Mia Justus
{{Short description|American soccer player (born 2002)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox football biography
|name = Mia Justus
|image = Texas vs MSU - NCAA 2024 - 036.jpg
|image_size = 200px
|alt =
|caption = Justus with Texas in 2024
|full_name = Mia Taylin Justus{{cite web |url=https://fdp.fifa.org/assetspublic/ce42/pdf/SquadLists-English.pdf |title=Squad List: FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Costa Rica 2022 – USA |publisher=FIFA |date=3 August 2022 |access-date=3 August 2022 |archive-date=3 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220803165856/https://fdp.fifa.org/assetspublic/ce42/pdf/SquadLists-English.pdf |url-status=live|page=16}}
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2002|09|03}}
|birth_place =
|position = Goalkeeper
|currentclub = Utah Royals
|clubnumber = 23
|youthyears1 =
|youthclubs1 =
|collegeyears1 = 2021–2022
|college1 = Florida State Seminoles
|collegecaps1 = 14
|collegegoals1 = 0
|collegeyears2 = 2023–2024
|college2 = Texas Longhorns
|collegecaps2 = 48
|collegegoals2 = 0
|years1 = 2025–
|clubs1 = Utah Royals
|caps1 = 0
|goals1 = 0
|nationalyears1 = 2017–2018
|nationalteam1 = United States U-16
|nationalcaps1 =
|nationalgoals1 =
|nationalyears2 = 2018
|nationalteam2 = United States U-17
|nationalcaps2 =
|nationalgoals2 =
|nationalyears3 = 2019–2020
|nationalteam3 = United States U-18
|nationalcaps3 = 3
|nationalgoals3 = 0
|nationalyears4 = 2018–2020
|nationalteam4 = United States U-19
|nationalcaps4 = 3
|nationalgoals4 = 0
|nationalyears5 = 2019–2022
|nationalteam5 = United States U-20
|nationalcaps5 = 8
|nationalgoals5 = 0
|medaltemplates =
|club-update =
|nationalteam-update = August 17, 2022
}}
Mia Taylin Justus (born September 3, 2002) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for the Utah Royals of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the Florida State Seminoles and the Texas Longhorns. She played a backup role for the Florida State's 2021 national championship team before transferring to Texas, which she led to both Big 12 and SEC titles. She represented the United States at the youth international level.
Early life and college career
Justus was raised in the Cleveland suburb of Lakewood, Ohio, one of six children born to Lauren and Leon Justus. She is a cousin of longtime United States men's national team goalkeeper Tim Howard.{{cite web|url=https://texaslonghorns.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/mia-justus/13747|title=Mia Justus – Soccer|publisher=Texas Longhorns|access-date=2024-08-09}} She attended IMG Academy and first committed to Rutgers before switching to Florida State.{{cite news|url=https://texaslonghorns.com/news/2023/9/29/longhorn-foundation-chasing-excellence-with-grit-mia-justus.aspx|title=Chasing excellence with grit: Mia Justus|date=2023-09-29|publisher=Texas Longhorns|access-date=2024-08-09}}
=Florida State Seminoles=
Justus spent two years as the understudy to Cristina Roque for the Florida State Seminoles. She kept five clean sheets in her eight starts in the 2021 season, being named to the Atlantic Coast Conference all-freshman team. She was an unused substitute as Florida State won the ACC and national championships with Roque in goal.{{cite news|url=https://seminoles.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/cristina-roque/1872|title=Cristina Roque|publisher=Florida State Seminoles|access-date=2024-11-24}} She kept four shutouts in six starts as a sophomore in 2022, helping the team win the ACC regular-season title. Roque played as the Seminoles won another ACC tournament and reached the NCAA semifinals. After the season, she transferred to the Texas Longhorns to get more playing time.{{cite news|url=https://seminoles.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/mia-justus/1033|title=Mia Justus – 2022–23 – Women's Soccer|publisher=Florida State Seminoles|access-date=2024-08-09}}{{cite news|url=https://www.tallahassee.com/story/sports/college/fsu/2022/12/09/fsu-soccer-backup-seminoles-goalkeeper-mia-justus-transfers-to-texas/69716462007/|title=Florida State women's soccer: Backup Seminoles' goalkeeper Mia Justus transfers to Texas|last=Kassim|first=Ehsan|date=2022-12-09|newspaper=Tallahassee Democrat|access-date=2024-08-09}}
=Texas Longhorns=
Justus started every game for the Longhorns in her junior season in 2023, being named second-team All-Big 12 with 9 shutouts in 26 games. She led the team to the Big 12 championship as the tournament's most valuable player. Texas reached the third round of the NCAA tournament, where they fell to Florida State.{{cite news|url=https://texaslonghorns.com/news/2023/11/19/soccer-falls-to-florida-state-sees-historic-season-come-to-end.aspx|title=Soccer falls to Florida State, sees historic season come to end|last=Brown|first=Chris Allen|date=2023-11-19|publisher=Texas Longhorns|access-date=2024-08-09}}{{cite news|url=https://thedailytexan.com/2024/03/08/mia-justus-discusses-her-first-year-with-texas-ambitions-for-next-season/|title=Mia Justus discusses her first year with Texas, ambitions for next season|last=Deleon-Rios|first=Ylver|date=2024-03-08|newspaper=The Daily Texan|access-date=2024-08-09}} With the program's move to the Southeastern Conference in 2024, Justus kept a program-record 12 clean sheets and was named to the All-SEC third team. She led the Longhorns to the SEC championship as the tournament's most valuable player, posting a career-high 14 saves in a 2–1 win against Arkansas in the semifinals.{{cite news|url=https://www.statesman.com/story/sports/college/longhorns/2024/11/14/texas-soccer-mia-justus-cousin-of-tim-howard-carrying-on-goalkeeper-tradition/76194086007/|title=Texas soccer: Mia Justus, the cousin of U.S. legend Tim Howard, carrying on keeper tradition|last=Jones|first=Thomas|date=2024-11-14|newspaper=Austin American-Statesman|url-access=subscription|access-date=2024-11-24}}
