clause in her contract to allow her to explore opportunities outside Australia.{{cite web|url=https://melbournecityfc.com.au/news/20240627-four-premiership-winners-depart/|title=Four Premiers Plate winners depart Melbourne City|website=Melbourne City|date=27 June 2024}}
= Utah Royals =
= Fort Lauderdale United FC =
On January 21, 2025 Grosso signed with USL Super League club Fort Lauderdale United FChttps://www.uslsuperleague.com/news/2025/01/21/fort-lauderdale-united-adds-julia-grosso-to-backline/
Career statistics
{{updated|match played January 20, 2024}}{{soccerway|julia-grosso/877876}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+Appearances and goals by club, season and competition ! rowspan="2"|Club ! rowspan="2"|Season ! colspan="3"|League ! colspan="2"|National cup ! colspan="2"|Continental ! colspan="2" |Other ! colspan="2" |Total | ||||||||||
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rowspan="2" |Melbourne City
| rowspan="2" |A-League Women |19 | 1 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |—
| colspan="2" |— | 19 | 1 | |||||
| 2023–24
|12 |1 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— |12 |1 | ||||||||||
| Utah Royals
|2024 |NWSL |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 | ||||||||||
| Fort Lauderdale United FC
|0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 | ||||||||||
| colspan="3" |Career total
!31 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 2 |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- Julia Grosso at [https://fbref.com/en/players/b629e052/Julia-Grosso FBRef.com]
- Career stats at Kentucky
{{Fort Lauderdale United FC squad}}
{{Melbourne City FC Player of the Year}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grosso, Julia}}
Category:American women's soccer players
Category:Melbourne City FC (women) players
Category:Soccer players from Florida
Category:University of Kentucky alumni