Club career
=Utah Royals=
The Utah Royals announced on December 30, 2024, that they had signed Justus to a three-year contract.{{cite news|url=https://www.rsl.com/utahroyals/news/utah-royals-fc-adds-rookie-goalkeeper-mia-justus|title=Utah Royals FC Adds Rookie Goalkeeper Mia Justus|date=2024-12-30|publisher=Utah Royals|access-date=2024-12-30}}
International career
Justus trained with the United States youth national team beginning at the under-14 level in 2015.{{cite news|url=https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-soccer-articles/48-players-called-into-u14-gnt-camp_aid39000|title=48 players called into U14 GNT camp|date=March 18, 2016|publisher=United States Soccer Federation|via=TopDrawerSoccer|access-date=2024-08-09}} She traveled for international friendlies with the under-16 team in 2017 and 2018,{{cite news|url=https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-soccer-articles/u16-gnt-heading-to-germany-for-friendlies_aid42368|title=U16 GNT heading to Germany for friendlies|date=August 27, 2017|publisher=United States Soccer Federation|via=TopDrawerSoccer|access-date=2024-08-09}}
{{cite news|url=https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-soccer-articles/u16-gnt-to-play-in-uefa-tournament_aid44091|title=U16 GNT to play in UEFA tournament|date=May 4, 2018|publisher=United States Soccer Federation|via=TopDrawerSoccer|access-date=2024-08-09}} the under-17 team in 2018,{{cite news|url=https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-soccer-articles/u17-wnt-heads-to-korea-for-pair-of-matches_aid44467|title=U17 WNT heads to Korea for pair of matches|date=August 8, 2018|publisher=United States Soccer Federation|via=TopDrawerSoccer|access-date=2024-08-09}} the under-18 team in 2019 and 2020,{{cite news|url=https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-soccer-articles/u18-wnt-roster-for-trip-to-england_aid45826|title=U18 WNT roster for trip to England|date=February 8, 2019|publisher=United States Soccer Federation|via=TopDrawerSoccer|access-date=2024-08-09}}
{{cite news|url=https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-soccer-articles/u18-wnt-roster-named-for-tricontinental-cup_aid47578|title=U18 WNT roster named for Tricontinental Cup|date=January 23, 2020|publisher=United States Soccer Federation|via=TopDrawerSoccer|access-date=2024-08-09}} and the under-19 team in 2018 and 2020.{{cite news|url=https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-soccer-articles/u19-wnt-roster-named-for-trip-to-europe_aid45351|title=U19 WNT roster named for trip to Europe|date=October 30, 2018|publisher=United States Soccer Federation|via=TopDrawerSoccer|access-date=2024-08-09}}
{{cite news|url=https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-soccer-articles/u19-wnt-roster-announced-for-la-manga_aid47742|title=U19 WNT roster announced for La Manga|date=February 25, 2020|publisher=United States Soccer Federation|via=TopDrawerSoccer|access-date=2024-08-09}} She started for the under-20 team through the quarterfinals of the 2022 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship, a tournament the United States won.{{cite news|url=https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/college-soccer-articles/us-u20-wnt-rolls-into-concacaf-semifinals_aid50601|title=U.S. U20 WNT rolls into Concacaf semifinals|date=March 9, 2022|last=Clark|first=Travis|website=TopDrawerSoccer|access-date=2024-08-09}} She started two games at the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, but the team did not make it out of the group stage.{{cite news|url=https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2022/08/fifa-u20-womens-world-cup-us-u20-wynt-1-japan-3-match-report-stats-standings|title=USA Bows Out Of FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup With 3-1 Loss To Japan|date=August 17, 2022|publisher=United States Soccer Federation|access-date=2024-08-09}} She played friendlies for the under-23 team against NWSL clubs in the 2023 preseason.{{cite news|url=https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-soccer-articles/u23-wnt-roster-for-thorns-tournament_aid51834|title=U23 WNT Roster for Thorns Tournament|date=March 3, 2023|publisher=United States Soccer Federation|via=TopDrawerSoccer|access-date=2024-08-09}} She was called into Futures Camp, practicing alongside the senior national team, in January 2025.{{cite news|url=https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2025/01/emma-hayes-names-24-players-for-uswnt-futures-camp-in-los-angeles|title=Emma Hayes Names 24 Players to the 2025 Futures Camp Which Will Run Concurrently With USWNT Training Camp in Los Angeles|date=2025-01-08|publisher=United States Soccer Federation|access-date=2025-01-08}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Sports links}}
{{Utah Royals squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Justus, Mia}}
Category:Sportspeople from Lakewood, Ohio
Category:Soccer players from Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Category:Soccer players from Cleveland
Category:American women's soccer players
Category:Women's association football goalkeepers
Category:United States women's youth international soccer players
Category:United States women's under-20 international soccer players
Category:Florida State Seminoles women's soccer players
Category:Texas Longhorns women's soccer players